White Earth Reservation
Located in northwestern Minnesota, the White Earth Reservation has a corrupted past. It was an important location for the military and police totem (the Chippewas) of the Algonquin Tribe, who used the location to build up their military strength in order to force their way out on to the plains of Canada and the United States. This Reservation was established after the 1862 Minnesota Indian War ended. Both Chippewas and their Dakota allies, from northwestern Minnesota and northeastern North Dakota, settled on this Reservation.
In 1889 (the 1889 Nelson Act), the government of the United States broke treaty promises and opened up this reservation to white settlement. Most of the land allotments slipped from Indian ownership to non Indian ownership. Total size of the White Earth Reservation is 1,310 sq. mi. After the illicit land allotments, the non Indians owned 666,519 total acres. Most or all of the forest that originally covered the White Earth Reservation, was cut down by the whites. It may have led to the near war on the Leech Lake Reservation in late 1898. After the October 5, 1898 Battle of Sugar Point, a new course eventually occurred on the White Earth Reservation. The present forests covering the White Earth Reservation are re-plants.
And present day citizens and leaders of the White Earth Reservation, must increase their efforts at having 10,000s of more acres of native trees re-planted on the Reservation. They must also tend to defending the many lakes and other waterways scattered across the beautiful Reservation, especially increasing the wild rice waterways. We know before the whites invaded, what is now the White Earth Reservation had far more lakes, especially those which were friendly towards wild rice.
There are at least 17 Chippewa and Dakota settlements scattered across this Reservation. There are over 20,000 Anishinabe and Dakota citizens of this Reservation, which covers 832,000 acres or 336,698 hectares, or 1,310 sq. mi., or 3,367 sq. km. Much of the Reservation is covered by forests. I would estimate that about half of this Reservation is covered by forests and lakes. The western third is where most of the whites live. That part of White Earth Reservation has a great many farms. The largest settlement on the White Earth Reservation is Naytahwuash. White Earth is the capitol of the White Earth Reservation.
Demographics of the White Earth Reservation
Covers 1,310 sq. mi.
Total Population: 9,192
Indian Population: 3,378 (4,154 when including mixed bloods and Hispanics)
White: 5,105
Black: 7
Asian: 25
Mixed: 677
Hispanic: 99 - Hispanic population is corrupted as usual. Mexicans are predominantly descended from the Native Americans who lived in the eastern part of the United States. The whites have forced them to lose their tribal identities.
Most of the whites live in the western part of White Earth Reservation. Anishinabe and Dakota populations, live in the central and eastern part of the Reservation. Average household size is 2.75, but in the areas where the Indians are the majority, the average household size is probably between 3.0 and 5.0. Though most who know a great deal about white earth reservation, think almost all the Reservation is owned by individual non Indians, that is not the case and the ogimak of this Reservation are very aware of it. As mentioned earlier, much of the Reservation is covered by forests and lakes. That means the forests and lakes are really owned by the White Earth Reservation, even though the whites claim otherwise. So the total amount of land considered to be owned by the Reservation's ogimak, is probably between 400,000 and 500,000 acres.
Discrimination continues to be a problem at this Reservation, especially in the western part where the majority of the population is white. Originally the United States wanted to place all Chippewa's in Minnesota and even some from Michigan and Wisconsin, on this Reservation, but the Anishinabek protested strongly. And many Dakotas were allied with the Chippewa's during the 18th and 19th centuries. As for the Dakotas who settled on the white earth reservation, as in many other cases, they lost their tribal identity. Unfortunately, the whites too frequently only seen one Indian Nation and ignored the others. Below is a list of the settlements on this Reservation. I have not included some settlements because they are predominantly non Indian. This Reservation is open.
White Earth Reservation Communities
Callaway: Population is 234
Eagle View: Population is 165
East White Earth Lake: Population is 50 to 100?
Elbow Lake: Population is 104
MahKonce: Population is 240
Maple Grove: Population is 405
Naytauwaush: Population is 583
Ogema: Population is 184
Pine Bend: Population is 40 to 60?
Pine Point: Population is 337
Rice Lake: Population is 226
Roy Lake: Population is 200
Strawberry Lake: Population is 180
Twin Lakes: Population is 183
Waubun: Population is 400
West White Earth Lake: Population is 20 to 40?
White Earth: Population is 424
Callaway
Eagle View Township
East White Earth Lake
Elbow Lake
MahKonce
Maple Grove Township
Naytahwaush
Twin Lakes cdp
Ogema
Pine Bend
Pine Point
Rice Lake
Roy Lake
Strawberry Lake
Waubun
West White Earth Lake
White Earth