Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Encyclopedia
Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (or the Gete-gitigaaniwininiwag in the Anishinaabe language) is a band of the Lake Superior Chippewa
, many of whom reside on the Lac Vieux Desert Indian Reservation
, an Indian reservation
located near Watersmeet, Michigan.
region, the southern branch of Ojibwe came to the area now known as Lac Vieux Desert
. The lake, known as Gete-gitigaani-zaaga'igan ("Lake of the old garden") in the Anishinaabe language is located near several major watershed boundaries, thus promoting an ideal travel/trade hub connecting major waterways and trails to Lake Superior
, Lake Michigan
and Wisconsin River
.
The Band was a signatory to several treaties, including the Treaty of St. Peters
of 1837, Treaty of La Pointe
of 1842 and Treaty of La Pointe
of 1854. The second La Pointe Treaty also established the Lac Vieux Desert Indian Reservation
, known as Gete-gitigaaning in the Anishinaabe language.
Under the Indian Reorganization Act
, the Lac Vieux Desert Band lost their independent federal recognition and was instead recognized as members of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and resided in the Watersmeet area.
signed the "Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians Act" (H.R. 3697) that officially recognized the Band as a separate and distinct tribe apart from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community.
Lake Superior Chippewa
The Lake Superior Chippewa were a historical band of Ojibwe Indians living around Lake Superior in what is now the northern parts of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.-Origins:...
, many of whom reside on the Lac Vieux Desert Indian Reservation
Lac Vieux Desert Indian Reservation
Lac Vieux Desert Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation located in Watersmeet Township of southeastern Gogebic County, in the western part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It is the landbase for the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The reservation has a total land area of...
, an Indian reservation
Indian reservation
An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...
located near Watersmeet, Michigan.
Early history
As the Ojibwe Nation divided into two and expand westward from Sault Ste. MarieSault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie may refer to:* Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario , a Canadian city** Sault Ste. Marie , a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada...
region, the southern branch of Ojibwe came to the area now known as Lac Vieux Desert
Lac Vieux Desert
Lac Vieux Desert is a lake in the United States divided between Gogebic County, Michigan, and Vilas County, Wisconsin. Fed primarily by springs in the surrounding swamps, it is the source of the Wisconsin River, which flows out of its southwest corner...
. The lake, known as Gete-gitigaani-zaaga'igan ("Lake of the old garden") in the Anishinaabe language is located near several major watershed boundaries, thus promoting an ideal travel/trade hub connecting major waterways and trails to Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
, Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
and Wisconsin River
Wisconsin River
-External links:* * * , Wisconsin Historical Society* * * *...
.
The Band was a signatory to several treaties, including the Treaty of St. Peters
Treaty of St. Peters
Treaty of St. Peters may be one of two treaties conducted between the United States and Native American peoples, conducted at the confluence of the Minnesota River with the Mississippi River, in what today is Mendota, Minnesota....
of 1837, Treaty of La Pointe
Treaty of La Pointe
The Treaty of La Pointe may refer to either of two treaties made and signed in La Pointe, Wisconsin between the United States and the Ojibwe Native American peoples...
of 1842 and Treaty of La Pointe
Treaty of La Pointe
The Treaty of La Pointe may refer to either of two treaties made and signed in La Pointe, Wisconsin between the United States and the Ojibwe Native American peoples...
of 1854. The second La Pointe Treaty also established the Lac Vieux Desert Indian Reservation
Lac Vieux Desert Indian Reservation
Lac Vieux Desert Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation located in Watersmeet Township of southeastern Gogebic County, in the western part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It is the landbase for the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The reservation has a total land area of...
, known as Gete-gitigaaning in the Anishinaabe language.
Under the Indian Reorganization Act
Indian Reorganization Act
The Indian Reorganization Act of June 18, 1934 the Indian New Deal, was U.S. federal legislation that secured certain rights to Native Americans, including Alaska Natives...
, the Lac Vieux Desert Band lost their independent federal recognition and was instead recognized as members of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and resided in the Watersmeet area.
Independent federal recognition
Beginning in the 1960s for nearly 20 years, the Band worked towards independent federal recognition. On September 8, 1988, President Ronald ReaganRonald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
signed the "Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians Act" (H.R. 3697) that officially recognized the Band as a separate and distinct tribe apart from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community.