Thomas Little Shell
Encyclopedia
Thomas Little Shell (also known in Ojibwe as Esens ("Little Shell" or "Little Clam") and recorded as Ase-anse or Es-sence), was a chief of the Ojibwa
tribe of indigenous Americans.
g of North Dakota
, but they infuriated the plains Pembina
by claiming to the plains Anishinaabeg that their tribe was entirely mixed-blood, or they were not an Native American tribe. Little Shell knew exactly what the United States was up to and built up a wall of defense in his negotiations with the United States over his kingdom's land.
Much earlier, probably during the mid or early 18th century, the Anishinaabeg made their first military advance onto the plains of Canada and the United States. By the time the Canadians and the United States made their first permanent settlements on the Pembina and Saulteaux
lands on the plains, their territory had advanced to southeastern Alberta
and northern and eastern and southern Montana
. Little Shell was one of the Anishinaabe signatories of the 1863 Treaty of Old Crossing which ceded this Pembina Anishinaabe land in Minnesota
and North Dakota
. Little Shell was still extremely upset with the United States after the 1863 treaty and in 1864 the determined Pembina leader refused to negotiate with the United States further about ceding more land. For almost another 30 years Little Shell refused to negotiate with the United States over his kingdom's remaining land, which covered an area of over 63000000 acres (254,952.2 km²) of land. Much of that land was in North Dakota and South Dakota
, but also included Pembina land in Montana that may have reached all the way to the Rocky Mountains
. We only need to understand that the location in Montana now, which has the largest population of the Little Shell Chippewas is Great Falls, Montana
, which is located about 50 miles (80.5 km) east of the Rocky Mountains, and about 150 to 200 miles (321.9 km) just south of the plains Anishinaabeg lands in southeastern Alberta.
of north-central North Dakota
, protesting encroachment by Americans and the government's lack of concern for Chippewa land title. Because of persistent food shortages, he and his band hunted buffalo
in Montana and southern Saskatchewan
during the late 1880s. When they returned to the Turtle Mountains in the early 1980s, they faced a series of events that led to the final exile of Little Shell's and other Chippewa people.
By this period, the United States was probably extremely upset with Little Shell's stance and sent their representatives to Little Shell in an obvious attempt to get the defiant Anishinaabe chief to negotiate again with them about ceding his kingdom's remaining land, which covered almost 100000 mi2. At that time (1892) Little Shell was living on his Montana lands and probably fed up with the intense American pressure to get him to negotiate with the Americans. In 1892 Little Shell met with American representatives and attempted to reach an agreement about ceding his kingdom's remaining land but it ended in failure. Even before 1892 the Americans were illegally settling down to live throughout Little Shell's lands in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.
On January 29, 1892 at the grand council meeting held at the Catholic mission church on the Turtle Mountain Indian reservation in the presence of the grand council members and band attorney John B. Bottineau, Little Shell did then and there substitute and appoint Miskoo be naice otherwise known as Carcazhoo or Red Thunder, a sub chief of our said tribe, to be chief in his place and stead, and to act as chief of said tribe, undersigned and approved by Misko be naice or Red Thunder, acting chief his x mark, Ozha washk benaz shin his x mark, Sas swain his x mark, Ozar we ge zhick or Ayy yar zhaib his x mark, Payh kee har gay wub his x mark, all grand council members of the Little Shell Band, before leaving in absence from his leadership of Chief.
Little Shell attempted to sell his remaining lands for $1.00 per acre and be allowed to have at least 10000000 acres (40,468.6 km²) of his kingdom's remaining lands in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota set aside as a Reservation. The Americans offered to pay 10 cents an acre (which became known as the infamous "Ten-Cent Treaty") and refused to set aside the 10000000 acres (40,468.6 km²) reservation. No agreement was reached. The United States was forced to (Hire Chippewas Who Did Not Have The Authority To Act On Behalf Of Their People To Reach An Legal Treaty Agreement) in order to get the illegal treaty signed. In other words that 63000000 acres (254,952.2 km²) is still Pembina Chippewa land. The Americans can claim that land by conquest but the Little Shell Chippewas can claim it because no legal treaty was made. Little Shell's Montana lands started at the Missouri River
on the Montana-North Dakota border, then followed the Yellowstone river
to its beginning, and probably included the Big Belt Mountains
and Little Belt Mountains
, and may have reached to the Rocky Mountains near Augusta. Of course, the plains Anishinaabeg shared their Montana lands with the Assiniboine and probably the Gros Ventre
too.
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
tribe of indigenous Americans.
1850s to 1870s
During the 1850s the United States commenced to negotiate with the plains AnishinaabeAnishinaabe
Anishinaabe or Anishinabe—or more properly Anishinaabeg or Anishinabek, which is the plural form of the word—is the autonym often used by the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Algonquin peoples. They all speak closely related Anishinaabemowin/Anishinaabe languages, of the Algonquian language family.The meaning...
g of North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, but they infuriated the plains Pembina
Pembina Band of Chippewa Indians
Pembina Band of Chippewa Indians are a historical band of Chippewa , originally living along the Red River of the North and its tributaries....
by claiming to the plains Anishinaabeg that their tribe was entirely mixed-blood, or they were not an Native American tribe. Little Shell knew exactly what the United States was up to and built up a wall of defense in his negotiations with the United States over his kingdom's land.
Much earlier, probably during the mid or early 18th century, the Anishinaabeg made their first military advance onto the plains of Canada and the United States. By the time the Canadians and the United States made their first permanent settlements on the Pembina and Saulteaux
Saulteaux
The Saulteaux are a First Nation in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, Canada.-Ethnic classification:The Saulteaux are a branch of the Ojibwe nations. They are sometimes also called Anihšināpē . Saulteaux is a French term meaning "people of the rapids," referring to...
lands on the plains, their territory had advanced to southeastern Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
and northern and eastern and southern Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. Little Shell was one of the Anishinaabe signatories of the 1863 Treaty of Old Crossing which ceded this Pembina Anishinaabe land in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
. Little Shell was still extremely upset with the United States after the 1863 treaty and in 1864 the determined Pembina leader refused to negotiate with the United States further about ceding more land. For almost another 30 years Little Shell refused to negotiate with the United States over his kingdom's remaining land, which covered an area of over 63000000 acres (254,952.2 km²) of land. Much of that land was in North Dakota and South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, but also included Pembina land in Montana that may have reached all the way to the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
. We only need to understand that the location in Montana now, which has the largest population of the Little Shell Chippewas is Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls, Montana
Great Falls is a city in and the county seat of Cascade County, Montana, United States. The population was 58,505 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Great Falls, Montana Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cascade County...
, which is located about 50 miles (80.5 km) east of the Rocky Mountains, and about 150 to 200 miles (321.9 km) just south of the plains Anishinaabeg lands in southeastern Alberta.
1880 to 1901
Around 1880, Little Shell returned from southern Canada to the Turtle MountainsTurtle Mountain (plateau)
Turtle Mountain, or the Turtle Mountains, is an area in central North America, in the north-central portion of the U.S. state of North Dakota and southwestern portion of the Canadian province of Manitoba...
of north-central North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, protesting encroachment by Americans and the government's lack of concern for Chippewa land title. Because of persistent food shortages, he and his band hunted buffalo
American Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
in Montana and southern Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
during the late 1880s. When they returned to the Turtle Mountains in the early 1980s, they faced a series of events that led to the final exile of Little Shell's and other Chippewa people.
By this period, the United States was probably extremely upset with Little Shell's stance and sent their representatives to Little Shell in an obvious attempt to get the defiant Anishinaabe chief to negotiate again with them about ceding his kingdom's remaining land, which covered almost 100000 mi2. At that time (1892) Little Shell was living on his Montana lands and probably fed up with the intense American pressure to get him to negotiate with the Americans. In 1892 Little Shell met with American representatives and attempted to reach an agreement about ceding his kingdom's remaining land but it ended in failure. Even before 1892 the Americans were illegally settling down to live throughout Little Shell's lands in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.
On January 29, 1892 at the grand council meeting held at the Catholic mission church on the Turtle Mountain Indian reservation in the presence of the grand council members and band attorney John B. Bottineau, Little Shell did then and there substitute and appoint Miskoo be naice otherwise known as Carcazhoo or Red Thunder, a sub chief of our said tribe, to be chief in his place and stead, and to act as chief of said tribe, undersigned and approved by Misko be naice or Red Thunder, acting chief his x mark, Ozha washk benaz shin his x mark, Sas swain his x mark, Ozar we ge zhick or Ayy yar zhaib his x mark, Payh kee har gay wub his x mark, all grand council members of the Little Shell Band, before leaving in absence from his leadership of Chief.
Little Shell attempted to sell his remaining lands for $1.00 per acre and be allowed to have at least 10000000 acres (40,468.6 km²) of his kingdom's remaining lands in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota set aside as a Reservation. The Americans offered to pay 10 cents an acre (which became known as the infamous "Ten-Cent Treaty") and refused to set aside the 10000000 acres (40,468.6 km²) reservation. No agreement was reached. The United States was forced to (Hire Chippewas Who Did Not Have The Authority To Act On Behalf Of Their People To Reach An Legal Treaty Agreement) in order to get the illegal treaty signed. In other words that 63000000 acres (254,952.2 km²) is still Pembina Chippewa land. The Americans can claim that land by conquest but the Little Shell Chippewas can claim it because no legal treaty was made. Little Shell's Montana lands started at the Missouri River
Missouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
on the Montana-North Dakota border, then followed the Yellowstone river
Yellowstone River
The Yellowstone River is a tributary of the Missouri River, approximately long, in the western United States. Considered the principal tributary of the upper Missouri, the river and its tributaries drain a wide area stretching from the Rocky Mountains in the vicinity of the Yellowstone National...
to its beginning, and probably included the Big Belt Mountains
Big Belt Mountains
The Big Belt Mountains are a section of the Rocky Mountains in the U.S. state of Montana. Situated mainly in the Helena National Forest, the mountains are used for logging and recreation for the surrounding residents. Nearby is Helena, Montana, Canyon Ferry Lake, the Missouri River, Townsend,...
and Little Belt Mountains
Little Belt Mountains
The Little Belt Mountains are a section of the Rocky Mountains in the U.S. state of Montana. Situated mainly in the Lewis and Clark National Forest, the mountains are used for logging and recreation for the residents of Great Falls, Montana...
, and may have reached to the Rocky Mountains near Augusta. Of course, the plains Anishinaabeg shared their Montana lands with the Assiniboine and probably the Gros Ventre
Gros Ventre people
The Gros Ventre people , also known as the A'ani, A'aninin, Haaninin, and Atsina, are a historically Algonquian-speaking Native American tribe located in north central Montana...
too.
Legacy
Little Shell died in 1901. The Band's leadership went to his son-in-law Rising Son, and then to his grandson Thomas Little Shell (Ayabiwewidang).See also
- Native Americans in the United StatesNative Americans in the United StatesNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
- Chippewa CreeChippewa CreeThe Chippewa Cree Tribe is a mixed group of Native Americans in Montana, among the last to come into the state. They are descended from Cree that had come south from Canada, and from Chippewa that had moved west from the Turtle Mountains in North Dakota....
- Little Shell Band of Chippewa IndiansLittle Shell Band of Chippewa IndiansThe Little Shell Band of Chippewa Native Americans was an Anishinaabe tribe, The Little Shell Band did, in fact, once exist as a branch of the Chippewa on the northern Great Plains in the 19th century. Most were pushed westward out of Minnesota and North Dakota to Montana...
- Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa IndiansTurtle Mountain Band of Chippewa IndiansThe Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians is a Native American tribe of Ojibwa and Métis peoples, based on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation in Belcourt, North Dakota. The tribe has 30,000 enrolled members...