St. Croix Chippewa Indians - History

History

The Manoominikeshiinyag were one of the three major Bands forming the Biitan-akiing-enabijig (Border Sitters) due to their proximity to the Dakota peoples. In turn, the Biitan-akiing-enabijig were a sub-Nation of the Gichigamiwininiwag (Lake Superior Men).

The St. Croix Band arrived in the area nearly 600 years ago when directed to move southward from Lake Superior to "the place where there is food upon the waters." In establishing a presence in the St. Croix River valley and its tributaries, the St. Croix Band entered into fierce territorial dispute with the Dakota and the Fox, though eight other Native American Tribes were located in the St. Croix River Valley. To this day in the Ojibwe language, the headwaters of the St. Croix River is called "Manoominikeshiinyag-ziibi" (Ricing Rail River), the St. Croix River below the confluence of the Namekegon River as "Gichi-ziibi" (Big River) and below the confluence of Trade River as "Jiibayaatigo-ziibi" (Grave-marker River). The name "St. Croix River" was based on the "Jiibayaatigo-ziibi" name of the river.

St. Croix Band was originally divided into the following sub-bands:

• Apple River Band
• Clam River Band
• Kettle River Band
• Knife River Band
• Rice River Band
• Rush River Band
• Snake River Band
• Sunrise River Band
• Tamarack River Band
• Totogatic River Band
• Wolf River Band
• Wood River Band
• Yellow River Band

Due to the inter-relationship to the Dakota peoples, the Knife, Rice, Rush, Snake, Sunrise and Apple River Bands were considered equally Dakota as Ojibwe. Consequently, citizens from these Bands may have had Dakota names, many were of the Ma'iingan (Wolf) Doodem, and Chiefs, such as Shak'pi signed treaties both as Ojibwe and as Dakota.