Otter Tail Lake Band of Chippewas

Brief Timeline
October 18, 1848: Treaty is signed between the Otter Tail Chippewas who are also known as the Menominee. It established a large Reservation for them which was adjacent to the Gull Lake Chippewas Reservation which was created on October 13, 1846. Otter Tail Lake is located on the northwest side of the old Reservation.

May 12, 1854: A treaty was supposedly signed by Otter Tail Chippewa leaders which created a Reservation for them in Wisconsin. Today, it is known as the Menominee Reservation of Wisconsin. The United States probably promised the Otter Tail Chippewas the Wisconsin Reservation to prevent them from migrating west. They kept their promise.

February 11, 1856: A portion of the Otter Tail Chippewas Wisconsin Reservation was set aside for the Stockbridge Chippewas and Munsee.

1862: These Chippewas participated in the 1862 Minnesota Indian War. They were probably led by chief Hole in the Day. They continued to honor the treaty which established their Reservation in 1848.

March 19, 1867: A treaty is signed which added land to the Leech Lake Reservation created on May 7, 1864. Today, it is known as White Earth Reservation. Many of the Otter Tail Chippewas relocated to White Earth Reservation.

February 7, 1872: F.A. Walker wrote a letter to the Department of the Interior in which he estimated that 375 Otter Tail Pillager Chippewas continued to live in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. According to Walker, the Otter Tail Chippewas refused to relocate to White Earth Reservation.

1900: It was reported that the Otter Tail Chippewas made up 737 of the population of White Earth Reservation. They never ceded the Reservation created for them on October 18, 1848.

Brief History
Many of the Otter Tail Chippewas originally lived in the Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin region. They were influenced by prophecy to migrate west. Many migrated to central Minnesota where they were set aside a large Reservation adjacent to the Gull Lake Chippewas Reservation.

They continued to live within their Reservation in small villages, into the early 20th century. Once they realized great changes were happening they reluctantly relocated to White Earth Reservation and other Chippewa Reservations. They are more closely related to the Leech Lake Pillager Chippewas.

Reservations
Leech Lake Reservation of Minnesota

Menominee Reservation of Wisconsin

White Earth Reservation of Minnesota