Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan

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Tribal Headquarters
Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan 7070 East Broadway Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858 Phone: 1.517.772.5700 Fax: 1.517.772.3508


 * Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe Official Website

History
In the 16th century, the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe lived in Michigan and Ontario. According to Ojibway authors in the 19th century, a migration of Chippewa's from the west to the east commenced in the 17th century. Through outright force they drove back the Indian allies of the whites and the whites, to near the Atlantic Ocean. Then according to Ojibway author George Copway, the Chippewa's commenced to settle the land east of Lake Huron.

White historians have written that the Sac or Sauk, originally lived in southeastern Michigan and southern Ontario, in the 17th century, and were driven to the west by the Indian allies of the whites. However, Sac and Sauk, are obviously short for Saginaw. The Saginaw Chippewa Tribe is also known as the Black River and Swan Creek Chippewa's.

They were constantly at war against the whites and their Indian allies throughout the 17th, 18th, and much of the 19th centuries. They also reacted to the Seven Fires Prophecy by gathering their people to commence disporas to the west, north, and south. Primarily to the west.

Brief Timeline
1492:

The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe probably lived throughout Michigan.

16th century:

Contact with the whites took place. Indian allies of the whites, were supplied with cannons and guns by the whites. Chippewa soldiers could dominate them using only bows and arrows. The one shot musket guns were no match.

17th century:

Wars between the Chippewa's against the whites and their Indian allies, commenced early in the 17th century and continued on for the entire century. Late in the 17th century, the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe drove the Indian allies of the whites and whites, to near the Atlantic Ocean. Chippewa settlers colonized the land east of Lake Huron to north of Lake Ontario. They also colonized northwestern New York State. They also sent Chippewa settlers south to Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, and southern New York State.

18th century:

Saginaw Chippewa soldiers were fully capable of keeping the whites and their Indian allies confined to the east. However, by the 1760s, the whites were forcing their way into western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. It may have been at this time when Chippewa leaders commenced to follow prophecy and send their people to the west, north, and south. By the late 18th century, the whites were dominating the Chipopewa's. It led to more diasporas. After the Battle of Fallen Timbers, the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe agreed to peace and land cessions commenced. So did greater diasporas.

19th century:

In 1811, the whites launched an invasion into Indiana which led to the War of 1812. The whites also launched an invasion into the Red River Valley of southern Manitoba at this time. After losing the War of 1812, the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe began the process of negotiating with the whites. They knew from prophecy the whites could not be trusted. And white leaders even told the Chippewa's that the whites had evil intentions. A series of treaties were signed which ceded Chippewa land to the United States and Canada. Their fear of the whites was real and Chippewa leaders reacted by commencing diasporas.

1838-1839 Exodus:

In the mid 1830s, Saginaw Chippewa leaders signed treaties with the United States. The whites were not honest about the treaty agreements. Once Chippewa leaders learned that the Reservations which were set aside for them would be eradicated after 5 years, they reacted. Chief Eshtonoquot ordered that the Saginaw Chippewa's of Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania gather together in large numbers and commenced an exodus to Kansas and probably Oklahoma. In 1832, a large number of Chippewa's from southeastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, were set aside a 5 million acre Reservation in Iowa and Missouri. It's likely many of the Saginaw Chippewa's settled down to live on that Reservation. However, most continued on to eastern Kansas.

In 1839, the first arrived to Kansas. Just before their arrival, the Saginaw Chippewa's who left on the exodus may have made contact with the Cherokee who also commenced an exodus at this time, in Illinois. It is no coincidence. The Cherokee may have actually been a more southern Saginaw Chippewa people. The Cherokee settled south of the Saginaw in southeastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma. They also settled in western Missouri. The Saginaw settled the land from south of the Pembina Chippewa District in southeastern South Dakota adjacent to Iowa, to the central part of eastern Kansas. The Chippewa Reservation in Iowa and Missouri was only a few miles to the east of the Pembina Chippewa District.

In 1846, the United States eradicated the 5 million acre Chippewa Reservation in Iowa and Missouri. It led to more Chippewa's fleeing to Mexico. Many other Saginaw Chippewa's fled west. Many also fled up to Montana. Montana has a Black River and Swan Creek Chippewa population. They are non federally recognized.

In 1866, the Saginaw Chippewa's (Black River and Swan Creek Chippewa's) of Kansas, reached an agreement with the United States in which they agreed to relocate to Cherokee Territory in northeastern Oklahoma. It took decades for the relocation to play out. In 1864, they were so bothered by Moravian Christians who were up to no good, they agreed to commence an exodus to northern Mexico. Chief Eshtonoquot was instrumental in planning the exodus.They arrived to northern Mexico in early 1865.

On June 1, 1868, the Saginaw Chippewa's of Kansas, signed a treaty with the United States in which they agreed to lose their Kansas Reservation. Chief Eshtonoquot was the principle Chippewa leader of Kansas at the time but he had passed away on January 29, 1868. That led to the loss of the Saginaw Chippewa Reservation of Kansas. Chief Eshtonoquot did not want to lose the Saginaw Chippewa Kansas Reservation.The June 1, 1868 Saginaw Treaty coincides with the June 1, 1868 Navajo Treaty. Exactly how many Saginaw Chippewa's from Kansas relocated to the Navajo Reservation is not known but many did.

With the loss of their Kansas Reservation, the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe or Black River and Swan Creek Chippewa's, became non recognized in Kansas. In Oklahoma they were forced to accept a Cherokee identity. However, they are Saginaw Chippewa.

Reservations
www.sacandfoxks.com/ Sauk Kansas-Nebraska Reservation

www.meskwaki.org/ Sauk Iowa Reservation

www.sacandfoxnation-nsn.gov/ Sauk of Oklahoma

www.cherokee.org/ Saginaw Chippewa Tribe of Oklahoma

www.keetoowahcherokee.org/newsite/index.php Saginaw Chippewa Tribe of Oklahoma

Important Web Sites

 * Constitution and By-Laws of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan. Approved May 6, 1937.
 * Amended Constitution and By-laws of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe of Michigan, 1986
 * Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe Official Website
 * Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Nation Wikipedia
 * digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/History/History-idx June 1, 1868 Treaty
 * www.kshs.org/publicat/history/1983winter_herring.pdf Saginaw Chippewa History Kansas