The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, known as “the non-removeable band, ” remained steadfast in the face of challenges to the Treaty of 1855, which granted them 61, 000 acres of land along the south shore of Lake Mille Lacs for their use indefinitely. Soon Euro-American entrepreneurs encroached on these rights and encouraged Ojibwe families to move elsewhere, but Mille Lacs Band members held firm.
They Would Not Be Moved traces the history of a people defending their rights to their 1855 reservation through decades of opposition to their sovereignty and their stewardship. Loggers and settlers claimed parcels for their own purposes, taking advantage of lax governmental oversight. Neighbors may have wished away the Mille Lacs Reservation, but historical maps, contemporary newspaper accounts, and congressional declarations make clear the reservation was never dissolved.
Bruce White opens this essential history with oral traditions of the people at home on the landscape. He interprets treaty negotiations to outline how each side understood the signed agreements. Local newspapers show that some nearby communities supported the Mille Lacs people, and family narratives relate the challenges and successes of those who stayed to defend their rights. Ultimately, the story of the Mille Lacs Reservation is one of triumph—of struggle and survival and successful resistance.
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Melanie Benjamin is chief executive of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
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