The History and Culture of the Ojibwe (Chippewa) Tribe

The Ojibwe tribe, also known as the Chippewa or Saulteaux, have historically lived in what's now southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. Known for their trademark birchbark canoes, copper mining, and maple syrup, they significantly shaped their region for several centuries.

The history of the Ojibwe people is fascinating. Like most other tribes, their story is one of tragedy and conflict—but also triumph, perseverance, and great accomplishments.

THE HISTORY OF THE OJIBWE PEOPLE
The Ojibwe people were primarily located in the Great Lakes region of Western New York, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and southern Quebec and Ontario. Uniquely positioned between early French and British settlers, they built relationships with both and engaged in trade and commerce across the region.

Along the Great Lakes, the forests were teeming with game, and the water was abundant with fish. The Ojibwe were able to create a thriving trade economy and enjoyed a healthy lifestyle fueled by the area's natural resources. Fishing, trapping, and hunting provided everything the Ojibwe people needed, plus a surplus they could trade with settlers in exchange for clothing, medicine, guns, and more.

While spread out across a great area, the lakes connected the Ojibwe people, who were able to create a shared sense of identity and community. The Ojibwe people moved westward along the Great Lakes because of a prophecy that they were to go find "the land where food grows on water." This food was wild rice, also called manoomin. 

The Ojibwe traveled the lakes in their birch bark canoes, staying close to the water as they migrated and established camps. They relied on fish more than hunting land animals to sustain them on their journeys. 

Alliances With Other Tribes and the Council of the Three Fires
The Ojibwe tribe was part of the Council of the Three Fires, an alliance between themselves, the Odawa, and the Potawatomi tribes. These three tribes were originally considered one people, and their unique ethnic identities were developed after the Anishinaabe arrived at Michilimackinac in Michigan on their journey west. 

Within the Council of the Three Fires, the Ojibwe were addressed as the "older brothers," and the Odawa tribe represented the "middle brother," with the Potawatomi tribe named the "younger brother." 

Each tribe also partook in a specific job within this council and alliance. The Ojibwe were the "keepers of the faith," the Odawa the "keepers of the trade," and the Potawatomi were the "keepers of the fire." The council would gather to discuss military or political purposes and maintain the greater tribes' relationships with tribes outside the council, as well as dealings with American settlers, Frenchmen, and Englishmen. 

After America's founding, the council transitioned into the Western Lakes Confederacy, or the Great Lakes Confederacy, along with the Wyandots, Algonquins, Nipissuy, Sacs, Meskuraki, and more tribes. 

Treaties and Contention with American Settlers and the United States Government

Like most other Native tribes, the Ojibwe were forced to sign many treaties with the American government and U.S. settlers. One of the most notable and detrimental treaties for the Ojibwe people was the Treaty of Washington, signed in 1855. 

For the Ojibwe tribe living in Minnesota, this agreement added a large part of Ojibwe land to the U.S. government and created the Leech Lake and Millelaces reservations. 

The previous two land treaties (the treaties of St. Peters in 1837 and the treaty of La Pointe in 1854) from the government had already taken most of the Ojibwe land and given payments and goods in return.

Though as in many treaties, the U.S. government benefited the most from the forced arrangements. This left the Native tribes with unfair compensation and unclear treaty terms. These conditions were compounded by the lack of proper representation at treaty meetings and a lack of adequate translation of the treaty itself.

The Treaty of Washington forced the Ojibwe people to shift their food source to mainly agriculture, as the government now owned most of the land the Ojibwe were used to hunting on.

The lack of explicit permission to hunt and fish on their own land within the treaty of 1855 (a clause made clear in the previous treaties) is still affecting Ojibwe today, as they try to hunt and fish according to treaty laws while the state of Minnesota attempts to enforce state laws over the treaty rights.

The Ojibwe Language
Stemming from the Algonquian language family, the Ojibwe language has a series of dialects and writing systems. This language and its dialects are the 2nd most commonly spoken First Nations language in Canada and the 4th most widely spoken First Nations language in the United States.

The language itself is closest to the language of the Potawatomi tribe in its patterns, and it's one of the largest Algic languages by the number of speakers. Because of its popularity and ease in comprehension across tribes and dialects, this language has been used as a trade language.

Ojibwe tribes, like many Native communities, were affected by the Native American Boarding School Initiative, where young Natives were forced away from their communities into schools. These schools attempted to assimilate Natives into Western culture and stripped them of their language, beliefs, and dress.

Yet even with the devastation caused by the assimilation attempts, there are many initiatives to revitalize and reintegrate the Ojibwe language into more of the community and younger generations. From dictionaries to computer learning programs to whole college programs designed around language learning and appreciation, there's a strong desire to rebuild what was stolen from the Ojibwe people.

Etymology and Origins of the Ojibwe Name
Also called Anishinaabemowin, the Ojibwe language calls back to the Ojibwe creation story. "Anishinaabe" means "the Spirit that is lowered from above," "-mo" means "expression through speaking," and the ending "-win" means "the life energy within that which is used to speak." The Ojibwe people are also called "the true people" or "the original ones."

This same term for the language, Anishinaabe, can be used to describe various indigenous people groups in North America or reference the shared languages of the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi tribes.

The terms "Ojibwe" and "Chippewa" both come from traits of the tribe itself. They translate to "puckered up" and are thought to refer to the way that Ojibwe people make their moccasins with puckered seams. Another translation seems to refer to the signature birch bark boats of the Ojibwe.


OJIBWE CULTURE AND SPIRITUAL BELIEFS
The Ojibwe have traditionally organized themselves into groups known as bands. These bands settled along rivers and near forests, as their knowledge of the wildlife aided their hunting and fishing. They were only semi-nomadic and would move around more in the colder seasons as they adjusted their hunting and fishing tactics for the weather.

In the summer, the women gathered wild foods such as berries and roots and planted corn, beans, and squash when they could. In the late summer and early fall, the Obijwe harvested rice from the water and land. Ojibwe moved further into the woods in the winter to hunt bigger game. They also implemented ice fishing in the colder months. In the spring, the Ojibwe bands harvested maple sap to make sugar for year-round use.

By Native Hope