Book Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1901 edition. Excerpt: ...(they had been moved from Wisconsin to Minnesota, and he asked that they might be removed to a new reservation): "Say that strip of land lying on the Wild Rice river between 47 and 48 north latitude, and east of the Red river. There is every advantage of good soil, game, fish, rice, sugar, cranberries, and a healthy climate." He asked for a land that will "combine all the elements of comfort and content to our people; that is, good land, game, fish, rice, sugar. Here we have neither, to any considerable extent. iBrunson, manuscript letter book, p. 50. in Wisconsin Historical Society's manuscript collection. These last facts Mr Brunson also wrote under date of July 20. 1843, to Robert Stuart, Acting Superintendent Indian Affairs at Detroit; see manuscript letter book, p. 104. 2 House Misc. Doc. 36, Thirtieth Congress, second session. 'Indian Affairs Report, 1858, p 48. True, we may find a little rice and a few fish, but not sufficient for my people, not enough to save them from starvation."1 In 1865 the agent speaks of the impracticability of moving the Mississippi and Mille Lacs bands of Chippewa to the Red lake country. After speaking of the scarcity of good land and sugar trees, he continued: "There is another great item which must not be overlooked; that is, there are no rice fields in that country, ... or fishing lakes." A letter from La Pointe agency, Ashland, Wisconsin, September 10, 1891, is as follows: In many of the streams and lakes of these reservations wild rice grows luxuriantly. This important cereal is carefully harvested by the Indians, and constitutes an important part of their subsistence stores. It is palatable and nutritious, and by many white people is preferred to the white rice of...