Format

Original 24-page color comic book about the heroes of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Indians. Illustrated by Mille Lacs Band member Steve Premo and by Paul Fricke. Written by Steve Premo and Cindy Goff. Produced in 1996 for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Indians.

Synopsis

A Hero's Voice shows how one young American Indian boy learns the true meaning of heroism from his grandfather with the help of heroic leaders from their People's past.

Suggested Applications

Classroom reading either individually, in small groups, or as a class to supplement lessons/discussions in history, cultural studies, and current events curricula. Recommended for use in primary/intermediate schools, especially grade 5.

Classroom Objectives

After reading the comic book, students should have gained awareness about the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Indians, including the Band's own particular history and its place within the history of Minnesota and the United States. Students should also have gained an interest in American Indian traditional culture and beliefs. In addition, students should have gained an increased understanding of the concept of heroism and what it means to be a hero.

The Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning's Office of Graduation Standards has identified 10 standards that all students in the state should have achieved upon graduation. This comic book includes material that should help students achieve the seventh of these standards Ð understanding interactions between people and cultures.

According to the Intermediate Level Profile of Learning, students in grades 4 and 5 should achieve the following:

Historical Events

Understand historical events and contributions of key people from different time periods.

What students should know:

What students should do:

Students may be asked to:

Teacher notes:
Presentations should be accompanied by timelines (see section to come: Important Events in Mille Lacs Band History).

Geography and Citizenship

Understand the interaction of people, places and locations.

What students should know:

What students should do:

Students may be asked to:

Teacher notes:
One of the cultures included in the performance task should be an American Indian culture.

According to oral traditions, the Ojibwe first lived on the Atlantic coast of North America. About 500 years ago, the ancestors of the Mille Lacs Band began migrating west.

By the mid-1700s, the Ojibwe had established themselves in the region around Mille Lacs Lake in what is today Central Minnesota. They supported themselves by hunting deer, bear, moose, waterfowl and small game; fishing the area's lakes and streams; gathering wild rice, maple sugar, and berries; and cultivating plants.

But it wasn't long before the Mille Lacs Ojibwe's self-sufficient way of life was affected by a new presence in their homeland. Europeans started arriving, and as their numbers grew, they began taking more and more of the Mille Lacs Band's land and natural resources in violation of treaties, statutes and agreements.

Because of new diseases and federal policies, by the end of the nineteenth century, only a few hundred Ojibwe remained on the Mille Lacs Reservation. Band members' religion was banned, the teaching of their language and culture was often forbidden, their right to govern themselves was virtually taken away, and their traditional means of making a living was made nearly impossible.

Over the next century, the Mille Lacs Band struggled with poverty and despair. Finally, in the early 1990s, the Band opened Grand Casino Mille Lacs and Grand Casino Hinckley. Since then, casino revenues have allowed the Mille Lacs Band to strengthen its cultural identity, return to economic self-sufficiency, rebuild its reservation, and increase the prosperity of the entire region.

Naygwanabe

Naygwanabe ("the point of a group of feathers") was an important spiritual and community leader for the Mille Lacs Band during the early nineteenth century. Although he was not a chief, he was a prominent midŽ, or medicine leader, which means he possessed the gift of healing.

Naygwanabe was also a recognized spokesperson for Band members during treaty negotiations, including the Treaty of 1826. That treaty was proposed by the United States government to establish boundaries between Indian nations and curb intertribal warfare. Naygwanabe signed the treaty because he thought it would bring peace to his People. Unfortunately, the boundaries between tribal territories made it easier for United States officials to take more land away from the Indians.

Among Naygwanabe's many contributions to the Mille Lacs Band is a census that he took in 1849 to determine the number of Band members who were entitled to government annuities. With this information, Naygwanabe not only demanded retribution for his People, but he also provided historians and future generations of Band members with a valuable record of the families who were included with the Mille Lacs Band at that time.

Shawbashkung

Shawbashkung ("he who passes through") was one of the Mille Lacs Band's most famous chiefs. Through his wisdom and expert negotiation skills, he made sure officials in Washington, D.C. kept the promises they had made in treaties with the Ojibwe.

In 1855, on behalf of the Mille Lacs Band, Shawbashkung signed what the United States government called "the treaty of peace and friendship." This treaty established a permanent home for the Band called the Mille Lacs Reservation. During the Dakota Conflict of 1862, when certain Ojibwe tribes wanted to join the Dakota Indians in their fight against non-Indian settlers, the Mille Lacs Band not only kept its promises, but actually helped prevent an Ojibwe war against the settlers. Because of that "good conduct," Chief Shawbashkung was able to negotiate a provision in the Treaty of 1864 that allowed the Mille Lacs People to keep their reservation as long as they did not go to war with white people.

Migizi

Migizi ("bald eagle"), Shawbashkung's son, followed in his father's great footsteps. A renowned leader, he was later proclaimed chief because of his great contributions to his People.

By the end of the nineteenth century, the Mille Lacs Band's lands were taken by force, and the People themselves could only remain as "trespassers" on their own territory. Migizi was recorded as saying the following about his People's choices at that time: "First, walk into the waters of the lake and die; second, march aimlessly into the wilderness never to return; and third, fight for the amelioration of these wrongs."

Migizi and his People chose to fight, but they armed themselves with dignity, not weapons. On behalf of the Mille Lacs Band, Migizi went to Washington, D.C. to plead his People's case. In 1914, this effort brought the Mille Lacs Band a Congressional appropriation of $40,000. And, after 12 years of struggling with stubborn landowners, this money eventually bought homesites for the Mille Lacs People.

Nodinens

Nodinens ("little wind") was a Mille Lacs Band Elder who spent her childhood and early adult years at Mille Lacs. The accounts of Ojibwe life she gave to ethnologist Frances Densmore have proven to be a rare and valuable resource for understanding the lives of the Mille Lacs People between 1850 and 1875.

Nodinens represents a figure that has been central to the Ojibwe culture throughout the generations. In addition to cooking, raising children, and building her family a comfortable home, Nodinens was a storyteller, and like all Elders - men and women alike - she kept the Ojibwe past alive by telling her children and grandchildren stories about their ancestors.

"My father instructed us to be kind to the poor and the aged and to help those who were helpless," Nodinens told Densmore. "This made a deep impression on me, and I have always helped old people." By passing on the values her parents taught her, Nodinens made certain that future generations of Band members inherited their ancestors' core beliefs. Today, Band Elders continue to carry on that responsibility.

Ayshpun (Sam Yankee)

Sam Yankee (known to his People as Ayshpun or "very high up") was elected chairman of the Mille Lacs Reservation Business Committee (RBC) in 1960. It was a time of great change for American Indians, from how funding for Indian programs and services was distributed to a shift in attitudes towards Indian education. But Yankee had already seen so many changes go awry for his People that he was suspicious of any new ones.

Yankee was a religious man. He spoke the Ojibwe language, sang on a ceremonial drum, and danced in every powwow. His belief was in tradition - understood change - and as chairman, he carried that belief with him. He made sure Band children were educated about their People's traditions. He built a community center and homes where Ojibwe traditions and values could flourish. And, to ensure that any change which did come would be on his People's terms, he advocated for policies of self-determination so that tribal governments could determine what was best for their own People.

Today, Sam Yankee is also remembered for his good humor and his knack for effectively communicating with others, Indian and non-Indian. After he died in 1975, he was honored with a traditional burial ceremony near East Lake.

Waywinabe (Arthur Gahbow)

Arthur Gahbow, or Waywinabe ("seated in a place of honor"), is a contemporary Mille Lacs Band hero. He became chairman of the Mille Lacs RBC in 1972 and remained in that position throughout a difficult - yet in many ways progressive - era in American Indian history.

Chairman Gahbow had seen the introduction of several bills in Congress that aimed at doing away with American Indians' treaty rights. He also witnessed the "Trail of Broken Treaties," a protest march by Indians on Washington, D.C. in 1972, and the confrontation between Indians and the federal government at Wounded Knee in 1973.

But by the late 1970s, in addition to suffering disappointments, American Indians had also enjoyed some successes. For example, in 1976 Congress passed the Indian Self-Determination and Education Act, which today is the cornerstone of national Indian policy. And, with the coming of the Carter Administration, Chairman Gahbow and the RBC were able to make many positive changes on the Mille Lacs Reservation.

Under Gahbow, the Band opened the Nay Ah Shing School, where Band children could learn their own history and language as well as academic subjects like math and science. New social programs for Band members and special programs for Elders were implemented. Gahbow also promoted economic development on the reservation and the opening of Band-owned businesses in the community.

Two of Gahbow's biggest contributions were his involvement in the creation of a separation of powers form of government and the establishment of Grand Casino Mille Lacs, which opened close to the time of his death. The tremendous success of Grand Casino Mille Lacs - and Grand Casino Hinckley, which opened a year later - has been instrumental in the Band's efforts to build a bright future for its People.

Today, Gahbow's memory - as well as his dreams, values and accomplishments - remain alive in the hearts of Band members. And under the leadership of one of his fellow RBC members, current Chief Executive Marge Anderson, progress continues today on the Mille Lacs Reservation.

The following timeline will place the material covered in A Hero's Voice in a broad chronological context.

1640 Ð The first written record of contact between Europeans (French fur traders) and Ojibwe occurs at what is now known as Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan.

1659 Ð Daniel Duluth negotiates an agreement of peace between the Ojibwe living near the south shore of Lake Superior and the Dakota people who lived near Mille Lacs Lake. Under the terms of the agreement, the two nations agree to share hunting territory in the area that would eventually become Western Wisconsin and Eastern Minnesota. This agreement encourages the Ojibwe to continue their western migration.

1727-1745 - Competition for trade with the French leads to conflicts and warfare between the Ojibwe and the Dakota.

1745-1750 - The Ojibwe arrive in the area around Mille Lacs Lake and force the remaining Dakota, who have already begun migrating west and south, out of the area. The Ojibwe establish their permanent homeland on and around the shores of Mille Lacs Lake.

1783 - The Treaty of Paris ends the American Revolution and establishes the boundary between Canada and the United States, placing the homeland of the Mille Lacs Ojibwe in American territory.

1825 - A treaty council is held at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. More than 1,000 leaders representing Ojibwe, Dakota, Sauk, Fox, Menominee, Iowa, Winnebago and other tribes gather with Indian agents and commissioners to settle intertribal conflicts. Boundaries are established between the Dakota and Ojibwe, and treaty provisions give mineral exploration rights on some Ojibwe land to the U.S.

1837 - With faulty maps and other misunderstandings of the geography involved, the Mille Lacs Band signs a treaty ceding its homeland to the U.S. government. The Treaty of 1837 protects the rights of the Mille Lacs Ojibwe to hunt, fish and gather on the ceded lands, but allows the land to be settled by non-Indians.

1855 - The Mille Lacs Band signs a treaty that sets aside 61,000 acres as its reservation on and around the south end of Mille Lacs Lake, including the southern part of the lake and southern islands. The Treaty of 1855 also opens up land just north of the new Mille Lacs Reservation to the advancing timber crews.

1858 - Minnesota joins the union.

1862 - During the Dakota War, Mille Lacs Band warriors defend non-Indians from aggression by neighboring Ojibwe bands.

1864 - In recognition of its "good conduct" during the Dakota War, the Mille Lacs Band receives a guarantee in a treaty with the U.S. government that Band members will not be forced to leave the Mille Lacs Reservation.

1879 - Despite the Treaty of 1864, the U.S. Interior Department proclaims the Mille Lacs Reservation available for purchase by timber companies and others. Congress later reverses the proclamation, but not in time to prevent non-Indians from squatting on the reservation and stripping large areas of pine trees.

1880s - The U.S. government adopts a policy of assimilation, declaring that Indians must conform to the lifestyles of non-Indians.

1884 - Congress passes a resolution canceling all fraudulent land claims on the Mille Lacs Reservation.

1889 - Congress passes the Nelson Act, which seeks to concentrate Ojibwe populations on allotments of land on the White Earth Reservation in Northern Minnesota, but allows individuals to remain on their existing Reservations. Henry Rice leads the Mille Lacs Band to believe that by signing an agreement related to the Nelson Act, Band members would be allowed to take their land allotments at Mille Lacs rather than White Earth. The Bands leaders refused and received assurance that they would be able to remain on their Reservation and that the presence of non-Indains would be investigated and resolved.

1902 - Government representatives visit Mille Lacs to negotiate an agreement for damages done to Mille Lacs Band members by settlers. During this negotiation, Band members discovered that the promises made to them in 1889 have been broken. Many Band members abandon hope of fair treatment from the U.S. government and move to White Earth. Others are harassed into moving over the next few years as their property is sold out from under them. However, a small group of Band members led by Chief Migizi and Chief Wadena refuses to leave its land.

1911 - The village of Chief Wadena is burned by a sheriff's posse and its residents are forcibly removed so that the land they live on can be claimed by a developer.

1914 - Chief Migizi obtains a promise from Congress to purchase 40-acre home sites for the landless Band members. By the time the sites are distributed 12 years later, they have been reduced to 5 acres.

1915 - Many Mille Lacs Band members join the U.S. Armed Forces to serve and defend America during World War I.

1924 - American Indians are recognized as U.S. citizens by an act of Congress.

1930s - Many Mille Lacs Band children are sent to government boarding schools where they are forbidden from speaking the Ojibwe language in an attempt to assimilate them into mainstream society.

1934 - Congress passes the Indian Reorganization Act, which formally recognizes Indian self-government and is intended to restore Indian self-determination and tribal cultures. The Minnesota Chippewa Tribe is formed as a political union of six Ojibwe bands, including the Mille Lacs Band.

1941-45 - More than 25 Mille Lacs Band members serve in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II. Many Mille Lacs Band families move to large cities to work in war-related industries.

1946 - Congress passes the Indian Claims Commission Act as part of an effort to resolve land claims between Indian tribes and the U.S. government.

1952 - The U.S. government adopts the Indian Termination and Indian Relocation policies, which seriously erode the notion of Indian self-government. The idea of assimilating Indians into mainstream society is once again supported by government policy.

1960 - Sam Yankee is elected chairman of the Mille Lacs Band's tribal government. Under his leadership, modern homes, public buildings, health services, educational opportunities, and social programs begin to appear on the reservation.

1972 - Arthur Gahbow is elected chairman of the Mille Lacs Band's tribal government. Gahbow leads the Band toward self-determination by advancing economic development on the reservation, pursuing land claims to expand the reservation's land base, and overseeing a restructuring of the Band's government system.

1975 - Chairman Gahbow is instrumental in forming the Mille Lacs Band's Nay Ah Shing School following a walkout by reservation children from a public school in nearby Onamia.

1981 - The Mille Lacs Band moves closer to self-governance by adopting a "separation of powers" form of government with executive, legislative and judicial branches. The move strengthens the Band's ability to deal with the U.S. on a government-to-government basis.

1988 - Congress passes the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act which recognizes that Indian tribes have the right to own and operate casino gaming businesses on reservation lands.

1991 - Marge Anderson is appointed to replace Chairman Gahbow, who dies suddenly while in office. Anderson is elected Chief Executive of the Mille Lacs Band in 1992 and again in 1996.

1991 - The Mille Lacs Band opens Grand Casino Mille Lacs, beginning a new era of prosperity on the reservation and in the surrounding region.

1992 - The Mille Lacs Band opens Grand Casino Hinckley.

1994 - The Federal Court confirmed that the Band retains hunting, fishing and gathering rights under its 1837 Treaty.

1990s - The Mille Lacs Band becomes the first Indian tribe in the country to use casino revenues to back a development bond issue, which raises more than $20 million. Under Chief Executive Anderson's leadership, the Band uses the money to begin rebuilding its reservation and strengthening its culture. Community improvements to date include two new schools, a new medical clinic, two new ceremonial buildings, two new community centers, new water treatment facilities, improved roads, and 145 new homes.

Following are topics suggested by A Hero's Voice that may serve as the basis for classroom discussions, essay/report/research assignments, quiz material, preparation for field trips, and projects such as displays, presentations, timelines and maps.

For Indian Students...

For All Students...

We recommend the following materials to provide background for teachers and/or additional resources for students regarding the topics presented in A Hero's Voice.

A Concise Dictionary of Minnesota Ojibwe, by John D. Nichols and Earl Nyholm.

Against the Tide of American History: The Story of the Mille Lacs Anishinabe, by Roger and Priscilla Buffalohead.

American Indian History, Culture and Language Curriculum Framework, by the Minnesota Department of Children, Families & Learning.

American Indian Oral Traditions: Dakota and Ojibwe, by Jill M. Smith.

Dakota and Ojibwe People in Minnesota, by Frances Densmore (published by the Minnesota Historical Society in Roots, Winter & Spring 1977).

Early Indian People, by Elisabeth Doerman (published by the Minnesota Historical Society in Roots, Winter 1979).

Fur Trade, by Ellen B. Green (published by the Minnesota Historical Society in Roots, Fall 1981).

History of the Ojibway People, by William W. Warren.

On The Reservation, by Carolyn Gilman (published by the Minnesota Historical Society in Roots, Spring 1986).

People of the Lakes, by the editors of Time-Life Books.

The Land of the Ojibwe, produced by the Ojibwe Curriculum Committee in cooperation with the American Indian Studies Department, University of Minnesota and the Educational Services Division, Minnesota Historical Society.

The Ojibwa, by Helen Hornbeck Tanner.

The Ojibwe: A History Resource Unit, produced by the Ojibwe Curriculum Committee in cooperation with the American Indian Studies Department, University of Minnesota and the Educational Services Division, Minnesota Historical Society.

The Story of Minnesota's Past, by Rhoda R. Gilman.

The Woodlands: The Story of the Mille Lacs Ojibwe, video produced by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.