Ozaawindib

Ozaawindib ("Yellow Head" in English, recorded variously as Oza Windib, O-zaw-wen-dib, O-zaw-wan-dib, Ozawondib, etc.) was an Ojibwa warrior who lived in the early 19th century and was described as an ayekwe ("agokwa" in literature)—what a modern Ojibwe would describe as a niizh manidoowag (two-spirit).

Wiishkobak ("Sweet" or "Le Sucre", recorded as "Wesh-ko-bug"), a chief of the Leech Lake Pillagers was Ozaawindib's father. As an ayekwe, John Tanner described Ozaawindib as "This man was one of those who make themselves women, and are called women by the Indians."

Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, who knew Ozaawindib personally, reports that Ozaawindib was very courageous in battle. Schoolcraft also reports Ozaawindib was a principal Pillager Chippewa for the Cass Lake Band. He also states:

When Tanner encamped on Red River of the North, he reports that he was the subject of interest of Ozaawindib, who at that time was about 50 years old and already had several husbands. Tanner reported that after rejecting repeated advances by Ozaawindib, Ozaawindib was still determined to win Tanner's heart. Ozaawindib disappeared for a few days and returned to camp with much needed fresh meat. However, even after bringing much needed fresh meat to the camp, Ozaawindib was still rejected by Tanner. Ozaawindib became the third wife of Chief Wenji-dotaagan as the solution to Ozaawindib's courtship efforts toward Tanner.

Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians

The Lac Courte Oreilles Tribe are one of seven federally recognized Wisconsin bands of Ojibwe. The band is based at the Lac Courte Oreilles Indian Reservation, at 45°52′59″N 91°19′13″W / 45.88306°N 91.32028°W / 45.88306; -91.32028 in northwestern Wisconsin, which surrounds Lac Courte Oreilles (Odaawaa-zaaga'igan in the Ojibwe language, meaning "Ottawa Lake"). The main reservation's land is in west-central Sawyer County, but two small plots of off-reservation trust land are located in Rusk, Burnett County, and in Evergreen, Washburn County. The Reservation was established by the second Treaty of La Pointe in 1854.

The Lac Courte Oreilles were signatories to a treaty with the United States signed in 1837, the 1842 Treaty of La Pointe, and the 1854 Treaty of La Pointe. The tribal reservation has a land area of 107.912 sq mi (279.492 km²), including the trust lands, and a population of 2,900 persons as of the 2000 census. The most populous community is Little Round Lake, at the reservation's northwest corner, south of the non-reservation city of Hayward, the county seat of Sawyer County.

Mille Lacs Indians

The Mille Lacs Indians (Ojibwe: Misi-zaaga'iganiwininiwag), also known as the Mille Lacs and Snake River Band of Chippewa, are a Band of Indians formed from the unification of the Mille Lacs Band of Mississippi Chippewa (Ojibwe) with the Mille Lacs Band of Mdewakanton Sioux (Dakota). Today, their successor apparent Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe consider themselves as being Ojibwe, but many on their main Reservation have the Ma'iingan (Wolf) as their chief Doodem (Clan), which is an indicator of Dakota origins.

Mille Lacs Indians, because of their mixed Chippewa-Sioux heritage, have become the cultural linch-pin linking the two former warring Nations into a single people, providing Ojibwe culture and customs to the Dakota just as providing Dakota culture and customs to the Ojibwe. All of the Drums held among the Mille Lacs Indians are of Dakota origins, singing Dakota melodies but translated into Ojibwe.

Historical component bands

Mille Lacs Band of Mdewakanton Dakota