LITTLE SHELL TRIBE OF CHIPPEWA

THIS TRIBE HAS NO RESERVATION. MANY OF THEIR DESCENDANTS LIVED OUTSIDE OF MONTANA FROM THE GREAT PLAINS. THEIR CURRENT POPULATION OF NUMBERS IN MONTANA IS 3900. WRITTEN HISTORY DATES TO THE 1600'S WHEN FUR TRADING WAS POPULAR. VAST REGIONS WERE USED TO TRAP HEAVIER AND OTHER FURS THAT WERE SHIPPED TO EUROPE IN THE 1800'S. THE HUDSON BAY TRADING POST INCLUDED NUMEROUS IMMIGRANTS FROM SCOTLAND, FRANCE AND THEY MARRIED SOME OF THE NATIVE AMERICANS. THUS MANY MIXED BLOOD PEOPLE CAME HERE. THESE FOLKS SETTLED IN SOUTHERN MANITOBA AND NORTHERN MINNESOTA. THEY SPOKE AN UNUSUAL LANGUAGE - A SORT OF BLEND FROM CHIPPEWA. A RESERVATION IN THE TURTLE MOUNTAIN AREA HAD BEEN SET ASIDE FOR THE CHIPPEWA AND MELIOS IN NORTH DAKOTA. ALONG WITH THE U.S. GOVERNMENT THE TWO CHIEFS OF THE CHIPPEWA SIGNED A TREATY IN 1863 ESTABLISHING A 10 MILLION ACE RESERVATION. IN 1892 THE GOVERNMENT TOOK AWAY MOST OF THIS LAND AND THEY LOST FEDERAL RECOGNITION. THE NATIVES ONLY HAVE 10% OF THEIR LAND. IN 1870 WITH THE DECREASE OF THE BUFFALO 120 FAMILIES FOLLOWED TOM SHELL INTO MONTANA AND SOME WENT NORTH TO CANADA. IN 1896 600 MEMBERS WERE CAPTURED BY SOLDIERS AND TAKEN BY TRAIN TO THE CANADIAN BORDER. THAT WINTER THEY CAME BACK TO THE ROCKIES. ONLY A HANDFUL OF THE 4000 SPEAK NATIVE LANGUAGE. OPI.MT.GOV WIKIPEDIA.COM