The Sandy Lake Tragedy stands as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of broken treaties, governmental negligence, and the forced relocation of Native American populations in the 19th century. It represents a dark chapter in the history of the relationship between the United States government and the Lake Superior Chippewa (Ojibwe) people. Occurring in 1850 near Sandy Lake, Minnesota, this event led to the deaths of an estimated 400 Ojibwe individuals, primarily due to disease, starvation, and exposure, all stemming from a calculated plan by officials within the Zachary Taylor Administration and the Minnesota Territory government. Their goal was to coerce several bands of the Chippewa, who resided east of the Mississippi River, into relocating to lands further west, in accordance with the expansionist desires of the burgeoning European-American population.
To fully grasp the gravity of the Sandy Lake Tragedy, it’s essential to understand the historical context leading up to this devastating event. By the 17th century, the Ojibwe Nation, known for their intricate social structure and deep connection to the land, had established a vast territory spanning the Lake Superior region. Their presence extended across what is now Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. The bands located in Wisconsin, Michigan, and parts of eastern Minnesota found themselves increasingly subject to the implications of the Indian Removal Act of 1830. This Act, while not immediately enforced upon them due to the limited European-American presence in the region, laid the groundwork for future conflicts.
Initially, the lack of significant European-American settlement in these areas meant there was little political impetus for Ojibwe removal. However, this situation dramatically shifted by 1850. The mid-century saw a surge in migration to Wisconsin and Minnesota, driven by the promise of fertile land and economic opportunity. This influx of settlers drastically altered the political landscape. European-Americans, eager to secure land and resources, began to exert pressure on Congress and the President to alleviate what they perceived as competition from the Ojibwe.
This pressure manifested itself in a calculated and ultimately deadly scheme orchestrated by high-ranking officials within President Zachary Taylor’s administration. Individuals such as Secretary of Interior Thomas Ewing, Commissioner of Indian Affairs Orlando Brown, Minnesota Territory Governor Alexander Ramsey, and Sub-Agent John Watrous conspired to implement what amounted to an unlawful and unconstitutional removal of the Ojibwe people. This plan involved the deliberate violation of existing treaties, demonstrating a profound disregard for the rights and well-being of the Native population. While Ewing and Brown left their positions before the tragedy fully unfolded, Ramsey and Watrous remained key players throughout the ordeal.
The linchpin of their strategy was to manipulate the annual annuity payments and the distribution of essential supplies that were promised to the Ojibwe under treaty agreements. Orlando Brown, in his capacity as Commissioner of Indian Affairs, directed the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to change the location where these payments and supplies would be distributed. Traditionally, the payments were made at La Pointe, Wisconsin, a location of immense economic and spiritual significance to the Ojibwe Nation. Instead, the BIA announced that the payment would be moved to a sub-agency located at Sandy Lake, Minnesota, a more isolated and less accessible trading post.
The rationale behind this seemingly simple change was far more sinister. By compelling the Ojibwe to travel to Sandy Lake in the late fall, the BIA anticipated that they would be forced to remain there throughout the winter months. The officials involved in the scheme hoped that the harsh conditions and the prolonged separation from their traditional territories would erode the Ojibwe’s resistance to relocation. The plan was deliberately shrouded in secrecy, kept hidden from both local European-Americans and the Ojibwe people themselves.
Furthermore, the relocation strategy had economic and political motivations. By forcing the Ojibwe to spend their annuity payments in Minnesota, rather than Wisconsin, the officials hoped to stimulate the local and regional economy and bolster their own political patronage systems. This outcome would translate into tangible economic and political gains for those who conceived and implemented the plan.
The Ojibwe people, sensing the potential for trouble, convened numerous gatherings to discuss their options and formulate a response to the change in payment location. These deliberations consumed valuable time, leaving them with little opportunity to plant their usual spring crops. Consequently, they were left with little choice but to travel to Sandy Lake in the fall of 1850, driven by the urgent need to obtain the promised payments and supplies to ensure their survival.
In the fall of 1850, representatives from 19 different Ojibwe bands embarked on the arduous journey to Sandy Lake. By late October, nearly 3,000 Ojibwe men, women, and children had gathered at the designated location, enduring harsh weather conditions and dwindling supplies as they waited for the arrival of the government agent. Weeks turned into months, and still, the agent did not appear.
When the government agent finally arrived, he delivered devastating news. He informed the assembled Ojibwe that the government had been unable to provide the necessary funds and supplies. It was not until early December that a meager portion of the promised payment finally arrived. Adding insult to injury, much of the food that was delivered was spoiled and unfit for consumption, and the payment was significantly less than what had been promised.
The consequences of this delay and inadequacy were catastrophic. Crowded into makeshift camps with inadequate shelter and sanitation, the Ojibwe people were ravaged by disease. Dysentery, measles, starvation, and exposure claimed the lives of an estimated 150 individuals even before they could begin their journey home.
The return journey itself was fraught with peril. Weakened by sickness and hunger, and ill-prepared for a winter trek, the Ojibwe were forced to traverse treacherous terrain in sub-zero temperatures. It is estimated that between 200 and 230 more Ojibwe perished before reaching their homes in January of the following year. The Sandy Lake Tragedy had reached its devastating conclusion.
The Sandy Lake Tragedy sparked outrage among some segments of the United States public and prompted the Lake Superior Chippewa bands, under the leadership of Chief Buffalo of La Pointe, to petition President Millard Fillmore to rescind the removal order. Many Americans, appalled by the government’s treatment of the Ojibwe, voiced their support for an end to the removal policy.
Chief Buffalo, recognizing the need for a strategic shift, appealed to Wisconsin residents for their support in the Ojibwe’s fight to remain in their traditional territories. While many European-Americans were not eager to live alongside Native populations, they did support the establishment of Indian Reservations as a means of separating the two groups.
In the aftermath of the Sandy Lake Tragedy, Chief Buffalo skillfully negotiated with the government, becoming a staunch advocate for the establishment of permanent reservations in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. This strategy was formalized in the 1854 Treaty of La Pointe. Through these negotiations, the Chippewa/Ojibwe achieved their primary objective: to remain within their ancestral territories. Many of the bands agreed to the creation of Ojibwe Reservations and their relocation to these designated areas. In many cases, these reservations were established at existing Ojibwe communities, often requiring the consolidation of smaller, less powerful bands with their more influential neighbors.
The Treaty of La Pointe led to the establishment of several reservations, including those at Bad River, Red Cliff, Lac Courte Oreilles, Lac du Flambeau, and Mole Lake. The following year, the Treaty of Washington (1855) resulted in the creation of additional reservations in Minnesota, including those for the Pillager Chippewa at Leech Lake, Cass Lake, Lake Winnibigoshish, and Gull Lake, and for the Mississippi Chippewa at Mille Lacs, Sandy Lake, and Pokegama Lake. The same treaty also designated the Rice Lake Indian Reservation, though it was never formally platted due to objections from the Bureau of Land Management, which claimed it overlapped with the Sandy Lake Reservation.
Despite the Sandy Lake Tragedy, the St. Croix Band and the Mole Lake Band steadfastly refused to sign the Treaty of La Pointe, hoping that the United States would finally honor its previous treaty obligations. Their refusal to relocate led to the loss of their federal recognition and associated benefits. It wasn’t until the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, also known as the Indian "New Deal," that these two bands regained their legal recognition. During their period of non-recognition, the Mole Lake Band became affiliated with the Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation, while the St. Croix Band was divided and associated with both the Lac Courte Oreilles and Mille Lacs Lake Indian Reservations.
The St. Croix Band, along with the Bois Brulé Band, resisted assimilation with the La Pointe Band. The US Army forcibly relocated them to the Gull Lake Indian Reservation in central Minnesota, a violation of the Indian Removal Act, which had officially ended. Chief Bagonegiizhig of the Gull Lake Band tirelessly negotiated with the BIA to return these groups to Wisconsin.
Faced with limited success, Chief Bagonegiizhig led his people in the Dakota War of 1862 against the United States. This alliance proved disastrous, resulting in the displacement of much of the Mississippi Chippewa further west, first to the Leech Lake area and eventually to the White Earth Indian Reservation.
On October 12, 2000, a memorial was erected at the United States Army Corps of Engineers Sandy Lake Dam Campgrounds to commemorate the Sandy Lake Tragedy. Additionally, the state of Minnesota created a rest area along Minnesota State Highway 65, offering a view of Sandy Lake, where a historical marker plaque serves as a permanent reminder of this tragic event. These memorials serve as a somber reminder of the injustices suffered by the Ojibwe people and the importance of remembering and learning from the mistakes of the past.
