Chippewa Cree Tribe

The Chippewa-Cree Indian Tribe is a federally-recognized tribal entity and is primarily associated with the Rocky Boy's Reservation in Montana.

Cree nation is the largest group in Canada. The tribe had two divisions; Woodland Cree and Plains Cree.



History
The Chippewa and Cree united in the 1890's

During the early 1900's the tribes petitioned the government for a reservation, In 1916 the Rocky Boy Reservation was established for the Chippewa-Cree Indians.

Chippewa (Ojibwa)
Bands: Fish, Loon, Marten, Crane and the Bear

Migrations: from St. Lawrence River, to Great Lakes region,

Brief History  The Chippewa or Ojibway Indians are one of the largest groups of American Indians in North America. There are nearly 150 different bands of Chippewa in the northern part of the United States and in southern Canada (especially in Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan).

Brief Timeline


 * 1622: encounter a Frenchman employed by Samuel de Champlain.
 * 1689-1763: fought with French in French and Indian War, to protect their trade interest
 * 1769: Joined the Ottawa, Potawatomi, Sac, Meskwaki and Kickapoo to defeat the Illinois tribe
 * 1776- 1783: Fought with British during the Revolutionary War
 * 1815: Ceded much of their land
 * 1830: in opposition to the Indian Removal Act; the tribe moved north to Canada. Some remained in the U.S.
 * 1847: ceded land in Michigan and Wisconsin
 * 1860: removed to Indian Territory (Oklahoma)
 * 1892: assigned to Turtle Mountain Reservation in North Dakota.
 * 1916: assigned to Rocky Boy's Reservation in Montana with the Plains Cree
 * 1968: the American Indian Movement (AIM) founded by three Ojibwa: Dennis Banks, George Mitchell, and Clyde Bellecourt

Cree
Brief History

Brief Timeline


 * 1611: First non-Indian contact whith Henry Hudson
 * Late 1600's: Cree were trading with colonist and the Hudson Bay Company which had set up post at the mouth of the Nelson, Moose and Albany rivers.
 * 1730: removed to the prairies; making them less dependent on the trading post. They took over land held by the Assiniboin. The Assiniboin became their principal ally
 * 1700"s trade relations with the Blackfee. These relations were maintained until 1790-1810 when the relation broke down.
 * 1800: Missionaries convert many to Chrisianity
 * The Cree worked with both the English post and the French post.
 * 1840-: Intertribal war with the Blackfeet, Dakota, Crow, Cheyenne, Nez Perce and Flathead
 * 1860: population of the Plains Cree numbered 12,500 by 1899: 6807
 * 1881: Buffalo herds deminished; the tribe was on edge of starvation.
 * 1916: assigned with the Chippewa to Rocky Boy's Reservation in Montana
 * 1920-1940: Many die from tuberculosis, flu, measles, whooping cough and bronchitis.

Reservations
This tribe is primarily associated with the Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation in Montana

Tribal Headquarters
Chippewa Cree Tribe RR1 Box 544 Box Elder, Mt. 59521 Phone: 406.395.4478 fax: 406.395.4497 Phone: 406.395.5705 fax: 406.395.5702

Records
Census Records

Rocy Boy Agency; M595, 1919-1939, FHL film: 581420

Important Web Sites

 * Constitution and By-Laws of the Chippewa Cree Indians of the Rocky Boy's Reservation Montana
 * Chippewa Cree Tribe Official Web Site
 * Chippewa Cree Tribe Wikipedia