Thomas Little Shell

Thomas Little Shell (-1901) (also known in Ojibwe as Esens ("Little Shell" or "Little Clam") and recorded as Ase-anse or Es-sence), was a chief of the Ojibwa tribe of indigenous Americans.

Negotiations

See also: History of North Dakota, History of Minnesota, and History of Montana

1850s to 1870s

During the 1850s the United States commenced to negotiate with the plains Anishinaabeg of North Dakota, but they infuriated the plains Pembina by claiming to the plains Anishinaabeg that their tribe was entirely mixed-blood, or they were not an Native American tribe. Little Shell knew exactly what the United States was up to and built up a wall of defense in his negotiations with the United States over his kingdom's land.

Much earlier, probably during the mid or early 18th century, the Anishinaabeg made their first military advance onto the plains of Canada and the United States. By the time the Canadians and the United States made their first permanent settlements on the Pembina and Saulteaux lands on the plains, their territory had advanced to southeastern Alberta and northern and eastern and southern Montana. Little Shell was one of the Anishinaabe signatories of the 1863 Treaty of Old Crossing which ceded this Pembina Anishinaabe land in Minnesota and North Dakota. Little Shell was still extremely upset with the United States after the 1863 treaty and in 1864 the determined Pembina leader refused to negotiate with the United States further about ceding more land. For almost another 30 years Little Shell refused to negotiate with the United States over his kingdom's remaining land, which covered an area of over 63,000,000 acres (250,000 km²) of land. Much of that land was in North Dakota and South Dakota, but also included Pembina land in Montana that may have reached all the way to the Rocky Mountains. We only need to understand that the location in Montana now, which has the largest population of the Little Shell Chippewas is Great Falls, Montana, which is located about 50 miles (80 km) east of the Rocky Mountains, and about 150 to 200 miles (320 km) just south of the plains Anishinaabeg lands in southeastern Alberta.

1880 to 1901

Around 1880, Little Shell returned from southern Canada to the Turtle Mountains of north-central North Dakota, protesting encroachment by Americans and the government's lack of concern for Chippewa land title.^[1] Because of persistent food shortages, he and his band hunted buffalo in Montana and southern Saskatchewan during the late 1880s. When they returned to the Turtle Mountains in the early 1980s, they faced a series of events that led to the final exile of Little Shell's and other Chippewa people.^[1]

By this period, the United States was probably extremely upset with Little Shell's stance and sent their representatives to Little Shell in an obvious attempt to get the defiant Anishinaabe chief to negotiate again with them about ceding his kingdom's remaining land, which covered almost 100,000 square miles (260,000 km²). At that time (1892) Little Shell was living on his Montana lands and probably fed up with the intense American pressure to get him to negotiate with the Americans. In 1892 Little Shell met with American representatives and attempted to reach an agreement about ceding his kingdom's remaining land but it ended in failure. Even before 1892 the Americans were illegally settling down to live throughout Little Shell's lands in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.

On January 29, 1892 at the grand council meeting held at the Catholic mission church on the Turtle Mountain Indian reservation in the presence of the grand council members and band attorney John B. Bottineau, Little Shell did then and there substitute and appoint Miskoo be naice otherwise known as Carcazhoo or Red Thunder, a sub chief of our said tribe, to be chief in his place and stead, and to act as chief of said tribe, undersigned and approved by Misko be naice or Red Thunder, acting chief his x mark, Ozha washk benaz shin his x mark, Sas swain his x mark, Ozar we ge zhick or Ayy yar zhaib his x mark, Payh kee har gay wub his x mark, all grand council members of the Little Shell Band, before leaving in absence from his leadership of Chief.

Little Shell attempted to sell his remaining lands for $1.00 per acre and be allowed to have at least 10,000,000 acres (40,000 km²) of his kingdom's remaining lands in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota set aside as a Reservation. The Americans offered to pay 10 cents an acre (which became known as the infamous "Ten-Cent Treaty"^[1]) and refused to set aside the 10,000,000 acres (40,000 km²) reservation. No agreement was reached. The United States was forced to (Hire Chippewas Who Did Not Have The Authority To Act On Behalf Of Their People To Reach An Legal Treaty Agreement)^{[clarification needed]} in order to get the illegal treaty signed. In other words that 63,000,000 acres (250,000 km²) is still Pembina Chippewa land. The Americans can claim that land by conquest but the Little Shell Chippewas can claim it because no legal treaty was made. Little Shell's Montana lands started at the Missouri River on the Montana-North Dakota border, then followed the Yellowstone river to its beginning, and probably included the Big Belt Mountains and Little Belt Mountains, and may have reached to the Rocky Mountains near Augusta. Of course, the plains Anishinaabeg shared their Montana lands with the Assiniboine and probably the Gros Ventre too.

Legacy

Little Shell died in 1901. The Band's leadership went to his son-in-law Rising Son, and then to his grandson Thomas Little Shell (Ayabiwewidang).

See also

• Native Americans in the United States
• Chippewa Cree
• Little Shell Band of Chippewa Indians
• Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Miller, David, et al. (2008). The History of the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Montana, 1800—2000, pp. 178-79. Poplar, Montana: Fort Peck Community College.

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Name	Little Shell, Thomas
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Date of death	1901
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