Treaty of St. Peters


Treaty of St. Peters may be one of two treaties conducted between the United States and Native American peoples, conducted at the confluence of the Minnesota River with the Mississippi River, in what today is Mendota, Minnesota.

1805 Treaty of St. Peters

The 1805 Treaty of St. Peters or the Treaty with the Sioux, better known as Pike's Purchase, was a treaty conducted between Lieutenant Zebulon Pike for the United States and Chiefs "Le Petit Carbeau" and Way Aga Enogee on behalf of the Sioux Nation. The treaty conducted on September 23, 1805, purchases two tracts of land: nine-square miles each at the confluence of the St. Croix River about what now is Hastings, Minnesota and confluence of the Minnesota River with Mississippi about what now is Mendota, Minnesota, for the purposes of establishing military posts at each of the two sites. A military post was not established at the confluence of the St. Croix with the Mississippi, but Fort Snelling was established on the bluffs overlooking the confluence of the Minnesota with the Mississippi. Though the treaty was never proclaimed by the President of the United States, it was ratified by the United States Congress on April 16, 1808.

1837 Treaty of St. Peters

The 1837 Treaty of St. Peters or the Treaty with the Chippewa was a treaty conducted between Governor Henry Dodge for the United States and representatives from Ojibwa bands located across today's Wisconsin and Minnesota. It was conducted on July 29, 1837, at St. Peters, Wisconsin Territory. Signatory tribes commonly call this treaty The Treaty of 1837. The treaty was proclaimed on June 15, 1838, and codified in the United States Statutes at Large as.

Land Cession Terms

In the treaty, the Ojibwa nations ceded to the United States a large tract of land located from the Mississippi River in east-central Minnesota to the Wisconsin River in northern Wisconsin, using as its southern boundaries the "Prairie du Chien Line" as established by the 1825 First Treaty of Prairie du Chien, between the Dakota and the Ojibwa, and using the Lake Superior watershed as its northern boundaries.
The land cession was conducted to guarantee access to the Wisconsin Territory's lumber resources that was needed to help build housing for the growing populations in St. Louis, Missouri and Cleveland, Ohio. In the sale, the United States obligated itself to payments to the signatory Bands for twenty years and additional provisions for the Metis in the territory. In turn, the signatory Ojibwa bands retained usufructuary rights to continue hunting, fishing and gathering within the treaty-ceded territory.

Signatories

#LocationRecorded NameName Title
01Leech LakeAish-ke-bo-ge-kosheEshkibagikoonzhe Chief
02Leech LakeR-che-o-sau-yaGichi-osayenh Chief
03Leech LakePe-zhe-kinsBizhikiins Warrior
04Leech LakeMa-ghe-ga-boNayaajigaabaw Warrior
05Leech LakeO-be-gwa-dansWarrior
06Leech LakeWa-boseWaabooz Warrior
07Leech LakeChe-a-na-quodChi-aanakwad Warrior
08Gull Lake and Swan RiverPa-goo-na-kee-zhigBagone-giizhig Chief
09Gull Lake and Swan RiverSonga-ko-migZoongakamig Chief
10Gull Lake and Swan RiverWa-boo-jigWaabojiig Warrior
11Gull Lake and Swan RiverMa-cou-daMakode' Warrior
12St. Croix RiverPe-zhe-keBizhikiinh Chief
13St. Croix RiverKa-be-ma-beGaa-bimabi Chief
14St. Croix RiverPa-ga-we-we-wetungBigiiwewewidang Warrior
15St. Croix RiverYa-banseAyaabens Warrior
16St. Croix RiverKis-ke-ta-wakGiishkitawag Warrior
17Lac Courte Oreilles BandPa-qua-a-moBakwe'aamoo Chief
18Lac du Flambeau BandPish-ka-ga-gheApishkaagaagi Chief
19Lac du Flambeau BandNa-wa-ge-waChief
20Lac du Flambeau BandO-ge-ma-gaOgimaakaanh Chief
21Lac du Flambeau BandPa-se-quam-jisChief
22Lac du Flambeau BandWa-be-ne-meWaabanimikii Chief
23La Pointe BandPe-zhe-keBizhiki Chief
24La Pointe BandTa-qua-ga-naDagwagaane Chief
25La Pointe BandCha-che-que-oJechiikwii'o Chief
26Mille Lacs IndiansWa-shask-ko-koneWazhashkokon Chief
27Mille Lacs IndiansWen-ghe-ge-she-gukWenji-giizhigak Chief
28Mille Lacs IndiansAda-we-ge-shikEdawi-giizhig Warrior
29Mille Lacs IndiansKa-ka-quapGekekwab Warrior
30Sandy Lake BandKa-nan-da-wa-win-zoGaa-nandawaawinzo Chief
31Sandy Lake BandWe-we-shan-shisGwiiwizhenzhish Chief
32Sandy Lake BandKe-che-wa-me-te-goGichi-wemitigo Chief
33Sandy Lake BandNa-ta-me-ga-boNetamigaabaw Warrior
34Sandy Lake BandSa-ga-ta-gunZagataagan Warrior
35Snake RiverNaudinNoodin Chief
36Snake RiverSha-go-baiShák'pí Chief
37Snake RiverPay-ajikBayezhig Chief
38Snake RiverNa-qua-na-bieNegwanebi Chief
39Snake RiverHa-tau-waOdaawaa Warrior
40Snake RiverWa-me-te-go-zhinsWemitigoozhiins Warrior
41Snake RiverSho-ne-aZhooniyaa Warrior
42Fond du Lac BandMang-go-sitMaangozid Chief
43Fond du Lac BandShing-go-beZhingobiinh Chief
44Red Cedar LakeMont-so-mo
45Red LakeFrancois GoumeanFrançois Gourneauhalf breed
46Leech LakeSha-wa-ghe-zhigZhinawaagiizhig Warrior
47Leech LakeWa-zau-ko-ni-aWezaawikonaye Warrior

Commissioner:
Recording Secretary:
Indian Agents:
Interpreters:
Army:
Traders:
Special guests:
Others:
In addition, two other known people were in attendance, but were not signatories:
Together with the 1842 and 1854 treaty-ceded territories in determining the locations of Indian Reservations in the 1854 Treaty of La Pointe and the 1855 Treaty of Washington, the 1837 treaty-ceded territory was divided into five zones. Charles Royce in his 1899 report and accompanying map to the United States Congress designated the territory as "Land Cession Area No. 242," thus the area is often called "Royce Area 242." The five zones each with proposed centralized Indian Reservations of approximately each were Mille Lacs Lake, St. Croix, Lac Courte Oreilles, Lac du Flambeau and Mole Lake, with access accommodations made for Fond du Lac, La Pointe and Lac Vieux Desert.
However, with St. Croix and Sokoagon walking out of the negotiations of the 1854 Treaty of La Pointe, they were excluded from further business, losing their federal recognition until 1934, and the proposed St. Croix Indian Reservation was never established in zone 242B and Mole Lake was never established straddling zone 242E and 1842 treaty-ceded territory. In the case of St. Croix, illness overcame the Chief Ayaabens and the United States would not accept a sub-Chief vested with negotiation authority, so St. Croix had no choice but to walk away; oral history of both the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Minnesota of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin both state if it were not for Chief Ayaabens’ illness, the St. Croix Band would have insisted on reaffirmation of treaty rights expressed in both the 1837 Treaty of St. Peters and the 1842 Treaty of La Pointe, so that the Band would not be face with loss of off-Reservation resources access. Shortly afterwards, Chief Ayaabens died from his illness. In the case of Mole Lake, their Chief was barred from the treaty council as the United States firmly believed that the initially proposed four Reservations of about each would not be an adequate alternative for a single Reservation of about. The Mole Lake Chief sent his sub-Chief to the Treaty council, with full negotiation authority, but like St. Croix, United States would not accept Mole Lake's sub-Chief, even when fully vested with negotiation authority, leaving the Mole Lake delegation no other choice but to walk away from Treaty council. However, Mille Lacs Lake and Lac Courte Oreilles Indian Reservations were established in 242A and 242C respectively, and Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservations was established straddling zone 242D and 1842 treaty-ceded territory.

Treaty area boundary adjustments

In Wisconsin, for regulatory purposes, the southern boundaries of the 1837 treaty-area have been adjusted to follow distinct landmarks such as roads and streams. However, in Wisconsin with consent of the property-owner and with tribally issued license, all treaty rights of hunting, fishing and gathering may be exercised by the members of the signatory bands.
In Minnesota, no boundary adjustments have been made. However, hunting is limited to public lands located within the 1837 treaty-area and requires tribally issued hunting license. For non-public lands within the 1837 treaty-area, hunting is subjectable to state hunting licensing and rules. For fishing and gathering, tribally issued licenses are required in Minnesota's portion of the 1837 treaty-ceded territory.

1851 Treaty of St. Peters