Wabanquot (Chippewa chief)
Encyclopedia
Wabanquot, Wabonaquod, Wah-bon-ah-quot, Wau-bon-a-quat or Wa-bon-o-quot (ca. 1830-1898) was an Ojibwa
chief
.
, around 1830. He succeeded to the office of chief of the Ojibwa at the death of his father, Wabojeeg, one of the principal chiefs for the Gull Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa. After the Dakota War of 1862
, the Gull Lake Band was removed to the Leech Lake
area. There, Wabanquot was considered by many to be the principal chief of the removed Mississippi bands of Chippewa. He was a signatory to the Treaty of Washington (1867) , in which on June 14, 1868, he led his band to the White Earth Indian Reservation
, where he lived until his death 30 years later. Upon his supposed conversion to Christianity sometime in the 1870s, he adopted the name D.G. Wright after an Episcopalian benefactor, but he rarely used his English name; however, sometime in the 1890s before his death, he converted to Roman Catholicism.
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
chief
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
.
Biography
Wabanquot (from the Ojibwe Waabaanakwad: White Cloud) was born at Gull Lake, MinnesotaMinnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, around 1830. He succeeded to the office of chief of the Ojibwa at the death of his father, Wabojeeg, one of the principal chiefs for the Gull Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa. After the Dakota War of 1862
Dakota War of 1862
The Dakota War of 1862, also known as the Sioux Uprising, was an armed conflict between the United States and several bands of the eastern Sioux. It began on August 17, 1862, along the Minnesota River in southwest Minnesota...
, the Gull Lake Band was removed to the Leech Lake
Leech Lake
Leech Lake is a lake located in north central Minnesota, United States. It is southeast of Bemidji, located mainly within the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, and completely within the Chippewa National Forest. It is used as a reservoir...
area. There, Wabanquot was considered by many to be the principal chief of the removed Mississippi bands of Chippewa. He was a signatory to the Treaty of Washington (1867) , in which on June 14, 1868, he led his band to the White Earth Indian Reservation
White Earth Indian Reservation
The White Earth Indian Reservation is the home to the White Earth Nation, located in northwestern Minnesota. It is the largest Indian reservation in that state...
, where he lived until his death 30 years later. Upon his supposed conversion to Christianity sometime in the 1870s, he adopted the name D.G. Wright after an Episcopalian benefactor, but he rarely used his English name; however, sometime in the 1890s before his death, he converted to Roman Catholicism.
Quotation
-
- — Wabanquot, 1874, in asking about a clergyman who was an Indian Agent, who took property away from Indians without consent or consultation.
Memorials
- Chief White Cloud State Monument (47°04′42"N 95°51′02"W), in Becker CountyBecker County, MinnesotaBecker County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 32,504. Its county seat is Detroit Lakes. A portion of the White Earth Indian Reservation extends into the county.-History:...
, in Calvary Catholic Cemetery of the St. Benedict's Mission, a mile south of White EarthWhite Earth, MinnesotaWhite Earth is a census-designated place in Becker County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 424 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, honoring Chippewa Chief White Cloud, was established in 1909. The monument inscription says:
- The United States NavyUnited States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
tugTugboatA tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
USS WabanquotUSS Wabanquot (YTB-525)USS Wabanquot , later YTM-525, was a tug that served in the United States Navy from 1945 to 1976.Wabanquot was a Hisada-class tug laid down in May 1945 at Jacksonville, Florida, by the Gibbs Gas Engine Company. She was launched on 9 August 1945, sponsored by Mrs. G. W. Scott, Jr., and delivered to...
, in service from 1945 to 1976, was named for him.