Chippewa Indian Divisions

   As the Chippewa were scattered over a region extending 1,000 miles from north  to west, they had a large number of villages, bands, and local divisions. Some of the bands bore the name of the village, lake, or river near which they resided, but these were grouped under larger divisions or sub-tribes which occupied certain fixed limits and were distinguished by marked differences. According to Warren there were 10 of these principal divisions:
Kechegunmewininewug, on the south shore of Lake Superior;
Betonukeengainubejig, in North Wisconsin;
Munominikasheenhug, on the headwaters of St Croix river in Wisconsin and Minnesota;
Wahsuahgunewininewug, at the head of Wisconsin river;
Ottawa Lake Men, on Lac Courte Oreilles, Wis.;
Kechesebewininewug, on the upper Mississippi in Minnesota;
Mukmeduawininewug, or Pillagers, on Leech lake, Minn.;
Sugwaundugahwininewug, north of Lake Superior;
Kojejewininewug, on Rainy lake and river about the north boundary of Minnesota; Omushkasug, on the northwest side of Lake Superior at the Canadian border.
     Besides these general divisions the following collective or local names are recognized as belonging to various settlements, bands, or divisions of the tribe:

Lower Michigan

Angwassag
Big Rock
Little Forks
Menitegow
Blackbird
Menoquet’s Village
Ketchewaundaugenink
Kawkawling
Kishkawbawee
Saginaw
Thunder Bay
Nagonabe
Ommunise
Shabwasing
Beaver Islands
Nabohish
Cheboygan
Otusson
Reaum’s Village
Wapisiwisibiwininiwak

Wisconsin and upper Michigan

Red Cedar Lake
Sukaauguning
Knife Lake
Kechepukwaiwah
Long Lake
Chetac Lake
Turtle Portage
Rice Lake
Yellow Lake
Trout Lake
Pawating
Ontonagon
Wauswagiming
Lac Courte Oreilles
Shaugwaumikong
Burnt Woods
Gatageteganning
Bay du Noc
Wequadong
Mekadewagamitigweyawininwak
Michilimackinac
St Francis Xavier
Wiaquahhechegumeeng

Minnesota and the Dakotas

Grand Portage
Pokegma
Fund du Lac
Red Cliff
Crow Wing River
Gull Lake
Onepowesepewenenewak
Miskwagamiwisagaigan
Wabasemowenenewak(?)
Wanamakewajenerik
Mikinakwadshiwininiwak
Misisagaikaniwininiwak
Gasakaskuatchimmekak
Oschekkamegawenenewak
Winnebegoshishiwininiwak
Gamiskwakokawininiwak
Gawababiganikak
Anibiminanisibiwininiwak
Kahmetahwungaguma
Rabbit Lake

Ontario

Oueschekgagamioulimy
Walpole Island
Obidgewong
Michipicoten
Doki’s Band
Bagoache
Epinette (1744)
Ouasouarini
Mishtawayawininiwak,
Nopeming
Nameuilni

Manitoba
Portage de Prairie
Mattawan
Pic River

Saskatchewan
Nibowisibiwininiwak

The books presented are for their historical value only and are not the opinions of the Webmasters of the site.   Handbook of American Indians, 1906

Index of Tribes or Nations


Topics:
Chippewa,

Collection:
Hodge, Frederick Webb, Compiler. The Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico. Bureau of American Ethnology, Government Printing Office. 1906.

Search Military Records - Fold3

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Pin It on Pinterest

Scroll to Top