Montana Anishinabe Economic Recovery: JOIN THE ANISHINABE ROCKY BOY IDENTITY RECOVERY PROJECT

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

JOIN THE ANISHINABE ROCKY BOY IDENTITY RECOVERY PROJECT

The Rocky Boy Anishinabe Identity Recovery Project is working to restore the tribal identity of the Rocky Boy's Band of Chippewa Indians first recognized in 1904 with a Senate Bill introduced by Great Falls Founder and Senator, Paris Gibson. In 1908 Congress passed its first aid bill of $30,000 to secure "land, water, and water rights, for Rocky Boy's Band of Chippewa Indians."

There is no mention of "Chippewa Cree" in this legislation. In 1916, the Congress established the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation for "the Rocky Boy Band of Chippewa Indians and other such homeless Indians as the Secretary may deem fit to locate thereon." This language was done at Chief Rocky Boy's request to ensure his brother, Big Rock and his small band would be included, as they were away on a hunt during the 1908 census.

The Chippewa, or Anishinabe have maintained community, a sense of identity, a culture and language--it was this band's silent resistance against enforced government/church cultural and religious assimilation--that enabled the cultural re-emergence that exists today in Montana. The sun dance "thirst lodges" are reverberate with the sacred songs of this small band of Ojibwe, and their descendants--to persist in cultural survival. Unfortunately, most Montana tribes fail to acknowledge this, and instead have engaged in cultural theft while participating in the de-legitimization of these very people.

Identity recovery has resulted as necesary due to the gross mismanagment of the Rocky Boy roll from 1912 to the present. The Chippewa Cree tribal constitution, which was certified by Interior in 1934, has enabled the erasure of Chippewa lineage--that stands in stark contrast to International law, and the U.S.'s own codes against genocide. There are no provisions for Chippewa blood quantum in the Chippewa Cree constitution. Any Indian from any tribe can gain enrollment, and until 2006; there had been a provision that purged a person from the roll after a 10 year absense.

The dire implications of Cree mismanagement in Rocky Boy means, only Cree autonomy is respected, in spite of the absence of treaty rights. The Cree and Metis tribal rights arise under the tribal constitutional preamble, where these people assert adoptee status in the Chippewa tribe. This was a status never voted on or approved by the Anishinabe people. It was merely an act of aggression, a tribal "hostile takeover." Despite this failure to observe long held federal doctrine on tribal sovereignty; this situation has become entrenched. One of the main reasons is Montana politicians perceived self interest in gaining votes to maintain Cree and Metis on Chippewa land. The federal government has resisted repeated efforts of the Chippewa to correct this situation. The latest U.S. Court of Claims kicks Chippewa sovereignty back to the U.S. Congress and the Executive Branch--Interior Department.

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A GOOD DEED IS AS GOOD AS WORSHIP

Anishinabe Chief Ghizihwiibenais, or Loud Thunder, was also known as Jim Gopher, he had a saying " A good deed is as good as worship. " Loud Thunder was identified in an early census in Great Falls, Cascade and scorned by census workers as a "bolshevik." The carrier and heir to the 13 Star Revolutionary Treaty Flag was labeled a communist at this era of backlash in the Congress against perceived enemies of the U.S. Although Loud Thunder inherited a great legacy, and preserved a great legacy of the American Revolution. His tradition continues. Today his descendants honor his legacy in a spirit of public service, unity and compassion for all citizens of this nation.

"LOVE ONE ANOTHER, TAKE CARE OF ONE ANOTHER"

These were the dying words of Chief Asiniweyin, or Rocky Boy, on April 18, 1916. The great Chief who campaigned for over thirty years for a home for his people, died at Ft. Asiniboine, near the entrance of the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation. The Chippewa were on the cusp of finally settling after a hard effort to establish the reservation, had resulted in many deaths. Their hope was quickly dashed as the federal government moved Canadian Cree under Imasees, and the descendants of Louis Riel onto the newly created landbase.

The Chippewa have faced profound dispossession since. Their original 1908 roll was quickly thrown out by the Dept. of Interior; this same agency created another roll to replace it; thereby establishing the "1917 TENTATIVE ROLL OF THE ROCKY BOY INDIAN RESERVATION." Its own paid anthropologist, John C. Ewers, noted that original Chippewa from the 1908 roll were only 45 people out of the 451 the Interior deemed "tribal members."

Federal neglect, omission and paternalism created further disasters: the 1934 tribal constitution created; the Chippewa Cree Tribe. The Chippewa dispute the legality of this entity. in its haste to exterminate Anishinabe aboriginal title of the Pembina cedes: The U.S. Court of Claims based judgment distributions of the Pembina awards of 1964 and1980--on the 1917 roll.

The dis-enrolled Chippewa now assert claims to the Pembina cedes that encompass the Bakken Formation in the cede areas. This is a claim they assert as autonomous people.