Gaa-ezhiwebag (B5)

Zhiibaa’iganing-Anishinaabeg gaa-daawag omaa
The Burt Lake Band of Anishinaabe have lived

ginwenzh. 1836 naakonigewining 1000 diba’igaanan
on this land for centuries. The 1836 Treaty of

Anishinaabe-neyaashing gaa-miizhaawaad mii dash
Washington set aside 1000 acres of land on Indian

chimookomaanan bwaa-ganawenimigoowaad Anishinaabeg.
Point however, the government failed to protect it.

Aki dibaabaadaanaawaa 1840 miinawaa 1855
The land was surveyed in 1840 and 1855, mapping

ji-waabandamowaad oodenaang gitigewikamigoon.
out the Band’s Indian Village and farmlands. In the

Gaa-onaakonaanaawaa ingodwaaswi-diba’igaanan
late 1840’s the Band decided to purchase six parcels

ji-giishpinadoowaad. Ani 1855 gii-dibendaanaawaa
via Federal land patents. By 1855 they owned 375

375 diba’igaaadeg akiin, niizhtana mitigo-waakaa’iganan,
acres of Federal “In Trust to the Governor” land,

bezhig anama’ewigamig miinawaa bezhig jiibewigamig.
twenty log homes, a church and a cemetery.

Baanimaa a’aw aki zhooniyaa-inini gii-maajiidoon
Decades later, the “In Trust” lands were illegally taxed and

mii dash oodenaang wendaajig gii-ikonigaazowaad.
a local banker illegally seized the land, evicting the

Binaakwe-giizis 15, 1900, gii-giichigoshkaagoowaad
villagers. On October 15, 1900, the county sheriff

dakonininiwan izhi-daawaad jaagaakizaanid.
forced the residents from their homes and they were

Niizhwaasimidana-ashi-niizhwaaswi Zhiibaa’iganing
then burned to the ground. At least seventy-seven Band

Anishinaabeg izhi-daawag gii-banaajitoonid.
members lost their homes. Since that date, the Burt

Akwi Zhiibaa’iganing Anishinaabeg gagwejitoonaawaa
Lake Band has engaged in legal action to regain their

ji-nisidawaabamigoowaad Chimookomaaniwaki-Wegimaajin.
Federal status. The State of Michigan recognized the

Michiganing nisidawaabanjigaazowag 1985.
Burt Lake Band in 1985. They await the federal

1836 ako-baabiitoonaawaa ji-nisidawaabanjigaazowaad.
re-affirmation, first received in 1836.