Sherburne County Heritage Center Interpretive Plan Final Report 2005

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Warren, History of the Ojibway People, (St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society, 1984) 236- 241; quote on 240) Sherburne County remained contested area between the Dakota and Ojibwe even after an 1825 treaty creating a boundary between the tribes. The Ft. Snelling Military Reservation, negotiated by Zebulon Pike in 1805, allowed the United States government to establish a fort on land that would later become Minneapolis and St. Paul, but it did not allow settlement. In the interests of reducing conflict between several tribes in the Upper Midwest, the United States government negotiated a boundary treaty between tribes in 1825 at Fort Crawford in Prairie du Chien. The partition created a boundary between the warring Dakota and Ojibwe tribes that cut the land that would become Sherburne County almost in half. The northern portion was reserved for the njibwe, and the southern for the Dakota. Treaties in 1837 concluded between the Dakota and Ojibwe were the first treaties to open Minnesota land to settlement by Furopean immigrants. This treaty opened all of present Sherburne County to settlement. But it did not stop serious battles and skirmishes between the tribes, which continued in the border area even after the treaty. (See, for instance, 1839 massacre of 70 Ojibwe women and children by Dakota on the Rum River in retaliation for the killing of a hunter near Lake Harriet) (More research should be conducted by acquiring Anton Steven Treuer, "Ojibwe-Dakota Relations: Diplomacy, War, and Social Union, 1679-1862," MA Thesis, University of Minnesota, 1994.) Theme Statement Theme 1: People searching for opportunities have always recognized the unique resources of Sherburne County. Subtheme 1.2. Indian tribes recognized that the area that later became Sherburne County was strategically located on the edge of woodlands, prairie, and the Mississippi River, and as a result, the area was a contested borderland between the Ojibwe and Dakota people for about 150 years. Contemporary visitor relevance: All audience segments expressed high interest in the American Indian history of Sherburne County. Sixty-nine percent of members who responded preferred exhibits that re-created scenes from the past with immersion exhibits or exhibit vignettes. This content and methodology was a consistent interest in other audience segments. The audience survey also suggested potential visitors preferred to hear stories told in the words of the participants, whenever possible. These stories will help residents of Sherburne County understand some of the historical background for the existence of the Ojibwe Mille Lacs Indian Reservation, not far from Sherburne County. Desired Learner Outcomes: (feeling, knowledge, skills) 1. Some visitors will recall that Sherburne County is located on ahistorical boundary line between Dakota and Ojibwe. (cognitive) 2. Some visitors will recall that history is collected and passed on in different ways in different cultures. (cognitive) Sherburne County Historical Society Heritage Center Interpretive Plan, April 21, 2005, page 28