Treaty Timeline
1701 Pre-Treaty Leadership and Council Fire Authority
Chief Kitchie Nokay (Snow Mountain) represents an early generation of the Red Bear Pembina lineage associated with the 1701 Treaty of Montreal alliances and council fire system among Anishinaabe and allied nations. This establishes continuity of governance and leadership prior to formal treaty relations with the United States.
1789 Treaty of Fort Harmar
The Pembina Chippewa entered into formal treaty relations with the United States, establishing a binding legal relationship under federal law. This treaty connects directly to the lineage associated with Pewanakum and the Red Bear line.
1851 Pembina Treaty
A proposed agreement involving the Pembina Band. Evidence indicates the absence of full assent by all leadership, including elements of the Red Bear lineage, demonstrating division and non-universal consent.
1863 Treaty of Old Crossing
The Red Lake and Pembina Bands entered into a binding treaty with the United States. Ogimaa Muskomukwa (Chief Red Bear) served as principal Pembina leadership, with Sub-Chief Joseph Montreuil participating within the Red Bear Band. This treaty forms the central legal basis of Red Bear Pembina treaty rights.
1864 Supplementary Articles
Additional provisions confirmed compensation, land cession, and administrative implementation, reinforcing the 1863 treaty framework.
1872 Secretary of the Interior Correspondence
Federal correspondence confirmed land provisions connected to Chief Red Bear, including recognition of a reserved land interest. This establishes direct federal acknowledgment of the Red Bear lineage within treaty obligations.
1879 Death of Chief Red Bear and Lineage Continuity
Following the death of Chief Red Bear, descendants and related families continued across Red Lake, Turtle Mountain, and surrounding regions. Sub-Chief Joseph Montreuil assumed leadership, and his descendants remained part of this identifiable lineage. Lineage continuity is maintained through the Adik Doodem (Caribou Clan), with matrilineal succession connected to the “Star Woman” bloodline through Chief Red Bear’s sister, Utinawasis Adik Songab.
1891 Base Membership Roll
Federal records documented members of the Pembina Band, establishing lineage continuity tied to treaty signatories.
1892 McCumber Agreement and Rebuttal
A subsequent agreement affected portions of the Pembina Band. The Red Bear lineage did not assent. The Great Rebuttal formally recorded objections and preserved the independent rights of non-consenting lineages.
1893 Presidential Transmission and Federal Recognition of Unceded Claim
The President of the United States transmitted the 1892 agreement and Commission findings to Congress. The federal record confirms: – the Chippewa claim to approximately 8–10 million acres had never been ceded
– the agreement required Congressional approval and was not binding
– the matter remained unresolved under federal law
– the 640-acre reservation of Chief Red Bear was recognized and tied to his heirs This establishes continued federal acknowledgment of unextinguished treaty-related claims.
1964–1965 United States Court of Claims
Federal adjudication confirmed that identifiable descendant groups of the Pembina Band may hold and assert treaty-based rights. This affirms continuity of rights through lineage independent of later administrative tribal structures.
1971 Congressional Settlement Framework (H.R. 6072)
Congress addressed Pembina claims and established a framework governing the distribution of settlement funds. This framework did not extinguish treaty rights and did not transfer the Red Bear Pembina lineage’s authority to other groups.
1971–1972 Pembina Federal Roll (Pembina Federal Database)
Pursuant to an Act of Congress dated July 29, 1971, the Bureau of Indian Affairs established an official roll to determine members of the Pembina Band of Chippewa Indians eligible to participate in federal claims awards. Eligibility required proof of lineal descent from members of the Pembina Band as constituted in 1863. The administration of the roll created a federal distinction between Pembina descendants associated with different reservations, resulting in exclusions and imposed affiliation requirements. This record constitutes a federally established database recognizing Pembina descendant lineage tied to the original treaty signatories.
2021 Restoration of Council Fire and Ceremonial Authority
The 1701 council fire system continues through modern recognition of traditional governance authority. In October 2021, one of the original seven clan council fire stones associated with the 1701 system was transferred to Ogimaa Songab Midegah Ogichidaa during a clan chief confirmation ceremony at Garden River Ojibway Nation. This affirms the continuation of traditional governance lineage.
2021–2023 Federal Court Proceedings and Filings Federal litigation and filings confirm:
– treaty rights cannot be extinguished without explicit Congressional action
– settlement distributions do not eliminate rights of non-consenting lineages
– Red Bear lineage remains documented within federal records
2024 Ceremonial Authority and Governance Recognition
In June 2024, the Nation Opwaagan, an eight-generation ceremonial pipe of the Ojibwe and Potawatomi Nations, was passed to Chief Midegah.
In December 2024, Chief Midegah was formally recognized as Senior Caribou Clan Chief within the 8th Fire Traditional Lodge and raised to the position of Ogimaa (Senior Lodge Chief), reflecting authority within traditional governance systems.
2025 Intertribal Recognition
In March 2025, Chief Midegah was recognized by Maya spiritual leadership as an Eagle Firekeeper, affirming long-standing intertribal relationships among Deer Clan families across the Americas. Present Continuity of Treaty Rights Red Bear Pembina treaty rights remain valid and enforceable under federal law. These rights continue through identifiable descendant lineage—including Red Bear, Montreuil, Bottineau, and related families—and have never been terminated by Congress.