St. Croix Band of Chippewa
In the mid-1600's, a band of Chippewa separated from their fishing brethen and moved to the St. Croix River area in Wisconsin to become traders. By 1702, they occupied a village on Rice Lake in Minnesota. Both the French and English vied for their trade. Eventually, the English won out and built several trading posts.
By 1837, the St. Croix band had ceded their land to the US, while retaining the right to hunt, fish, and gather wild rice in the area. In 1854 the Band lost their political status and the ability to form a reservation. To survive, they attached themselves to other Chippewa bands.
It wasn't until 1934 that they were officially recognized as the "St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin" and were able to obtain a reservation in their ancestral homelands.
About the Flag:
A stalk of wild rice appears on the flag symbolizing its importance to the tribe. The rice harvesters pole their canoes through the plants and knock the grain from the stalks into the boat, using two sticks. This method is still used today. The rice stalk also represents an early name of these people - the Rice Lake Chippewa. The green background of the flag stands for the heritage of the St. Croix as a harvesting people.
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