Buffalo: (? - ?)
     He was a Dakota Chief who lived during the time of European first contact (Radisson, Perrot, etc..) with the Dakota. During the period of Dakota/Ojibwe alliance (1695-1736) he lived in the desputed lands of west-central Wisconsin and was was one of the Dakota Nation to gain a Ojibwe wife. His father-in-law was a Ojibwe Chief of the Awause/Catfish Totem who was on the fringe of Ojibwe western expansion, establishing a village on Rice Lake (headwaters of the Shell River - tributary of the St.Croix River) during this time of relative peace.
     Buffalo had two sons from this union, who became Chiefs (Wolf Clan) in the St.Croix region. Omigaundib ("Sore-Head) (b.early 1700's) became Chief of the village at Rice Lake and another son established a village at Yellow Lake about 1740.

O-mig-aun-dib ("Sore Head"):
     He was the son of a Dakota Chief & the daughter of an Ojibwe Chief. His parents married during a term of peace between the two tribes in the early 1700's. His descendants were Chiefs of the Wolf Clan (Maheengun Totem) of Ojibwe, with their villages bordering the disputed lands of the Dakota. Those descendants include; I-aub-aus (1820's - Chief of Rice Lake village), Shon-e-yah (Chief of a Snake River village), Na-guon-abe (1820's - Chief of the Mille Lacs village) & Mun-o-min-ika-sheen (1840's - Chief of a St.Croix village & 1850's - Chief at Mille Lacs).
     The follow is from William W.Warren's book, History of the Ojibway People; "...Omig-aun-dib, the chief of Rice Lake, had half brothers among the Dakotas, who after the death of their common father became chiefs over their people; through the influence of these closely related chieftains, peace was long kept up between their respective villages. Ill-will, however, gradually crept in between them, as either party continually lost relatives, in the implacable warfare which was now most continually carried on between other portions of their two tribes. At last they dared no longer to make peace visits to one another's villages, though they still did not join the war parties which marched into the region of country which they respectively occupied...The breach between the two tribes became widened by almost daily bloody encounters, and the relationship existing between them became at last to be almost forgotten...short terms of peace which have occurred between the two tribes, have generally been first brought about by the mixed bloods of either tribe who could approach one another with greater confidence than those entirely unconnected by blood..."
 
Iaubaus ("Little-Buck"): (? - ?)
     He was the nephew of Omigaundib and the son of the Chief of the Yellow Lake village. He was an Ojibwe Chief (Wolf Clan) of the Rice Lake village about 1825 to 1852.

Shoneyah ("Silver/Money"): (? - ?)
     He was the nephew of Omigaundib and the son of the Chief of the Yellow Lake village. He was an Ojibwe Chief (Wolf Clan) of the Pokaguma (Snake River) village about 1837 to 1852.

Naguonabe ("Feathers-End"): (? - ?)
    He was the nephew of Omigaundib and the son of the Chief of the Yellow Lake village. He was an Ojibwe Chief (Wolf Clan) of the Mille Lacs village who signed a treaty in 1837. In William W.Warren's book "History of the Ojibway People", he writes (his manuscript was finished in the winter of 1852/53 before his early death) of the Wolf/Maheengun Clan; "...are few in number and reside mostly on the St.Croix River and at Mille Lacs. They are looked upon by the tribe in general with much respect. The Ojibways of this totem derive their origin on the paternal side from the Dakotas. Naguonabe, the civil chief of Mille Lac, may be considered the principal man of this family. Munominikashe, who has lately removed from the St.Croix to Mille Lac with his band, is a man of considerable importance amongst his fellows..."

Munominikashe ("Rice-Maker"): (? - ?)
     He was descendent from Dakota Chief Buffalo, from the Dakota/Ojibwe marriage. He was an Ojibwe Chief (Wolf Clan) who moved his village accross the St.Croix River about 1850 to the Mille Lacs area.
 

- The is the begining of a fascinating history of the Dakota/Ojibwe desputed lands and the western expansion of the Ojibwe accross the Lower St.Croix River. I am hoping you folks out there in cyber-land will help sort-out this "sketch" with additions, corrections and other missing info, so we can piece together an accurate history of the region during this time...Contact me at dfnels@angelfire.com and I will add your info to this site, crediting you with your name and/or e-mail.
 

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