They Would Not Be Moved: The Enduring Struggle of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe to Keep Their Reservation

By Bruce White
Minnesota Historical Society (2024)
320 pages
Review by Nicholas Andrew Timmerman

Bruce White is a renowned author of Native American history and has written several books about Native people in Minnesota. His work is also well recognized by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, as he has served as a historical consultant for the tribe. They Would Not Be Moved is a study of the history of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, covering the geological history of the culturally significant Mille Lacs Lake up to the 20th century, as well as the tribe’s struggle to retain its historic homeland.

The book begins with a foreword from Melanie Benjamin, chief executive of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe from 2000 to 2024, who outlines the strong relationship with the research conducted by White over the years and his ability to support the tribe through numerous land claim lawsuits. Through 26 chapters, White expertly examines the history of resistance by the Mille Lacs Band and the broken promises made by the state and federal govern­ments. One of the study’s many strengths is the depth of research on display. For example, White intricately includes several charts that detail individuals who purchased Mille Lacs Band land through chicanery such as the Sabin-Wilder scheme of the 1870s.

This is a book that could have easily been a declension narra­tive, solely focused on the negative history of the Mille Lacs Band. Many chapter titles point to this history, such as “The So-Called Settlers,” “A Deep-Laid Plot,” “The White Trespassers,” “The Burning of Villages,” and “More Burned Villages,” and White does not shy away from these tragedies. However, he skillfully constructs a narrative of hope and resistance amid the historical tragedies. One example comes from the chapter, “Lake Fishing,” which discusses the Mille Lacs Band’s commercial fishing rights and the contribution the band made to the war effort during WWI. Another example comes from the chapter, “We Are at an Indian Reservation,” where White concluded that “ultimately the existence of the Mille Lacs Reservation always depended on the stubbornness of the non-removal, nonremovable Mille Lacs band members.” White aptly captured this sentiment in the book’s title, They Would Not Be Moved.

I highly recommend this book, especially for anyone seeking to learn more about the unique and resilient struggles of Native communities in Minnesota. The book provides a rich wealth of knowledge for both researchers and individuals. There is much to learn about the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and how Native com­munities have survived and thrived in the face of settler colonial­ism. White’s work serves as a poignant reminder of the intricate connection between the history of Minnesota and that of the state’s Native people.

Nicholas Andrew Timmerman, PhD is history faculty at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College.