On this date in 1895, Red Thunder was in jail awaiting trial. Though no one had been killed, sensational reports of a so-called “Turtle Mountain War” stirred fear. Canadian troops mobilized along the border, but the U.S. declined to send forces, saying the Chippewa had legal rights in the area and the situation was exaggerated.
The conflict began when Native people were threatened with arrest for cutting timber near St. John. Believing troops were coming, a group of mixed-heritage Natives stole four guns from a hardware store and fortified themselves behind cordwood. Surrounded by a sheriff’s posse, they asked to negotiate with federal officials.
Red Thunder persuaded them to surrender peacefully but was arrested himself.
A missionary priest who knew him well denied the dramatic reports, describing Red Thunder as “doubled over with age and afflicted with pleurisy.” But the Bismarck Tribune claimed: “Red Thunder made a desperate resistance… It took three men to handcuff him. He is 88 years old but almost crazy with maniacal strength.”
The Griggs Courier noted: “Excited by the blood-curdling stories… Red Thunder has excited unusual interest and has been seen by almost everybody including the children.” One child expecting a “large, imposing giant” was disappointed.
Despite national headlines painting him as violent, the sheriff described Red Thunder as a model prisoner, refusing outdoor exercise unless as a free man. He was released when it seemed he might die in custody.
One paper acknowledged his actual role: “His office is that of orator for a band of Chippewas.”
Red Thunder is remembered for his wisdom, tenacity, and compassion. An annual powwow and drum group are named in his honor. His 1892 speech during the McCumber “Ten-Cent Treaty” was cited by tribal historian Pat Gourneau: “When you [the white man] first put your foot upon this land… you found no one but the red man, and the Indian woman… These are the children and descendants of that woman. They must be recognized as members of this tribe.”
In 2019, that quote was unveiled at the International Peace Garden, honoring Native contributions to the region. Red Thunder was the first to represent the Native voice there, alongside global leaders.
Dakota Datebook by Lise Erdrich
Sources:
- In Order that Justice May Be Done: The Legal Struggles of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa 1795-1905, Pages 216-217. John M. Shaw, NDSU Press, 2023.
- North Dakota Studies High School Curriculum. Turtle Mountain. Traditional Leaders. https://www.ndstudies.gov/curriculum/high-school/turtle-mountain/leaders-turtle-mountain
- Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. Turtle Mountain Tribal Flag Raising Ceremony. July 21, 2019.
- Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa to Raise Flag at Peace Garden. InForum, July 16, 2019
- First Tribe Will Raise its Flag at International Peace Garden. The Grand Forks Herald, July 26, 2019
- Tribal Flag Raised at International Peace Garden. KFYR News, July 27, 2019
- FEAR A MASSACRE. THE SETTLERS ARE FRIGHTENED. They Will Kill Every White Man. The Bottineau Courant, May 4, 1895, Page 1
- SENT TO AID HALL. Inspector McLaughlin is Ordered to Scene of the Turtle Mountain Troubles. AN INVESTIGATION IS ORDERED. Canadian Troops Held in Readiness for Instant Use at Boundary.
- BREEDS ARE GROWING UGLY. Strong Force Massing at Their Fort -- Cronan Makes No Move. St. Paul Daily Globe (Saint Paul, Minn.), May 5, 1895, Page 1
- BREEDS ARE JAILED. Chiefs Little Shell and Red Thunder and Other Leaders Arrested. TWAS A BLOODLESS WAR. Though a Big Show of Force Was Necessary to Bring Reds to Time. St. Paul Daily Globe (Saint Paul, Minn.), May 7, 1895, Page 1
- THEY MUST GIVE IN! OR FIGHT. The Washburn Leader, May 11, 1895, Page 3
- St. Paul Daily Globe, May 22, 1895, Page 2
- THE BREEDS GIVE UP. The Turtle Mountain Indian War Comes to a Very Sudden End. Bismarck Weekly Tribune, May 10, 1895, Page 1
- DISAPPOINTED. The Bismarck Weekly Tribune, May 24, 1895, Page 4
- DISAPPOINTED. The Griggs Courier, May 31, 1895, Page 1
- RED THUNDER IN JAIL. The Old Chief Led the Recent North Dakota Uprising. Although Eighty-Eight Years Old He is Making Lots of Trouble. Hopkinsville Kentuckian (Hopkinsville, Ky.), June 28, 1895, Page 2
- RED THUNDER IN JAIL. The Old Chief Led the Recent North Dakota Uprising. Eighty-Eight Years Old. He is Lots of Trouble. San Antonio Daily Light (San Antonio, Tex.), August 12, 1895, Page 3
- Patrick "Au-Nish-E-Nau-Bay" Gourneau, History of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. Rolla: Star Printing, 1971
