3/18/2012:
Edward Jollie was born on this date in 1907 in Belcourt, North Dakota. The youngest child, he earned the nickname Chick. He would grow to become a great leader among the Turtle Mountain band of Chippewa. After grade school in Belcourt, Chick attended the Wahpeton Indian School for two years. At the time, the school stressed acculturation, encouraging Native children to abandon their culture and traditions, but Chick’s time there seemed to cement his commitment to his ancestral heritage. Upon finishing his education, Chick returned to Belcourt and worked for the Roads Department and in agriculture. He served as Chairman of the Tribal Council for six years, and as Councilman for four. He lived to see the Indian School at Wahpeton become the Circle of Nations School, a place where Native culture would be celebrated and fostered.
Dakota Datebook written by Jayme L. Job
Sources:
http://www.ndstudies.org/resources/IndianStudies/turtlemountain/leaders_contemporary1.html