Joseph Langer (1895)

"Chippewa Father""Sioux Mother"
Joseph was a mixed-blood Indian man, a Chippewa man from the Chippewa Turtle Mountain band by his father, his mother was Sioux. He was raised on the former Devil's Lake Reservation, now the Spirit Lake Reservation, in the mixed blood-on reservation community

Their name was originally the Devils Lake Sioux Tribe and its reservation was originally called the Fort Totten Indian Reservation. In the 1970s, the tribe was briefly renamed the Sisseton-Wahpeton of North Dakota, which caused confusion with the Sisseton-Wahpeton of South Dakota, whose reservation also extends into North Dakota. In 1993, the current name of the tribe and reservation was officially adopted, the Spirit Lake Tribe aka Mni Wakan Oyate.

The name "Devils Lake" is a calque of the Dakota words mni (water) wak’áŋ (literally "pure source", also translated as "spirit" or "sacred"). The Dakota consider it holy because they believe it is the home of the underwater serpent Unktehi. The Dakota name is reflected in the name of the Spirit Lake Tribe and the nearby town of Minnewaukan. European-American settlers misconstrued this name to mean "Bad Spirit Lake", or "Devils Lake". The "bad" referred to the high salinity of the lake, making it unfit to drink, and "spirit" meant the mirages often seen across the water.

Early Fort Totten, 19th century

The reservation boundaries in 1892

Prior to the reservation era, Dakota tribal societies were without social classes and government was democratic and highly decentralized. An individual's status was based on their ability to serve and perform and leaders existed to serve the will of the people. Fraternal societies played a role in maintaining a government structure known as the council and prior to the reservation era, no single person was in charge of decision-making.
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The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa historically shared a close proximity to the Devils Lake Sioux, often interacting with them due to their shared territory near Devils Lake, North Dakota, but their relationship was often marked by conflict over hunting grounds and land claims, with the Chippewa sometimes being considered a smaller, less powerful group compared to the Sioux in the region; many Turtle Mountain Chippewa even lived near the Devils Lake agency due to their close proximity to the Sioux population.
Key points about their relationship:
Geographical proximity:
Both tribes resided near Devils Lake, leading to frequent interactions.
Land disputes:
Historically, the Chippewa and Sioux competed for hunting lands in the area, creating tension between the groups.
Agency connection:
The Turtle Mountain Chippewa were often placed under the jurisdiction of the Devils Lake Indian Agency, further facilitating contact.
Mixed heritage:
Some individuals within the Turtle Mountain Chippewa community had mixed ancestry with the Sioux due to intermarriage. (Curator Note: one census report seems to suggest that Joseph Langer Sr. was Sioux, his wife Emma was possibly white, so therefore Joseph Langer Jr. was mixed-blood)
"From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia"

The name was changed to Spirit Lake because the name Devil's Lake had bad omens

Biography:
TBD

Research Notes:
-Joseph is NOT listed with his family in the 1920 Federal census (1921 supplement) but instead is listed alone line 32 as Head, age 25.
-The 1922 census is presented is such a way as to suggest that Joseph is living with the family of Francois Langer (a cousin?) and his wife St. Ann and daughter Ernestine. Since this seems to be corrected in the 1923 census, this living arrangement likely did not happen.
-The 1935 and 1936 censuses wwere supplemental rolls, there were no entries for Joseph Langer
-The 1938 and 1939 censuses wwere supplemental rolls, there were no entries for Joseph Langer
-Some Chippewa on the Devils Lake Reservation were not members of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Band although they were called Turtle Mountain Chippewa Indians! The full-bloods had Indian names, the mixed-bloods had English names. Further, some of the Turtle Mountain Band lived outside of the Reservation and were enumerated in a seperate census.
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Sources:

1898 Jul 1 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll097unit/page/n79/mode/1.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 66/624, line 760 (age 3), census of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Indians, Devils Lake Agency, N Dakota

1899 Jul 1 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll096unit/page/n198/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 199/624, line xxx (age 4), census of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Indians, Devils Lake Agency, N Dakota

1900 Jul 1 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll096unit/page/n345/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 346/624, line 880 (age 5), census of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Indians, Devils Lake Agency, N Dakota

1901 Jul 1 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll096unit/page/n469/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 470/624, line 950 (age 6), census of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Indians, Devils Lake Agency, N Dakota

1902 Jul 1 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll096unit/page/n534/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 535/624, line xxx (age 7), census of the Chippewa (Turtle Mountain Band) Indians, Devils Lake Agency, Fort Totten, N Dakota

1903 Jul 1 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll097unit/page/n79/mode/1.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 80/672, line xxx (age 5), census of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Indians, Devils Lake Agency, No Dakota

1904 Jul 1 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll097unit/page/n227/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 228/672, line xxx (age 6), census of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Indians, Devils Lake Agency, No Dakota

1905 Jul 1 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll097unit/page/n472/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 473/672, line 1373 (age 7), census of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Indians, Devils Lake Agency, No Dakota

1906 Jun 30 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll161unit/page/n154/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 155/867, line 1500 (age 8), census of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, Devils Lake Agency, North Dakota

1907 Jun 30 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll161unit/page/n337/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 338/867, line 1527 (age 9), census of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, Devils Lake Agency, North Dakota

1908 Jun 30 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll161unit/page/n557/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 558/867, line 1580 (age 10), census of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, Devils Lake Agency, North Dakota

1909 Jun 30 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll161unit/page/n804/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 805/867, line 1637 (age 11), census of the Chippewa Indians, Devils Lake Agency, N. D.

1910 Jun 30 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll595unit/page/n113/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 114/580, line 1691 (age 12), census of the Chippewa Indians, Turtle Mountain Band, Turtle Mountain Agency, D.L. (Devils Lake), (North Dakota)

1911 Jun 30 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll595unit/page/n296/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 297/580, line 1730 (age 13), census of the Chippewa Indians, Turtle Mountain Band, Turtle Mountain Agency, D.L. (Devils Lake), (North Dakota)

1912 Jun 30 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll595unit/page/n496/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 497/580, line 1715 (age 14), census of the Chippewa Indians, Turtle Mountain Band, Turtle Mountain Agency, D.L. (Devils Lake), (North Dakota)

1913 Jun 30 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll596unit/page/n134/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 135/683, line 1782 (age 15), census of the Chippewa Indians, Turtle Mountain Band, Turtle Mountain Agency, D.L. (Devils Lake), (North Dakota)

1914 Jun 30 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll596unit/page/n364/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 365/683, line 1866 (b=12.14.95), census of the Chippewa Indians, Turtle Mountain Band, Turtle Mountain Agency, D.L. (Devils Lake), (North Dakota)

1915 Jun 10 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll596unit/page/n592/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 593/683, line 1909 (b=12.14.1895), census of the Turtle Mt. Chippewa Indians, Turtle Mountain Agency, N. D.

1916 Jun 30 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll597unit/page/n148/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 149/682, line 1972 (b=12.14.1895), census of the Turtle Mt. Chippewa Indians, Turtle Mountain Agency, N. Dak.

1917 Jun 30 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll597unit/page/n385/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 386/682, line 1979 (b=12.14.1895), census of the Turtle Mt. Chippewa Indians, Turtle Mountain Agency, N. Dak.

1918 Jun 30 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll597unit/page/n603/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 604/682, line 2013 (b=12.14.1895), census of the Turtle Mt. Chippewa Indians, Turtle Mountain Agency, N. Dak.

1919 Jun 30 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll598unit/page/n129/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 130/614, line 2011 (b=12.14.1895), census of the Turtle Mt. Chippewa Indians, Turtle Mountain Agency

1920 Jun 30 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll598unit/page/n326/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 327/614, line 2067 (b=12.14.1895), census of the Chippewa Indians, Turtle Mountain Agency

1920 (1921 Feb 8 Supplemental) - "United States, Census, 1920", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MC8L-HWZ : Fri Jan 10 00:19:31 UTC 2025), Entry for Joseph Langer, 1920, pg. 234/1181, line 38 (b=1895 age 25), censu sof the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation, Roulette County, N.D.

1921 Jun 30 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll598unit/page/n529/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 530/614, line 2186 (b=12.14.1895), census of the Chippewa Indians, Turtle Mountain Agency, N.D.

1922 Jun 30 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll599unit/page/n129/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 130/817, line 2254 (b=12.14.1895), census of the Chippewa Indians, Turtle Mountain Agency, N.D.

1923 Jun 30 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll599unit/page/n353/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 354/817, line 2304 (b=12.14.1895), census of the Chippewa Indians, Turtle Mountain Agency

1924 Jun 30 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll599unit/page/n654/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 655/817, line 2339 (b=1895), census of the Chippewa Indians, Turtle Mountain Agency

1925 Jun 30 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll600unit/page/n102/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 103/574, line 2393 (b=1895), census of the Chippewa Indians, Turtle Mountain Agency, N. Dak.

1926 Jun 30 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll600unit/page/n284/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 285/574, line 2511 (b=1895), census of the Chippewa Indians, Turtle Mountain Agency, N. D.

1927 Jun 30 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll600unit/page/n504/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 505/574, line 2547 (b=1895), census of the Chippewa Indians, Turtle Mountain Agency

1928 Jun 30 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll601unit/page/n153/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 154/644, line 2611 (b=1895), census of the Chippewa Indians, Turtle Mountain Agency

1929 Jun 30 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll601unit/page/n475/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 476/644, line 2611 (b=1895), census of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa tribe, Turtle Mountain Reservation, Turtle Mt. jurisdiction

1930 Apr 1 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll602unit/page/n269/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 270/378, line 1543 (age 35), census of the Turtle Mountain Reservation, Turtle Mountain jurisdiction, North Dakota

(Curator Note: wife Peggy has disappeared, living with 2 sons in Fort Totten Village, Ramsey County)

1931 Apr 1 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll603unit/page/n294/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 295/426, line 1543 (age 36), census of the Turtle Mountain Reservation, Turtle Mountain jurisdiction, North Dakota

(Curator Note: Joseph has married Gertrude)

1932 Apr 1 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll604unit/page/n262/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 270/378, line 1543 (age 37), census of the Turtle Mountain Reservation, Turtle Mountain jurisdiction, North Dakota

1933 Apr 1 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll605unit/page/n265/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 265/490, line 3152 (age 38), census of the Turtle Mountain Reservation, Turtle Mountain jurisdiction, North Dakota

1934 Apr 1 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll606unit/page/n278/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 279/700, line 3321 (age 39), census of the Turtle Mountain Reservation, Turtle Mountain jurisdiction, North Dakota

1937 jan 1 - “Indian Census Rolls, 1885-1940 [Microform].” Internet Archive, Washington : National Archives and Records Service, 1965, https://archive.org/details/indiancensusroll607unit/page/n301/mode/.... Accessed 29 Feb. 2024, pg. 302/630, line 3365 (age 42), census of the Turtle Mountain Reservation, Turtle Mountain jurisdiction, North Dakota

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