Customer Reviews

Chiefs Hole in the Day of the Mississippi Chippewa

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I first read this book in the museum where I volunteer. I was so very impressed that I went out and bought a copy. Mr. Deidrich has woven what must have been thousands of hours of research in the Minnesota Historical Society into this thin volume. The book he has written details the history of the Chiefs Hole-in-the-Day of the Ojibway Gull Lake Clan. PRior to 1868, the family ruled as Principal Chiefs of the Ojibway Nation. The majority of the book focuses on Joseph Kwiwisens, 2nd Chief Hole-in-the-Day who, prior to his sensational murder in 1868, was one of the America's most powerful Indian Chiefs. He is a Chief who, despite the book's short length, the reader comes to know intimately. Just when you think you have him pegged CHief Hole-in-the-Day still manages to surprise you. He was, as one commentator wrote of him, an aristocrat and a communist, a man of honor and a devious plotter, and a ruthless warrior who went on war parties in a horse and buggy. His life and his death deserve to be better known. I was especially fascinated, as a student of true crime, by the accounts of his assasination in 1868 which was orchestrated by Clement Hudon Beaulieu, one of Minnesota's most powerful men. This act remained unsolved until 1912 and no one was ever prosecuted for it. I was so impressed with this book that I intend to dig deeper into the sources Mr. Diedrich cites. I recommend this book highly for anyone interested in the unvarnished history of the American Indian or the history of Minnesota. TO Mr. Diedrich, kudos.

Given the scattered and obscure accounts of Hole In The Day (both younger and elder), this little book is a welcome volume. Diedrich clearly spent his time digging through archives and old newspapers to gather his information on the Ojibwe leaders. However, the writing tends to lose its focus and sometimes leaves the reader having to sort and sequence all the facts. Aside from some of these technical flaws, the book does give a context for two of Minnesota's most fascinating and dynamic figures