The Controversial Life and Death of Chief Hole in the Day the Younger

MN90: Minnesota History in 90 Seconds · Jun 26, 2026 · 1m

Ojibwe Chief Hole in the Day the Younger (1827-1868) signed almost every land cession treaty between the Minnesota Ojibwe and the U.S. government. MN90 producer Marisa Helms reports that while the Chief was a controversial figure, he was also a very smart and effective negotiator. Still, the Chief had many enemies. On June 27, 1868, as he was traveling to Washington, D.C. to fight the removal of his people to a reservation at White Earth. Hole in the Day was assassinated by Ojibwe men from Leech Lake just a few miles from his home in Crow Wing.

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Producer: Marisa Helms

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