Pillager Band of Chippewa Indians

Pillager Band of Chippewa Indians (or simply the Pillagers; Makandwewininiwag in the Ojibwe language) are a historical band of Chippewa , originally living at the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Their name "Pillagers" is a translation of Makandwewininiwag, which literally means "Pillaging Men". This name was given to them because they formed the advance guard of the Ojibwe in the invasion of the Dakota country, establishing themselves first on Leech Lake and gradually pushing westward from that point.

Their name have been recorded as:

• Chippeways of Leech Lake (Lewis and Clark, 1806)
• Cypowais plunderers (Beltrami, quoted by Neill, 1858)
• Ma'kandwäwininiwag (William Jones, 1905)
• Makandwewininiwag (Baraga, 1878)
• Muk-im-dua-win-in-e-wug (Warren, 1852)
• Mukkundwas (Schoolcraft, 1855)
• Muk-me-dua-win-in-e-wug (Warren, 1852)
• Mukundua (Schoolcraft, 1852)
• Muk-un-dua-win-in-e-wing (Ramsey, 1852)
• Muk-un-dua-win-in-e-wug (Schoolcraft, 1852)
• Mukundwa (Schoolcraft, 1855)
• Pillagers (Treaty of Fond du Lac, 1847)
• Pilleurs (Henry, 1809)
• Pilliers (Franklin, 1824)
• Robbers (Franklin, 1824)
• Rogues (Henry, 1809)

Originally, the Pillagers had several sub-bands, including:

• Lake Winnibigoshish
• Leech Lake
• Bear Island (on Leech Lake)
• Boy Lake
• Pine Point (on Leech Lake)
• Otter Tail Lake
• Pillager
• Upper Crow Wing River
• Wing River
• Red Cedar (Cass) Lake
• Turtle Portage

Through the treaty process with the United States, the Pillager Band were...
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