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January 5, 1940 - July 5, 1994 Husband, father of nine children, grandfather, great-grandfather, friend, and Traditional Chief of the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Ojibwe passed on to the spirit world on July 5, 1994. |
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January 5, 1940 - July 5, 1994 Husband, father of nine children, grandfather, great-grandfather, friend, and Traditional Chief of the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Ojibwe passed on to the spirit world on July 5, 1994. |
Clifford was very proud of the fact that he was a direct descendant of the Great Chiefs Hole-In-The-Day of the Mississippi Ojibwe and Biauswa. Clifford resided and raised his nine children on the Sandy Lake Indian Reservation, the traditional capital of the Ojibwe in Minnesota which is located seventeen miles north of the town of McGregor, Minnesota.
Throughout his lifetime, Clifford fought to restore the federal recognition status of the prestigious and historic Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Ojibwe. Clifford was fiercely proud of the Sandy Lake Band's prominence in Minnesota's history and the fact that our ancestors had signed ten treaties with the U.S. Government.
However, it is not a well kept secret that federally recognized tribes quietly and not so quietly oppose other Tribes in restoring their federal recognition status. Such is the case with the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Ojibwe. Despite our appeals to the Minnesota Chippewa Tribes, the continued opposition from all the Minnesota Chippewa Tribes proved decisive for the Sandy Lake Band and it was this and only this that prevented the restoration of the Sandy Lake Band's federal recognition during Clifford's lifetime. Sometimes his continued efforts brought great turmoil to the Minnesota Chippewa Tribes and to the Mille Lacs Band's Tribal Government in particular.
Clifford had maintained his position as a hereditary Chief with great pride and dignity. He stood firm for the recognition of his small band and would go to great lengths to ensure their needs were met. Throughout the years, Clifford had compiled boxes containing thousands of pages of correspondence and documents from the past 14 years that chronicled his patient and persistent efforts to get the Sandy Lake Band's federal recognition status restored.
In accordance to his personal wishes, Clifford Skinaway was given a traditional ceremony and burial. He was interred on ancient tribal burial grounds at the old Sandy Lake Village. Clifford's family, Sandy Lake Ojibwe members and friends had pledged their commitment to continue the on going efforts that Clifford faithfully pursued in restoring the federal recognition status of the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Ojibwe as a separate and distinct Indian Tribe.
Clifford is dearly missed every day, but his spirit will always live in the hearts of his family, friends, and the members of the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Ojibwe forever.......
