This entry in Capstone's nonfiction series focuses on the Sandy Lake Tragedy among the Ojibwe (Chippewa) People in what we now know as the Great Lakes region. The book traces the group's history and cultural development in the region from earliest times to their encounters with Europeans and being pushed onto reservations. And it culminates with the titular tragedy of intentional deception and a forced march in 1850, with the approval of the federal government, during which nearly 500 Ojibwe died from sickness and exhaustion. Author Emily Faith Johnson also documents the aftermath of the tragedy, which ended with a rare (albeit bittersweet) victory for the Ojibwe. A glossary of terms used throughout the book is included, as are a recent list of both web and print sources for further reading. I wasn't aware of this incident before reading and have already started to do more research on it, although the course of events doesn't surprise me given what's happened throughout history.

I've read a number of Capstone's books in this same vein. As a whole, they've done a very good job of publishing works about lesser-known historic events in a clear, factual style that both appeals to the target age group and does not shy away from the truth, no matter how uncomfortable or unsettling it is. The same is true of this volume in which the greed, cruelty and lack of compassion on the part of the government as well as individuals (more on this below) are laid out as the cause of the Ojobwe's suffering. I like the way that the author includes important contextual insights, such as the fact that the Ojibwe's white neighbors objected to their forced removal, as well as explainers about the complexity of practices such as treaties. With the latter, the author elaborates on how treaties weren't drafted or distributed equitably, this in turn explains why Native Americans were treated unfairly and could not rely on their proper enforcement.

I also like that the book focuses on a local histories. This would be a great supplement for state-centric themes and units, as well as Native American life in different U.S. regions. The fact that the author herself is a member of one of the Ojibwe bands is fascinating and one can tell that the book is of deep importance to her. I'd love to hear more from her about her family history and what she heard about the Sandy Lake Tragedy as she was growing up with them, as well as whether it was something discussed in schools. Her presence is also a reminder t young readers that the Ojibwe are still present.

More information about the aftermath of the Sandy Lake Tragedy would also have been welcome, such as whether the (both state and federal) government made any sort of apology or restitution, and how the people in Minnesota think about the event today. I also do wish the role of racism were stressed more as a motivating factor for the government's actions. It's implied throughout the text and obvious to anyone with a knowledge of the history, including introspective kids, but it still bears repeating. It's the denial of their humanity and the belief that the Ojibwe were lesser that exacerbated the cruelty. This title is a necessary addition to young readers' bookshelves as another important component of American history.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Capstone Press for this DRC in exchange for a fair and honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

This book provides an indepth look at one tribes dealings wiht the government and how the government consistently worked to strip lands and rights from them. Through persistence nd travling lon distances to make their case, they were successful in protecting their people from more broken treaties by the government.

Book Review: The Sandy Lake Tragedy by Emily Faith Johnson

Rating: 4 Stars

I recently finished reading The Sandy Lake Tragedy by Emily Faith Johnson, and it’s a powerful and eye-opening read. The book tells the heartbreaking story of the Ojibwe people in 1850, who were forced to undertake a perilous journey across the Midwest to receive treaty payments from the U.S. government—payments that, tragically, never arrived. Instead of receiving the promised supplies and money, over 5,000 Ojibwe found themselves stranded in harsh winter conditions, forced to return home without aid. This devastating event, now known as the Ojibwe Trail of Tears, led to the loss of more than 400 lives.

What stands out about this book is how it combines well-researched historical documents with oral histories from the Ojibwe community, giving a voice to those directly affected by this injustice. Johnson, herself a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa, brings an authentic and deeply personal perspective that makes the story all the more compelling. The narrative is easy to follow and is accompanied by striking images that help bring this tragic chapter of history to life.

One thing I really appreciated was the book’s cover—it’s simple but captivating and sets the tone perfectly. The story sheds light on how the government not only failed the Ojibwe but seemingly hoped they would perish or be forced to leave their lands altogether. It’s a sobering reminder of how Indigenous peoples have been treated throughout history, and why remembering these events is so important today.

Overall, The Sandy Lake Tragedy is an accessible yet impactful book that I’d recommend to anyone interested in a deeper understanding of Native American history, especially educators and young readers. My only reason for giving it four stars instead of five is that at times I wished for even more detail or personal stories woven throughout. Still, it’s an essential and respectful tribute to a tragedy that deserves to be remembered.

If you’re looking for a well-told, informative book that honors Ojibwe resilience and highlights a dark episode often overlooked in history classes, this one’s definitely worth your time.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

The Sandy Lake Tragedy: Following in the Footsteps of the Ojibwe
by Emily Faith Johnson
a good social studies book. This book would be good for upper elementary and middle school. It can show as a resource a part of American history that is not featured in the current social studies curriculum. I think its an important part of American history to show how the tribes reacted to the westward movement. This book adds a multicultural perspective to the curriculum and shows the resilient history of native peoples.

The length of this book is perfect for my students to learn about the tragedy of the Ojibwe of Sandy Lake in the 1850s. I had not heard about this particular story of the broken treaty and the resulting tragedy that ensued. My students will be drawn to the images and the story. The timeline in the back was also helpful.

Reading this book in July was the best decision I made.
I knew so little about Native Americans, but this book was like an open door for me to widen my knowledge about them.
This book is so informative and straightforward, really suitable for early readers at middle-grade levels. And for people like me who know very little to nothing about Native Americans, especially the Ojibwe.
While this book is educational, it's also a sad reminder of how hundreds of people, most importantly kids, die because of the government's greed.
Although I know little about Native Americans, I can't help but connect what happened to them to the Palestinians now. It's a scarily mirroring of the past.

Thank you to Emily Faith Johnson, Capstone Press, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions written are completely honest and my own.

A sad, yet fascinating read. This book should definitely be in classrooms in both US and Canada.

The Sandy Lake Tragedy is the story of the lesser-known Ojibwe people of the midwestern United States. The story follows the how the Ojibwe made an agreement with the United States, which some unsavory officials took advantage of the group in 1850. The Ojibwe did not accept what these unsavory officials were doing, and a group of the Ojibwe made a long march to Washington DC. Eventually, the Ojibwe group meet with President Fillmore.

The book is filled with images, background information, and a timeline for context of the events. The Sandy Lake Tragedy is a very well-researched telling of the Ojibwe's resilience.

An incredibly beautifully written child-appropriate history book on the Sandy Lake atrocities/tragedy. Told with compassion and respect, I learned a lot from this book. As a white mother to Indigenous persons (my husband and children are Métis Cree), I felt it was incredibly important to learn about Indigenous cultures similar to their own. Gorgeous illustrations and relevant photographs help bring the book together.

This a short account of the suffering of a tribe of Native Americans known as the Ojibwee people. I confess that despite being of Native American heritage I was previously unaware of this tribe or of the cruel way they were treated, being shuffled from one place to the next in homes that the government could take their lands and pay them nothing for it. I can’t decide if the government actually wanted them to relocate or hoped for the exact result they got in delaying payments to these people, which is hundreds of people dead from starvation and illness due to having no means to buy food and traveling a massive amount of territory in miserable conditions with babies, young children, elderly and infirm individuals that couldn’t be left behind. Regardless, the result was devastating and this should be an eye opening account for those of us who have not learned this part of history or forgotten it.

This was such a short book but packed a powerful punch. It was heartbreaking and very well written.

I never heard this story before and I will never forget it . I know it’s a true story and not just a story but something that literally happened. It was so awful.

A book I will always remember.

The Sandy Lake Tragedy: Following in the Footsteps of the Ojibwe by Emily Faith Johnson is a powerful and essential picture book for young readers (ages 8–12) and educators. Through a clear and compassionate narrative paired with evocative illustrations, it shares the heartbreaking story of the 1850 forced removal of over 5,000 Ojibwe to Sandy Lake, where delayed payments, deadly conditions, and broken promises led to the deaths of more than 400 people before they could return home. It's an informative book.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with the ARC of this book.
#TheSandyLakeTragedy #NetGalley.

This title is very informative and a great title to help you people understand and be aware of the injustices of the Ojibwe. My biggest concern with this book is holding students' attention. The pictures included are, but more visuals would help keep kids interested.

I am so grateful that I stumbled upon this book! I have only good things to say about it. As a Minnesota reader with familiarity of the region and also some Anishinaabe words and history, I found it incredibly readable and clear, and the glossary and pronunciation guide at the back will be useful for readers of all ages. Johnson presents the story of the Sandy Lake tragedy, as well as the conditions leading up to it and the key people involved, in a way that is easy to read and digest while also being full of important information. That’s really hard to do, and she did it so well! I also loved the use of photos and drawings to make the story come to life. The quotations from Ojibwe leaders interspersed throughout are helpful in grounding us in the Ojibwe perspective, too.

The more shocking thing to me is…I knew nothing about this particular tragedy and treaty violation until I read this book. I’m a lifelong Minnesotan, and I am a descendent of the Eastern Band of Cherokee, so even though my ancestral lands aren’t in Minnesota, I am really intentional about learning about and supporting our Indigenous communities. And I had no idea about this attempted forced removal in 1851 and the tragic loss of lives as a result of it. I didn’t realize how horrible Ramsay was by provoking all of it, either. The Sandy Lake Tragedy was eye-opening, then, not just in how educational and informative it is about this event and some Ojibwe history and culture (like the 7 Grandfather Teachings), but also in how it highlighted, at least for me, that the enormous gaps in our education are another kind of tragedy. I’m so glad Emily Faith Johnson took the time and energy to write this book, and hope it reaches readers from all communities across our region and beyond.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for this beautiful e-arc. I’ll definitely be suggesting it to the schools I work with and doing everything I can to get it into the hands of MG readers!

As a teacher this is something I would use in the classroom for an assignment. Great detail for a very important period for the Ojibwe. Love that a timeline, glossary, and maps were included. The pages are formatted well enough to keep student attention.

I am always on the hunt for children's books about various indigenous groups that are not white washed but instead written by someone from within the given group. I love the design of the book. It included easy to read information with historical paintings and drawings, photographs of artifacts, maps, and quotes all combined with graphic design elements. This book was easily read by my nine year old and held her attention throughout. She was eager to share what she was learning. I appreciated this book as well because I also learned new information. I hope to see more books by this author.

Thank you so much to Capstone and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Another heartbreaking story about the native tribes and the hardships they were put through. It’s really so sad knowing that these people have had to go through all these trying times all because people wanted their land.

This was a really fascinating fact file as I didn’t know about this piece of history before, but I’m always happy to learn more about what the native tribes had to go through. They’d signed a contract and stuck to it on their side, but then when the govementment decided it wasn’t good enough broke their’s for selfish gain. Making the entire tribes go further out in the wrong time of year, purging the groups of their family member’s and sending them on a harrowing journey.

I really enjoyed learning about this event that occurred to them in history. It was so detailed with so many extra facts and pieces of information. I hated what happened, but learning about it was great, they really struggled which was heartbreaking, but they knew right from wrong and had great leaders for their tribes that would go through anything to keep them safe and be given what belonged to them.

These are the pieces of ignored history that I wish were taught more, it’s so important for people and children to know what truly happened, to understand the struggles and difficulties that the native tribes had to experience. To learn what the governments did to them just because they wanted to. It’s all really sad and sometimes difficult to read about but so very vital.

The Sandy Lake Tragedy is a piece of history I was unfamiliar with. This book makes the history easy to access through clear writing and great text features. It breaks my heart that this is a part of history but I am grateful that books are being written to educate people about the past.

I live in Choctaw Nation in SE Oklahoma, so I am very familiar with the overall history of the Native American's struggle with the American Government. However, I was not familiar with the Ojibwe's personal experience of treaties broken and this particular incident where 400 tribal members perished due to American negligence. This was an informative and sobering read and I think it would be an excellent resource for middle schoolers learning about Native American history and relations.

Thank you to NetGalley, Capstone Press, and Emily Faith Johnson for the eARC of this book!

A very informative children’s non-fiction book, very readable for a non-American who knew nothing of this story! Making history accessible.