and measles at Sandy Lake. Another 230-250 died en route home. As a result of this tragedy, the Mississippi Chippewa Bands agreed to the establishment of Chippewa Reservations. Sandy Lake Indian Reservation was established in 1855, together with other Mississippi Chippewa Reservations of Lake Pokegama, Rabbit Lake, Gull Lake and Mille Lacs Lake. The same treaty established the Rice Lake Reservation, but due to the Bureau of Land Management claims of the Rice Lake Reservation being within the boundaries of the Sandy Lake Reservation, the Rice Lake Reservation was never formally platted. Dakota War of 1862 The Sandy Lake Band remained neutral during the Dakota War of 1862 against the United States. Due to this neutrality, the Sandy Lake Band were not forced to relocated to what eventually became the White Earth Reservation in Northwestern Minnesota, though the Band members were socially pressured to relocate and many did. Those who did relocate became the Removable Sandy Lake Band while those who remained became the Non-removable Sandy Lake Band. The Removable Sandy Lake Band members first relocated to Pokegama Lake Indian Reservation near Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Though friction developed between the Pillager Bands of Chippewa and the Mississippi Bands of Chippewa when most of the Mississippi Chippewa reservations were dissolved with all residences relocated to the area surrounding the original Leech Lake Indian Reservation, while all other removable Mississippi Chippewa Bands negotiated relocation to a less hostile area to form the White Earth Indian Reservation, the Pokegama Lake Band and some of the Removable Sandy Lake Band negotiated to remain in the area, forming the White Oak Point Band on the White Oak Point Indian Reservation in 1873, which in 1934 merged with the Leech Lake and other bands of the 5 contiguous Indian Reservations in the area to form the contemporary Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and the "Greater" Leech Lake Indian Reservation. Loss of independent recognition When plans were being negotiated by the United States in 1887 to consolidate all the Ojibwe bands scattered about Minnesota, including the Sandy Lake Band, to the White Earth Indian Reservation, the commission for these plans, after an unsuccessful meeting with the Mille Lacs Indians and on their way to meet with the Fond du Lac Band, stopped to meet with the Sandy Lake Band, but again without success in negotiations, as they learned later the Sandy Lake Band had purposely avoided the