j ib wa ▁Tri be ▁on ▁White ▁Earth ▁Res ervation ▁in ▁northern ▁Minnesota ▁during ▁ 3 5 ▁years ▁from ▁ 1 8 7 3 ▁until ▁ 1 9 0 8 . ▁ ▁Biography ▁Joseph ▁Alexander ▁Gil fill an ▁was ▁born ▁October ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 1 8 3 8 , ▁in ▁G ort ic ross , ▁County ▁London der ry , ▁Ireland ▁to ▁Alexander ▁Gil fill an ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Margaret . ▁ ▁He ▁married ▁Har ri et ▁Wood bridge ▁Cook ▁April ▁ 1 9 , ▁ 1 8 7 7 . ▁ ▁He ▁graduated ▁from ▁the ▁General ▁The ological ▁Sem inary , ▁New ▁York , ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 9 . ▁From ▁ 1 8 6 9 ▁until ▁ 1 8 7 3 ▁he ▁was ▁re ctor ▁success ively ▁of ▁two ▁English ▁churches ▁in ▁Minnesota . ▁From ▁June , ▁ 1 8 7 3 , ▁until , ▁September , ▁ 1 9 0 8 , ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁mission ary ▁to ▁the ▁O j ib was ▁at ▁White ▁Earth . ▁ ▁He ▁worked ▁dil ig ently ▁and ▁earnest ly ▁to ▁learn ▁the ▁O j ib we ▁language , ▁to ▁as certain ▁and ▁record ▁the ▁orig ins ▁of ▁place ▁names ▁in ▁the ▁areas ▁where ▁he ▁worked , ▁to ▁perform ▁accurate ▁and ▁worthy ▁transl ations ▁of ▁the ▁O j ib we ▁place ▁names ▁into ▁English , ▁and ▁to ▁encou rage ▁that ▁the ▁names ▁so ▁recorded ▁continue ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁in ▁one ▁form ▁or ▁another ▁after ▁settlement . ▁ ▁Gil fill an '