Squaw Lake ( ) is a city in

Itasca County Itasca County ( ) is a county located in the Iron Range region of the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 45,014. Its county seat is Grand Rapids. The county is named after Lake Itasca, which is in turn a shorte ...

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

, United States. The population was 98 at the 2020 census. The town center is located along

Minnesota State Highway 46 Minnesota State Highway 46 (MN 46) is a highway in north-central Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with U.S. Highway 2 near Deer River (northwest of Grand Rapids) and continues northwest to its northern terminus at its intersec ...

. A significant portion of the economy can be attributed to fishing and hunting-related tourism.

History

The Squaw Lake area was inhabited by

Ojibwe The Ojibwe (; Ojibwe writing systems#Ojibwe syllabics, syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the Great Plains, n ...

people prior to the arrival of European colonizers. The land was set aside for the

Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, also known as the Leech Lake Band of Chippewa Indians or the Leech Lake Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe (Ojibwe: ''Gaa-zagaskwaajimekaag Ojibweg'') is a federally recognized Ojibwe band located in Minnesota and one ...

in 19th century treaties as part of the

Leech Lake Indian Reservation The Leech Lake Reservation (''Gaa-zagaskwaajimekaag'' in the Ojibwe language) is an Indian reservation located in the north-central Minnesota counties of Cass, Itasca, Beltrami, and Hubbard. The reservation forms the land base for the federally ...

. Early on it was a hub for fur traders and loggers. It was later the site of a Great Northern Railway station. A post office was established there by 1923 and it was incorporated as a village in 1940. The lake located to the east of the town was renamed from Squaw Lake to Nature's Lake in 1995 by the Minnesota Legislature following a campaign led by students from Cass Lake-Bena High School. The term "

squaw The English word squaw is an ethnic and sexual slur, historically used for Indigenous North American women. Contemporary use of the term, especially by non-Natives, is considered derogatory, misogynist, and racist.King, C. Richard,De/Scribi ...

" is an ethnic and sexual slur. The Leech Lake Name Change Committee attempted to introduce a referendum on changing the town's name in November 2000, but did not have enough valid signatures for its petition.

Geography

Squaw Lake is located on the

, between Round Lake and Nature's Lake. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Education

Independent School District 318 serves the city.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 107 people, 39 households, and 26 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 63 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 46.7%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 51.4% Native American, 0.9% Asian, and 0.9% from two or more races. There were 39 households, of which 41.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 28.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.3% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.23. The median age in the city was 35.9 years. 29.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.9% were from 25 to 44; 18.8% were from 45 to 64; and 15.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.5% male and 49.5% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 99 people, 35 households, and 21 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 56 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 63.64% Native American, 31.31%

, 1.01% Asian, and 4.04% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.01% of the population. There were 35 households, out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 31.4% were

living together, 22.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.76. In the city, the population was spread out, with 38.4% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 16.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 26 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.4 males. The median income for a household in the city was $11,875, and the median income for a family was $31,250. Males had a median income of $12,000 versus $20,000 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $9,895. There were 42.1% of families and 49.5% of the population living below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 64.0% of under eighteens and 50.0% of those over 64.

References

{{Coord, 47, 37, 57, N, 94, 08, 11, W, type:city_region:US-MN, display=title Cities in Itasca County, Minnesota Cities in Minnesota