The Ojibwe are one of the largest tribes in North America. They mainly reside in the Great Lakes area, in both the U.S. and Canada (Grimm 1983; 56).

The Proto-Ojibwe migrated from the north eastern side of the continent, from the area we now call Maine. They followed along the coast of great lakes, many ending their journey in what is now Minnesota and Michigan (Grimm 1983; 60). This migration is backed both by archaeological evidence  and by the Ojibwe's own oral history (Warren et al 2009: 7). The story goes that a member of the Ojibwe group prophesized the arrival of light skinned men, and stated that they must walk west, until they found the place where food grows on water (wild rice) (Warren et al 2009:10). 

After arriving in the Great Lakes region, some groups of Ojibwe broke off from the larger bands to migrate farther east, to a collection of small lakes with an abundance of wild rice. This is the area where the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe's reservation, Nett Lake, is situated now.