GUIDE TO CATHOLIC RECORDS ABOUT NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE U.S.
Volume 2: Midwest United States
North Dakota: ND-2

Turtle Mountain Churches. St. Ann’s Mission, St. Michael the Archangel Church, Dunseith, and St. Anthony Church, Alcide

St. Ann's Mission
1115 Louis Riel Street
Belcourt, ND 58316

Phone: 701-477-5601
Email: stanns@utma.com

 

History: St. Ann's Mission, Belcourt, Turtle Mountain Reservation, North Dakota, has been a predominantly Native American parish in the Diocese of Fargo (Archives: Fargo, North Dakota).

1882-1887	St. Paul (Minnesota) diocesan priests at St. John Church, St. John, visited Ojibwa Indians and Métis in the Belcourt area
1884-1907 (closed)	Sisters of Mercy of the Union (Omaha Province) (Archives: Belmont, North Carolina) established and administered St. Mary Boarding School, Belcourt, until destroyed by fire
1887-1889	St. Paul (Minnesota) diocesan priests established and administered St. Anthony Church (Ojibwa, Métis), Laureat, Turtle Mountain Reservation
1887-ca. 1890	St. Anthony’s established and administered a day school (Ojibwa, Métis)
1889-1933	Fargo/ Jamestown diocesan priests administered St. Anthony’s
1890s-1933	Fargo/ Jamestown diocesan priests established and administered St. Ann Church (Ojibwa, Métis), Belcourt
1894-ca. 1897	St. Anthony’s administered St. Anthony Day School
1933-1956	Benedictines (St. Meinrad Abbey) (Archives: St. Meinrad, Indiana) and Benedictine Sisters (Archives: Ferdinand, Indiana) administered St. Ann’s
1936-1974 (transferred to a community corporation)	Benedictines and Benedictine Sisters established and administered St. Ann School (Ojibwa, Métis)
1956-1990	Benedictines (Blue Cloud Abbey) (Archives: St. Meinrad, Indiana) and Benedictine Sisters (Archives: Yankton, South Dakota) administered St. Ann’s
1990-present	Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (Archives: Corpus Christi, Texas) has administered St. Ann’s
1990-present	Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity reestablished and has administered St. Ann School

Diocesan priests, Benedictines, and the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity at St. Ann's have attended to the following Native American (Métis, Ojibwa) missions on and near the Turtle Mountain Reservation, North Dakota.

1894-1896 (became a parish)	St. Anthony Mission, Laureat, Turtle Mountain Reservation
1897 (transferred to St. Anthony's, Laureat)	St. Mary Mission, Maryville, Rolette County
1902-1908 (transferred to St. Michael's, Thorne)	St. Anthony Mission, Alcide/ Laureat, Rolette County
1902-1933 (transferred to St. Michael's, Thorne)	St. Mary Mission, Maryville, Rolette County
1933-present	St. Anthony Mission, Alcide, Rolette County
1935-1940 (became a parish)	St. Benedict Station, Turtle Mountain Reservation
1940-1990s (transferred to St. John's, St. John)	St. Benedict Mission, Turtle Mountain Reservation

St. Louis Church, Dunseith: St. Louis has been a predominantly Native American (Ojibwa, Métis) parish, from which diocesan priests, Benedictines, and the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (1990-) has attended to the following Native American (Ojibwa, Métis) missions and school near the Turtle Mountain Reservation, North Dakota.

1888-1894 (became a parish) (no longer Native)	St. Paul Mission, Tarsus, Bottineau County
1943-1948 (closed)	Our Mother of Perpetual Help Chapel at Dunseith Government Indian School, Dunseith, Rolette County
1948-present	Immaculate Heart of Mary/ St. Mary Mission, Dunseith, Rolette County

 

Holdings of Catholic records about Native Americans:

Inclusive dates: 1883-ongoing, undated

Volume: At least 9.0 cubic feet

Description:

 

/1 St. Ann’s Mission

Inclusive dates: 1887-ongoing

Volume: At least 6.0 cubic feet

Description: These records were not organized according to a classification scheme when reviewed by a Marquette University archivist, 1980. Consequently, the description is by record type.

A. Sacramental records, 1887-ongoing, 19 volumes: for St. Ann's, St. Anthony's, and their Indian missions and stations: baptisms, marriages, and deaths, 1887-ongoing; confirmations, 1916-ongoing; first communions, 1934-ongoing; include records on St. Anthony's Mission, Alcide, when it was administered from St. Michael's, Thorne

B. Financial records, 1920s-ongoing, .1 cubic foot: includes a ledger, 1920s- 1930s, and annual financial reports, 1970-ongoing

C. Mission publication, Bells of St. Ann, 1937-1971, .3 cubic foot

D. Parish bulletins, 1967-ongoing, 1 cubic foot

E. Architectural drawings for the Church and School, undated, 1 folder

F. Warranty deeds, 1930s-1940s, 1 folder

 

/2 St. Paul Mission, Tarsus; Our Mother of Perpetual Help Chapel, Dunseith; and Immaculate Heart of Mary Mission, Dunseith

Inclusive dates: 1883-1894, 1943-ongoing

Volume: At least 3.0 cubic feet; several volumes

Description: Sacramental records (e.g. baptisms, marriages, burials)

 

Unless otherwise noted, the repository on this page holds (or held) the records described here and they are not held at the Marquette University Archives.

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