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Some histories have been
written by white men of events since the Ottawa and Chippewa Indians
came in contact with white people in this part of the country, but here
is given the history of this race of Indians before that time. This
account of the Ottawa and Chippewa Indians is of as much interest to
every inquirer into the histories of nations, as that of any other
people; and all philanthropic people, and those who are endeavoring to
enlighten and Christianize the Indians, will feel deeply interested in
becoming acquainted with the past history as well as the present
condition of these once numerous and warlike people.
There are now but comparatively few living in the State
of Michigan, trying to become civilized and to imitate their white
neighbors in agricultural industries and other civilized labors. The
greater part of them are being Christianized and are members of various
Christian churches of the country, erecting houses of worship with their
own hands in which to worship the true God in spirit and in truth. A few
of them are becoming native preachers and expounders of the Gospel.
A treaty was concluded in the city of Washington in the
year 1836, to which my people--the Ottawa and Chippewa--were unwilling
parties, but they were compelled to sign blindly and ignorant of the
true spirit of the treaty and the true import of some of its conditions.
They thought when signing the treaty that they were securing
reservations of lands in different localities as permanent homes for
themselves and their children in the future; but before six months had
elapsed from the time of signing this treaty, or soon after it had been
put in pamphlet form so that all persons could read it and know its
terms, they were told by their white neighbors that their reservations
of land would expire in five years, instead of being perpetual, as they
believed. At the end of this time, they would be compelled to leave
their homes, and if they should refuse they would be driven at the point
of the bayonet into a strange land, where, as is almost always the case,
more than one-half would die before they could be acclimated. At this
most startling intelligence more than half of my people fled into
Canada; fled to the protection of the British government; fled, many of
them, even before receiving a single copper of the promised annuities;
fled to a latitude like that in which they had been accustomed to live.
The balance of them determined to remain and await whatever the
consequences might be, and receive the annuities which they were
promised for twenty years. But fortunately their expulsion from the
State was suddenly stayed, in the years 1850 and '51. By the kindness of
the people of the State of Michigan, they were adopted as citizens and
made equal in rights with their white neighbors. Their voice was to be
recognized in the ballot box in every election; and I thought, this is
what ought to be, for the same God who created the white man created the
red man of the forest, and therefore they are equally entitled to the
benefits of civilization, education and Christianity.
At that time I was one of the principal ones who
advocated this cause, for I had already received a partial education,
and in my understanding of this matter, I thought that was the only
salvation of my people from being sent off to the west of the
Mississippi. In laboring for the object, I suffered very great hardship
and many struggles, but was at last successful.
But in order that my people can enjoy every privilege
of civilization, they must be thoroughly educated; they must become
acquainted with the arts and sciences, as well as the white man. Soon as
the Indian youths receive an education, they should be allowed to have
some employment among the whites, in order to encourage them in the
pursuit of civilization and to exercise their ability according to the
means and extent of their education, instead of being a class of persons
continually persecuted and cheated and robbed of their little
possessions. They should have been educated amongst the civilized
communities in order to learn the manners and customs of the white
people. If this method could have been pursued in the first instance,
the aborigines of this country would have secured all the advantages of
civilization, education and Christianity. This was my plan and my
proposition at the council of Detroit, in the treaty of 1855, as there
was quite a large sum of money set apart and appropriated by the
Government for the education of Indian youth of the Ottawa and Chippewa
Indians of Michigan, and I made the proposition at this council that the
sum for that purpose be retained in the hands of the Government solely
to pay for the education of those Indian youths who should be educated
in a civilized community, instead of committing this sum of money to the
hands of the preachers and teachers in the missions among the Ottawas
and Chippewas. If my plan could have been adopted, even as late as
thirty-two years ago, we should have had, by this time, many
well-educated Indians in this State, and probably some good farmers, and
perhaps some noted professors of sciences would have been developed, and
consequently happiness, blessings and prosperity would have been
everywhere among the aborigines of the State of Michigan.
Index
Chippewa History |
Ottawa History
Native American Nations
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