Earliest Possible Known History of Mackinac Island--Its Historical
Definition--Who Resided at the Island--Massacre at the Island by
Senecas--Where the Ottawas were Living at That Time--Only Two Escape
the Massacre--What Became of Them--The Legends of the Two Who Escaped
--Occupants of the Island Afterwards--Who Killed Warrior Tecumseh?
Again, most every historian, or annalist so-called, who writes about
the Island of Mackinac and the Straits and vicinity, tells us that the
definition or the meaning of the word "Michilimackinac" in the Ottawa
and Chippewa language, is "large turtle," derived from the word Mi-she-
mi-ki-nock in the Chippewa language. That is, "Mi-she" as one of the
adnominals or adjectives in the Ottawa and Chippewa languages, which
would signify tremendous in size; and "Mikinock" is the name of mud
turtle--meaning, therefore, "monstrous large turtle," as the historians
would have it. But we consider this to be a clear error. Whereever
those annalists, or those who write about the Island of Mackinac,
obtain their information as to the definition of the word
Michilimackinac, I don't know, when our tradition is so direct and so
clear with regard to the historical definition of that word, and is far
from being derived from the word "Michimikinock," as the historians
have told us. Our tradition says that when the Island was first
discovered by the Ottawas, which was some time before America was known
as an existing country by the white man, there was a small independent
tribe, a remnant race of Indians who occupied this island, who became
confederated with the Ottawas when the Ottawas were living at
Manitoulin, formerly called Ottawa Island, which is situated north of
Lake Huron. The Ottawas thought a good deal of this unfortunate race of
people, as they were kind of interesting sort of people; but,
unfortunately, they had most powerful enemies, who every now and then
would come among them to make war with them. Their enemies were of the
Iroquois of New York. Therefore, once in the dead of the winter while
the Ottawas were having a great jubilee and war dances at their island,
now Manitoulin, on account of the great conquest over the We-ne-be-goes
of Wisconsin, of which I will speak more fully in subsequent chapters,
during which time the Senecas of New York, of the Iroquois family of
Indians, came upon the remnant race and fought them, and almost
entirely annihilated them. But two escaped to tell the story, who
effected their escape by flight and by hiding in one of the natural
caves at the island, and therefore that was the end of this race. And
according to our understanding and traditions the tribal name of those
disastrous people was "Mi-shi-ne-macki naw-go," which is still existing
to this day as a monument of their former existence; for the Ottawas
and Chippewas named this little island "Mi-shi-ne-macki-nong" for
memorial sake of those their former confederates, which word is the
locative case of the Indian noun "Michinemackinawgo." Therefore, we
contend, this is properly where the name Michilimackinac is originated.
This is the earliest possible history of this little Island, as I have
related, according to the Ottawa traditions; and from that time forward
there have been many changes in its history, as other tribes of Indians
took possession of the island, such as the Hurons and Chippewas; and
still later by the whites--French, English, and Americans; and numbers
of battles have been fought from time to time there, by both Indians
and whites, of which I need not relate as other historians have already
given us the accounts of them. But only this I would relate, because I
have never yet seen the account of it: It is related in our traditions
that at the time when the Chippewas occupied the island they ceded it
to the United States Government, but reserved a strip of land all
around the island as far as a stone throw from its water's edge as
their encampment grounds when they might come to the island to trade or
for other business.
Perhaps the reader would like to know what became of those two persons
who escaped from the lamented tribe Michinemackinawgoes. I will here
give it just as it is related in our traditions, although this may be
considered, at this age, as a fictitious story; but every Ottawa and
Chippewa to this day believes it to be positively so. It is related
that the two persons escaped were two young people, male and female,
and they were lovers. After everything got quieted down, they fixed
their snow-shoes inverted and crossed the lake on the ice, as snow was
quite deep on the ice, and they went towards the north shore of Lake
Huron. The object of inverting their snow-shoes was that in case any
person should happen to come across their track on the ice, their track
would appear as if going towards the island. They became so disgusted
with human nature, it is related, that they shunned every mortal being,
and just lived by themselves, selecting the wildest part of the
country. Therefore, the Ottawas and Chippewas called them "Paw-gwa-
tchaw-nish-naw-boy." The last time they were seen by the Ottawas, they
had ten children--all boys, and all living and well. And every Ottawa
and Chippewa believes to this day that they are still in existence and
roaming in the wildest part of the land, but as supernatural beings
--that is, they can be seen or unseen, just as they see fit to be; and
sometimes they simply manifested themselves as being present by
throwing a club or a stone at a person walking in a solitude, or by
striking a dog belonging to the person walking; and sometimes by
throwing a club at the lodge, night or day, or hearing their footsteps
walking around the wigwam when the Indians would be camping out in an
unsettled part of the country, and the dogs would bark, just as they
would bark at any strange person approaching the door. And sometimes
they would be tracked on snow by hunters, and if followed on their
track, however recently passed, they never could be overtaken.
Sometimes when an Indian would be hunting or walking in solitude, he
would suddenly be seized with an unearthly fright, terribly awe
stricken, apprehending some great evil. He feels very peculiar
sensation from head to foot--the hair of his head standing and feeling
stiff like a porcupine quill. He feels almost benumbed with fright, and
yet he does not know what it is; and looking in every direction to see
something, but nothing to be seen which might cause sensation of
terror. Collecting himself, he would then say, "Pshaw! its nothing here
to be afraid of. It's nobody else but Paw-gwa-tchaw-nish-naw-boy is
approaching me. Perhaps he wanted something of me." They would then
leave something on their tracks--tobacco, powder, or something else.
Once in a great while they would appear, and approach the person to
talk with him, and in this case, it is said, they would always begin
with the sad story of their great catastrophe at the Island of
Mackinac. And whoever would be so fortunate as to meet and see them and
to talk with them, such person would always become a prophet to his
people, either Ottawa or Chippewa. Therefore, Ottawas and Chippewas
called these supernatural beings "Paw-gwa-tchaw-nish-naw-boy," which
is, strictly, "Wild roaming supernatural being."
Pine river country, in Charlevoix County, Michigan, when this country
was all wild, especially near Pine Lake, was once considered as the
most famous resort of these kind of unnatural beings. I was once
conversing with one of the first white settlers of that portion of the
country, who settled near to the place now called Boyne City, at the
extreme end of the east arm of Pine Lake. In the conversation he told
me that many times they had been frightened, particularly during the
nights, by hearing what sounded like human footsteps around outside of
their cabin; and their dog would be terrified, crouching at the
doorway, snarling and growling, and sometimes fearfully barking. When
daylight came, the old man would go out in order to discover what it
was or if he could track anything around his cabin, but he never could
discover a track of any kind. These remarkable, mischievous, audible,
fanciful, appalling apprehensions were of very frequent occurrence
before any other inhabitants or settlers came near to his place; but
now, they do not have such apprehensions since many settlers came.
That massacre of Mishinimackinawgoes by Seneca Indians of New York
happened probably more than five or six hundred years ago. I could say
much more which would be contradictory of other writers of the history
of the Indians in this country. Even in the history of the United
States I think there are some mistakes concerning the accounts of the
Indians, particularly the accounts of our brave Tecumseh, as it is
claimed that he was killed by a soldier named Johnson, upon whom they
conferred the honor of having disposed of the dreaded Tecumseh. Even
pictured out as being coming up with his tomahawk to strike a man who
was on horseback, but being instantly shot dead with the pistol. Now I
have repeatedly heard our oldest Indians, both male and female, who
were present at the defeat of the British and Indians, all tell a
unanimous story, saying that they came to a clearing or opening spot,
and it was there where Tecumseh ordered his warriors to rally and fight
the Americans once more, and in this very spot one of the American
musket balls took effect in Tecumseh's leg so as to break the bone of
his leg, that he could not stand up. He was sitting on the ground when
he told his warriors to flee as well as they could, and furthermore
said, "One of my leg is shot off! But leave me one or two guns loaded;
I am going to have a last shot. Be quick and go!" That was the last
word spoken by Tecumseh. As they look back, they saw the soldiers thick
as swarm of bees around where Tecumseh was sitting on the ground with
his broken leg, and so they did not see him any more; and, therefore,
we always believe that the Indians or Americans know not who made the
fatal shot on Tecumseh's leg, or what the soldiers did with him when
they came up to him as he was sitting on the ground.