The Present Condition of the Indians of this State.
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 Ottawas and Chippewas--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 civilisation,
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.