Sometime in June there came a canoe of Indians to our shore. They made
their camp near us. Mother went to see them. When she came home she told
us they were Menominee Indians come to fish for a time. They had been
over to Cross Village visiting some friends. Their home was in Green Bay
county. There were two small children, the Indian and his wife. The
Indian woman was a pretty woman with jet black hair cut straight across
the forehead, this being the fashion with Menominee squaws. Their wigwam
was always nice and clean. She was a nice sewer, piecing pretty bed
quilts, which always looked clean. Often when mother got in a hurry with
her work she hired the Indian woman to scrub and wash, and other times
to do some sewing. She was always smiling, showing her pretty white
teeth.
One morning when I awoke I found father and Mr. Dora, a neighbor, had
gone to Mackinac Island. They were gone about three days. When they came
home father had clothing for mother which Mr. Cable did not keep in his
store. Among the rest was a great quantity of bright colored glass beads
and many yards of colored ribbon, which she put away in her trunk,
saying to me, "Do not speak about what I have put away." Mother and the
Indian woman were often together speaking softly, so I never knew what
they said. Mother seemed anxious, and the Indian woman also seemed
quiet and thoughtful.
Soon after father's return mother said to me, "Elizabeth I want you to
let all your other work alone and string beads for me." I was delighted,
for if there was anything I loved to do it was to string the pretty
colored beads. So I began at once, each color on a strong thread. After
stringing a great quantity in this way, then I made many strings in
different colors, mixing the beads. As much as I enjoyed it I got very
tired, and whenever I went to the camp the little Indian children were
stringing beads and their mother was sewing, making deerskin moccasins,
on which she sewed the beads, which were so pretty when finished. She
made many pairs of them. Sometimes the Indian woman came to our house,
helping mother and me to string the beads, which she did so fast, and
talked so pleasantly in her own language, mother speaking her language
as well as the other tribes' that lived around us. There were several
camps of Chippewa Indians that lived along the shore that helped the
fishermen clean their fish, and the women made oil from the fish refuse
which sold for one dollar a gallon or more, according to quality. Most
of these Indians came from Garden Island.