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Where they Red Men or White Men? M. J Zak
One day, my nine year old son asked me, "You were born and raised where a lot of Indians lived on a reservation - did you ever meet or know any important Indians or chiefs?" "Yes, Tom", I answered and proceeded to tell him the background of my early days, and what I had learned about the Ojibway, or commonly called Chippewa Indians, who lived on Bad River Reservation - in upper Wisconsin. I was born in Ashland, Wis., on Aug. 5th, 1900 in the heart or hub of some very important and interesting historic events in the development of the United States! My hometown is located on Chequamegon Bay, an arm of Lake Superior, where the first home or house built by the White Man was erected in 1659 near the mouth of Fish Creek by Radisson, who with Groselliers, were exploring this area. Let me tell you now of some of the interesting friends I had amongst the Indians, and from whom I learned much about the customs, legends and history of the "Chippewas".
And many other individuals who pointed out old burial grounds, the Fasting Tree and other interesting places. The names used for some of the Indians that I mentioned are fictitious, as some of the legends and facts they told me were of a secret nature, and they wished to remain anonymous, however, the legends and customs are true as they told me. Some of the historical data is based on research but most is from contact with the Indians, and the tales and legends told to me personally!
In my childhood, I did not pay any attention to the Indians, as they were just "other" people, however, in my teenage years, I became conscious of the reputation that Indians were given. Much has been said and written about the Indian's cruelty, that he was a killer, a thief and lazy, but in my experience with them I had found that this was not true. Most of the history that has been taught us, and the stories that we have read about the Indians was written by explorers, traders, Indian fighters, Indian agents, the U.S. Army and news writers! In fact, it was an Army officer who said, "The only good Indian is a dead Indian!" These stories and reports were often made to cover their own misdeeds and plundering of the Indians. The raids on White Men and settlers were most often made in retaliation the raids and massacres carried on against the Indians by the Army who took their territory, horses, weapons. We must remember that the Indian was a "child of Nature" and whatever he found or saw in the forests or on the plains was his for the taking. In trading (bundles of furs for trade goods), a bundle of valuable furs, worth hundreds of dollars, (were exchanged) for trade goods, like a knife, axe or a few yards of cheap cloth, to say nothing of cheap whiskey which the Indian had never tasted and got to like. Later, while browsing around the Trading Post, the Indian saw something on the counter or shelves which attracted him, so he picked it up - the trader would not say anything as he was way ahead of the Indian by many dollars, thereby crating a habit in the Indian, who honestly did not think that he was stealing.
In too many cases, when the Indian attended a treaty with the White Man, he was "wined and dined" for a day or two before negotiations were begun - one instance like this was described to me by one of the chiefs, whose grandfather attended such a treaty. The were fed pork and other foods and whiskey for two days, then went into the treaty talks by which time nothing meant much to them and they often left for their villages with a big hangover after having signed away their rights! Is it any wonder that he raided after he realized how he had been cheated by greedy White Men? How could we call him lazy when we took all opportunity or reason for effort after taking his lands, weapons, horses, putting him on a reservation and too often in a stockade with poor food, little or no clothing; often separated from his family, no chance to hunt, and, progressively, to poorer and poorer lands not fit for cultivation. He was literally forced to break out, carry out raids and make war on settlements and wagon trains of the White Man for the simple reason of staying alive. And he took the only course left to him as it is a matter of record that the White Man never kept a treaty made with the Indians! As the White Man moved westward he wanted, and took, more and more from the Indians. Yes, there were some who shiftless and lazy, but we know that this is also quite common amongst the White Man! The majority of the Chippewas in Odanah worked in the giant sawmills located in their village, while many farmed, trapped, hunted, and acted as guides. In general, they caused no trouble, and were good citizens. We created many of the shiftless ones, by losing their trust and introducing them to graft so he also became cunning. One form of graft, which I knew was carrier on, was crated by merchants, doctors, and other people with whom the Indian did business - For an example, the Indian could get medical and other services for which he signed a voucher. This voucher was then presented to a Federal agency and the merchant received the payment for services. It did not take long for this privilege to be abused. The Indian would go to the doctor, dentist, or other merchant when he wanted cash - a voucher was made out for an amount (for example $20.00) which the Indian would sign, receiving half the amount or face value, and the professional person would get the full amount or 100% gain. This custom was quite common. So is it any wonder that the Indian did not trust the White Man, who constantly gave the Indian examples of dishonesty and graft.
Some Chippewas who had timber on their grants of land were given allotments for the right to cut the timber on their lands. When an Indian reached the age of twenty-one, he received about eighty dollars a month. These grants stopped after all the timber was cut. One tribe that has survived and lived on their original territory, and are still there, is the Ojibway, or commonly known as the Chippewa tribe, one of the woodland tribes which inhabited that portion of the U.S. from Minnesota eastward across the Great Lakes are to the Atlantic Ocean. This area provided the Indian with all that he needed for a good living: fertile land for corn/maize, wild onions an a great variety of wild produce: rice, cranberries, various fruits, nuts and berries, wild game for food, clothing and covering for his wigwams and hogans, and the very valuable furs and hides which he traded or sold. The fur trade gave the Indian a very profitable revenue in later years. the Hudson Bay Fur Company was the biggest fur trader for over a hundred years. The American Fur Company which operated between 1812 and 1853 was run by John Jacob Astor and Ramsey Cooks. Their posts were located at La Pointe on Madeline Island. In 1679, two hundred canoes laden with furs passed by Mackinac Island. It can readily be seen that the Chequmegon area was a very rich country for the traders. Another staple food that grew wild was rice, and to this day it is a good source of revenue, as it is considered a health food and brings a a good price on the market. It is harvested in the same manner that it had been in the earliest times as no machinery has been developed that can harvest it without injuring the roots and future crops that grow in water two to four feet deep. Harvesting the rice is simple but demands a lot of labor. The procedure is conducted in this manner: A canoe is poled by an Indian standing in the stern of a the canoe while two squaws sit in the bottom, one at the front and one at the rear with a blanket spread between them. Each squaw has a stick two or three feet long with which she bends the rice stalks over the side of the canoe, beating the rice from the heads of the stalks. Every short while, the squaws lift the blanket by the four corners, shake it vigorously and the wind blows the chaff away. They then pour the rice into a bag, meanwhile the Indian poles the canoe slowly along, hardly stopping. I have seen the harvesting frequently, harvest time being in the Fall, about the same time the wild cranberries are harvested. Wild cranberries also grow in water from six to eight inches in depth and are gathered by hand, however a rake was developed to pick them. The rake is harmful to the plants, so it is best to gather them by hand while wading in the water. By looking at the map of Long Island, the rice and cranberry crops can be located - the rice fields are located at the mouth of Kakagon Slough (location #6). At one time this was the original bed of the Bad River (This is also the site of the Beaver Legend). The cranberry marshes are located on the west shore of Oak Point (location #9). This was also the favorite camp site when we made winter fishing trips and a historic site in the early years of this area. Sand Point, as seen on the maps has disappeared 30 years or more ago. This was the favorite camping spot for summer fishing trips, as well as a favorite picnic spot where whole families enjoyed fishing as well as picnics. Black Bass, Perch, Great Northern Pike, Walleye Pike, Muskellunge, varieties of pan fish, and years ago, the Sturgeon (now extinct in this area) were plentiful. During the spawning season the shores of Lake Superior at the mouth of Bad River fairly boiled with Lake Trout what come up to the warmer water of the sandy shores to spawn. Much of their spawn is lost for the Mullet or Suckers come in and eat as much of the roe as they can find.
We made trips to Kakagon by boat in Summertime, also in the Fall for duck hunting but the winter fishing trips were something different, as we had to walk from 7 to 9 miles over the ice facing the cold north wind after leaving home about 6AM and getting to the fishing area about 9AM. The trip home was a little easier as we had the wind to our backs. The trips were wonderful, and we had great catches of perch, northern pike and walleyed pike. In later years, when automobiles became more popular, we drove over the ice and reached the fishing area in a few minutes. The convenience and comforts were so much greater. It was quite safe driving on the ice which was very thick. I can recall chopping through 40 inches of ice for a fishing hole. Fish, berries, ducks and game as well as the wild rice are almost as abundant today for this area has not been spoiled by overpopulation and industry. The Chippewa had a very good territory in which to survive, although they did have difficulty with the Sioux Indians from the plains.
Winter game was scarce on the plains and prairies. The Sioux would invade the woodland and lake areas and try to settle there. It took several great battles between the Chippewa and Sioux tribes, but finally the Sioux were driven beyond the Mississippi River and did not return. A treaty was held at Ashland, WI on Sept. 11, 1896 between the two tribes. The Sioux Indians were represented by two branches of their tribe - the Ogallalla and the Brules, while the Chippewas were represented by branches from four reservations in Wisconsin with Lt. Mercer representing them. The treaty was accomplished and conducted by a famous and familiar man in our early American history - William F. Cody, or Buffalo Bill of the Wild West days. It is interesting to note that William F. Cody was one of the first riders of the Pony express. When I was a child, the descendants of Lt. Mercer were neighbors of ours.
Intermarriage between tribes was not very common and especially "taboo" between the Sioux and Chippewa Indians; since the Treaty of 1896, only two such marriages are known to have taken place. I knew one of the Sioux squaws who was a party to one of these marriages which was successful. During the Depression I used to organize programs for entertaining the Indians at Odanah where the Sioux woman lived with her Chippewa husband. She had a beautiful voice and was always willing to add her talent to the entertainment. I was told by Blackcloud of a marriage between these two tribes that took place in the early 1880's that ended quite tragically. This is how it was told to me: A young Chippewa while on a hunting trip met a young Sioux maiden who was in the forest picking berries. They were attracted to each other and he persuaded her to go back to Odanah with him where they were married and in due time bore him a child. After some months, the young wife became lonesome for her own people. She also wanted her parents to see their grandchild. She persuaded her husband to make the trip to her village and people and he consented. The village of her people was several days journey to the West traveling on foot through the forests. On the evening before reaching her people's village, they made camp early, and after settling his wife and infant in a hastily built wigwam, he went into the forest to hunt for game so that they would have enough food for the rest of their journey. It did not take him long to shoot plenty of small game, so he returned to his family. A horrible sight met him when he entered their shelter; there lay his wife and infant in a pool of blood. They had been beaten to death. From the method of killing, he knew that her people had hilled her for marrying a Chippewa. After burying them, he hurried back to his village of Odanah, and had no trouble collecting a band of braves to avenge the murder of his family. They took enough food and weapons and a number of jugs of whiskey and hurriedly marched to the Sioux village which they did not attack, for they had another plan. After dark, the Sioux village held a celebration with much dancing and singing. When they were in a high pitch of excitement, the young Chippewa stole into the village where he was not recognized as a stranger because the Sioux were too excited to notice. The young Chippewa had brought a jug of the whiskey with him and passed it around to a few of the Sioux who drank it in a hurry and wanted more. The Chippewa told them there was a lot of whiskey along the path in the forest! With a big shout, they called the rest of the Sioux braves and rushed into the forest to find it. The young Chippewa had hidden jugs of whiskey and his company of warriors in the brush along the trail. Soon the Sioux found the whiskey and all became very drunk, not paying attention to anything else but stumbling about looking for more! At a signal, the Chippewa warriors jumped out of the brush, killing all of the the Sioux braves who were too drunk to offer any resistance. Thus the young Chippewa had his revenge for the murder of his family! The Chippewa were an intelligent People and it is surprising how their philosophies compared with our own beliefs, such as was there a Supreme Being, how the World was created and other simple legends which show that they had good minds, good morals, laws and principles.
"The Happy The Chippewa believed that the soul could not enter the "Great Beyond" (heaven) unless the body was whole or complete when buried. By removing the scalp of his enemy, this enemy could not enter "The Great Beyond", and he also had a trophy of his bravery and skill as a warrior. As in present day warfare, when we exchange prisoners with the enemy, so too the Chippewa exchanged scalps with the enemy. After a battle, they buried the scalps with ceremony and thereby permitted the whole spirit to enter "The Great Beyond". Another custom which we do not understand and criticize is the Indian's custom of placing food and other items on graves of their friends. Our historians tell us it was food, weapons and supplies for their trip to the "Happy Hunting Ground". Let us compare this with our placing baskets and wreaths of flowers on the caskets and graves of our Loved Ones and friends. Most of us have seen these flowers on a grave the day after burial. The wilted and dried flowers present a very sad and expensive token of love. The Indians tokens are as sentimental and expressive of love as ours. His gifts were in memory of the food and other items that the Departed loved while living.
Many of our early explorers and historians were not trusted by the Indians and as a consequence, the Indians did not share beliefs and facts with them. The writer often would use imagination and fiction to add "color". The eagle was sacred to most Indian tribes symbolizing the "Great Spirit" and called "Tecumseh" or "Da-Da-Cumseh", the "GitcheeManitou" of the Chippewa Indians.
I'm sure that you have seen an Indian flag or at least a picture which you did not recognize.. It is a staff, four or five feet long, with many feathers. Each feather represents one of their "spirits" (see drawing) "Flaming Arrow" the hunter and scout, described to me how the eagle was captured; being sacred, his capture was a ceremonial rite. The first thing was to locate an eagle's nest in a tall tree as there were no mountains in the area. Flaming Arrow had a piece of hard maple sugar and some raw meat in a pouch; he climbed up the tree and concealed himself beneath nest waiting for the eagle to return. It was almost three days before the eagle returned to the nest. In the meantime, Flaming Arrow lived on the maple sugar. When the eagle finally settled himself in the nest, Flaming Arrow very cautiously reached up through the bottom of the nest and grabbed the eagle's legs before pulling them through the bottom of the nest and tying them together securely so that the eagle could not rise. He then put a piece of meat in the eagle's mouth and tied it closely shut upon the meat thereby appeasing "The Great Spirit". He then killed the eagle. Flaming Arrow then proceeded back to his village where all of the feathers were picked from the eagle. The large feathers from the wings and tail measured four to six inches in width and from ten to twenty inches in length. They were used in the feathered bonnet. The down under the eagles wings was used to decorate the base of the feathers in the bonnet. Also a tuft was glued to the tip of each feather. When it was assembled, it was a beautiful creation as you have seen.
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