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Michigan Indian
Tribes in the 1890 Census
Total Indian Population As Of June 1, 1800
Total 5, 625
Indian prisoner, not otherwise enumerated 1
Indians off reservations, self-supporting
and taxed (counted in the general census) 5,
624
The civilized (self-supporting) Indians of
Michigan, counted in the general census,
number 5,621 (2,925 males and 2,699
females), and are distributed as follows:
Alcorn County, 26; Alger County, 78; Allegan
County, 71; Antrim County, 184; Arenac
County, 120; Baraga County, 287; Bay County,
92; Berrien County, 32; Calhoun County, 71;
Cass County, 35; Charlevoix County, 222;
Cheboygan County, 132; Chippewa County, 441;
Delta County, 217; Emmet County, 914; Grand
Traverse County, 35; lose° County, 50;
Isabella County, 355; Kalamazoo County, 21;
Lapeer County, 22; Leelanaw County, 295;
Mackinac County, 227; Manistee County, 22;
Manitou County, 56; Marquette County, 56;
Mason County, 335; Mecosta County, 44;
Menominee County, 129; Muskegon County, 32;
Newaygo County, 18; Oceania County, 271;
Ontonagon County, 59; Osceola County, 24;
Ottawa County, 51; Saginaw County, 232;
Schoolcraft County, 42; Tuscola County, 61;
Van Buren County, 59; other counties (17 or
less in each), 206.
Many of the Indians work as fishermen and
lumbermen. Large quantities of maple sugar
are made by Indians in favorable years,
which is used for food and for trade with
the whites. In some localities Indians
gather great quantities of wild berries for
canning or for shipment to the cities. Many
of them are scattered, singly and in groups,
along the shores of the Great Lakes, on the
banks of rivers, and in the woods.
There are 3 Indian reservations in Michigan,
as noted in the records of the Indian
Office: the Isabella, containing but 7,317
acres, or 114 square miles; the L'Anse
reservation, containing 19,324 acres, or
30.2 square miles, and the Ontonagon
reservation, containing 678 acres, or 1.1
square miles. These reservations are the
remnants of large tracts, which have been
surveyed and allotted to the Indians.
The agency at Mackinac was abolished by the
act of Congress making appropriations for
the Indian service July 1, 1890.
Indians now in Michigan are classed as
taxed. They were enumerated by the regular
enumerators and counted in the general
population of the state.
The agent, in his report, for 1880 to the
Commissioner of Indian Affairs, says:
The Indians of Michigan are all citizens,
are voters, and eligible to hold office.
They are not known or recognized by tribal
relations, either by state laws or treaties,
and in every respect, so far as the rights
of citizenship are concerned, they stand on
an equality with the whites. While no tribal
relations exist, yet the Indians annually
elect certain of their number, whom they
call chiefs or headmen, whose duty it is to
transact all business with the government or
the Indian agent, sign all papers and
stipulations, which they consider as binding
upon the band.
Historic Review
The Indians of Michigan are all of
Algonkian stock.
The tribes known as the Chippewas, Ottawas,
and Pottawatomies composed the aboriginal
population of Michigan. Many of these
Indians are now in Kansas and Indian
Territory.
The early Jesuits found the Michigan Indians
good material for laboring with, and
numerous missions were established. They
found the Indians hunters, trappers,
fishers, and sharp traders. The Indians
raised and sold provisions, and, although
agriculturally inclined, after the French
occupation they frequently attacked the
French posts. These Indians were kept in
constant, trouble by the claims of the
English to the territory through the
Iroquois, who early possessed the country by
capture. The Hurons were the allies of the
French, and constant intrigue was the
result. They aided the French in the
disastrous border war between France and
England.
After England took possession of Michigan,
the Ottawas became restless, and in 1703
Pontiac's conspiracy was formed, and
attempts were made to capture the British
posts from Niagara to Chicago, Pontiac
personally undertaking to capture, Detroit,
in which lie failed. The attacks on the
various posts were made on one day, May 7,
1763. The movement ended in the capture of 9
of the 12 posts or forts; but Detroit was
saved through information given by an Indian
woman to the commandant. After this a treaty
was made with several tribes, but Pontiac
held out until 1765. Detroit became the
center of British frontier power after 1763.
Great Britain began to encourage fishing and
the fur trade, and made the various tribes
allies. During the Revolutionary war
Michigan was a British colony, with
lieutenant governors at Detroit and
Mackinaw. Vast amounts of supplies and arms
and ammunition were given to the Indians
from. these points, and bounties were given
for scalps. Governor Hamilton reported in
January 1778, that the Indians had brought
in 23 prisoners and 129 scalps. In September
1778, he again reported that since last May
the Indians have taken 34 prisoners, 17 of
which they delivered up, and 81 scalps". It
is estimated that more than 3,000 persons
were scalped or made prisoners of war by war
parties of Indians and soldiers from
Detroit. These war parties went as far south
as Kentucky.
After the Revolutionary war the Michigan
Indians sullenly submitted to the rule of
the United States. Governor Hall made a
treaty with them in 1808, obtaining certain
land cessions from them, which they
afterward claimed they did not understand.
Tecumseh, the Shawnee chief, who lived at
that time on the upper Wabash, affected
gradually a union of tribes in the territory
now in, Indiana, Michigan, and a portion of
Illinois and Ohio, and began war on the
whites. In 1811 General William Henry
Harrison defeated him at the battle of
Tippecanoe, and peace for a time followed.
In the war of 1812 the Michigan Indians
again became allies of Great Britain and
ravaged the northern frontier. At the battle
of Frenchtown, of 900 United States soldiers
only 50 escaped capture, more than 400 were
killed, and many others were scalped on the
way to Malden.
Lewis Cass, as governor of Michigan, after
1812 made treaties with the various Indian
tribes for cessions of their lands up to
1821, and was looked upon as their friend.
He was ex officio superintendent of the
Indian agency at Detroit and the agencies at
Chicago, Fort Wayne, Green Bay, Mackinaw,
Piqua, and the sub-agencies at Blanchards
fork and Upper Sandusky in the Detroit
agency alone there were 8,000 Indians in
1813. In a report to the War Department in
1821 Governor Cass wrote that "my family is
driven from one extremity of the house to
the other by them". At that time 400 Indians
arrived daily at Detroit. The British had
fed and clothed them when in possession of
Detroit, and Governor Cam was now expected
to do it on behalf of the United States, and
during 8 years he paid out $400,000.
General Macomb wrote in 1821 that he often
detailed soldiers as a guard to protect the
family of Governor Cass from the
importunities of the Indians. In fact, for a
number of years Governor Cass kept open
house and a constant feast on the table for
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio
Indians.
On September 26, 1833, at Chicago, a treaty
was made with the Chippewas, Ottawas, and
Pottawatomies for their removal west of the
Mississippi River. This treaty was
proclaimed February 21, 1835, and thereafter
a large portion of the Indians named were
removed. The Pottawatomies removed under
this treaty are now in Kansas and Oklahoma
territory. The removed Ottawas are at Quapaw
agency, Indian Territory, and some of the
removed Chippewas are in Minnesota. Three
reservations were established in Michigan hi
1854-18557 and some after. The Chippewas,
Ottawas, and Pottawatomies now remaining in
Michigan are citizens.
Michigan
Reservations
Report of Special Agent B. J. Bonine on
the Indians of Michigan.
Names of Indian tribes or parts of tribes,
reservations, and unallotted areas are: (a)
Isabella reservation: Chippewas of Saginaw,
Swan creek, and Black river, area 7,317
acres, or 11,5 Square
14, 1855; treaties of August 2, 1855 (11 U,
S. Stats., p, 633), and of October 18, 1864
(14 U.S. Stats,, p L'Anse reservation:
L'Anse and Vieux do Bert bands of Chippewas
of Lake Superior, area 19,324 acres, or 30
square miles; treaty of September 30, 1854
(10 U. S. Stats., p.1109); the residue,
33,360 acres, allotted.
Ontonagon reservation: Ontonagon band of
Chippewas of Lake Superior, area 678 acres,
or 1 square mile; sixth clause, second
article, treaty of September 30, 1851 (10 U.
S. Stats., p. 1109); executive order,
September 25, 1855; residue, 1,873 acres,
allotted.
Total, 27,319 acres, or 42.5 square miles.
Indian Population June, 1890: 5,624, miles;
executive order, May .657); the residue
allotted.
Isabella Reservation
There are now living on this reservation,
as nearly as could be ascertained, 460
Indians, most of whom are Chippewas. A few
Ottawas and Pottawatomies reside here, but
they are considered members of the tribe and
call themselves Chippewas. The Indians are
scattered in little groups throughout the
different townships, and the Chippewa
dialect is universally spoken. With the
exception of a very few old men and women
they are of mixed blood. All wear citizens'
dress. The civilized Indians are not
polygamists, nor are the pagans avowedly so,
though they profess to believe in the
doctrine. Sixty families own houses, 8 of
which are frame and 52 log, which are for
the most part well built. With these there
is generally a patch of ground upon which
vegetables and corn are raised. Very little,
if any, produce is marketed. There are no
Indian schools, but a majority of the
children attend district schools and are
said to be as bright as ordinary white
children. Twenty-six pupils from this
reservation are now at the Indian school in
Carlisle, Pennsylvania, It is estimated that
50 adults and 100 under 20 years of age can
read. While many of the male Indians can
speak English sufficiently for ordinary use,
they are very suspicious and reticent, and
when questioned about their condition,
habits, and religion they either remain
silent or profess not to understand. They
have 4 churches, worth perhaps $300, 3 of
which are log cabins and the other an old
frame building. The membership is 300,288 of
whom are of the Methodist Episcopal and 12
of the Roman Catholic denomination. The
latter have no church. There are 4
half-breed preachers, who are appointed by
the Methodist Episcopal annual conference,
and the services are conducted in the
Chippewa language.
The tribe is decreasing. The principal
disease is consumption, always attributed to
exposure, want, and disease contracted by
mixing with white men. On being interrogated
as to whether they were not more exposed
when in a savage state, they replied: "Yes
but we were hardier and had never been
taught to wear white men's clothes. Now we
have got used to them, and are often without
enough to cover ourselves, and thus suffer
more than the white man. Besides, we had
many furs".
There have been 10 deaths during the year, 1
adult and 9 children, all in the pagan
settlement.
In the opinion of the nominal chief, Joseph
Bradley, there are 0 white families now
living here unlawfully, cutting timber and
farming in a small way, who claim to occupy
under homestead law. Others have been here,
cut the timber, and moved away. According to
figures given by one of the chief men there
are yet 5,480 acres of land belonging. to
the tribe, distributed as follows:
Nottawa township, 1,200
Denver township, 920
Isabella township, 1,500
Wise township 520
In a remote part of Nottawa township is a
band of pagan Indians consisting of 8
families, in all 32 persons. All are
discontented and miserable. They do a little
work when they can obtain employment at
manual labor, and manage to exist in a
forlorn, hopeless way. They are sickly, and
have no stock except a pair of ponies
belonging to the chief, A-ken-bel, who is
quite intelligent, and who says his people
are willing to work if they could be sure
of' their lands, which he claims the white
men obtained under false pretenses. This is
also the general complaint of the civilized
Indians.
The pagans have festivals and war dances,
during the performance of which they are
dressed in native costumes, which are
carefully preserved for these occasions.
There is a marked difference between the
appearance of the pagan and civilized
Indians, the advantage being greatly with
the latter.
Good John (Naw-gaw-ne-ko-nug) Chippewa
Indian
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J. H.
Cushway and daughter, half-blood
Potawatomie Indians |
Maggie Veebeiassing (full
blood) Maggie Ginebigokive
(half-blood) Maggie Veebeiassing
(full blood) Chippewa Indian
girls |
While the Indians of the
reservation have improved mentally, they
have degenerated physically. A large
majority are entirely improvident, saving
nothing. A few own farms, employ a number of
men, and have horses, cattle, and other
stock. Some are very intelligent and well
educated and own good houses in town and in
the country. The question of morals seems to
be a disputed one, they claiming to possess
a fair share of morality, while their white
neighbors generally do not agree with them
hi this particular. That there is an almost
universal taste for intoxicating liquors
appears to be conceded on all sides. They
are peaceable and honest.
The land of the reservation is generally of
good quality, and if cleared and properly
farmed would be quite productive, but they
have not the capacity for prolonged labor of
ally description. The greater portion say
that they were happier and more prosperous
while under the care of time government than
at present. They are discontented.
L'anse
Reservation
There are 450 Chippewas on
this reservation, and time Chippewa language
is spoken, nearly one-half are of mixed
blood, all wear citizens' chess wholly, and
none are polygamists.
There are 2 missions on the reservation, the
Roman Catholic, situated on the west shore
of the bay, 8 miles from L'Anse village, and
the Methodist Episcopal mission, 3 miles
northeast of the town. With few exceptions
the Indians over 20 years of age can read
their own language, and a great majority
(over seven-eighths) can read English. All
speak English sufficiently for ordinary use.
There are 3 schoolhouses, 1 boarding school
for girls, 1 for boys, and a government
schoolhouse., the latter valued at $800.
There are 52 Indian scholars. The building
for girls is of stone, 4 stories high, 40 by
90 feet in dimensions, with sleeping
accommodations for 65; that for boys is 3
stories high, with an addition, and will
accommodate 75. The dormitories are in
excellent order and well ventilated. There
are here also 57 white children, orphans or
half orphans, who are supported by relatives
or by contributions of the Roman Catholic
churches. Indian and white children
associate together daily.
The children are bright, cleanly, orderly,
and apparently happy. They have a fine
piano, upon which some of the Indian girls
perform in a very creditable manner. All are
taught vocal music. As a general rule they
are too young to be apprenticed, but when
old enough are sent away to learn trades and
other kinds of business. The girls are
thoroughly instructed in housework and
needlework. The scholars are all members of
the church. The church 'edifice is of stone
and cost $6,000, which was donated by
members of the diocese. All are of the Roman
Catholic denomination. The priest reports
that the tribe is increasing at this place
and that Indians here are not taxed, not
having complete titles to their land. The
mission is beautifully located, and the
children appear to be more than ordinarily
intelligent.
At the Methodist mission is 1 government
schoolhouse, which is valued at $500, and
will accommodate 40 scholars. There are 65
Indian children of school age within the
mission precincts. The average attendance is
18; the highest number present for 1 month
during the year, 34. Many will attend school
for a short time, then absent themselves for
a longer or shorter period, and again
return. There is 1 church not belonging to
the government, with 75 Indian members of
the Methodist, denomination.
The Indians at this mission, of whom there
are 270, own 2 frame and 53 log houses, and
have during the past year made 1,000 pounds
of butter and raised 1,200 bushels of
potatoes and 50 tons of hay. They own 15
horses, 1 mule, 60 cattle, and are very
intelligent. The land in general is not
considered very good for farming purposes,
but vegetables, wheat, and grass are of good
quality, if not abundant.
Owing to pledges given by the Indians at
both missions, there is not much drunkenness
among them, although they have strong
appetites for intoxicating liquors.
The government physician states that 200
Indians have received treatment at his hands
during the year, mostly for chronic
troubles. He also reports 12 deaths in the
same period, 2 of old age, 5 of consumption,
4 small children of various complaints, and
I man frozen. There have been 18 births. No
one has been killed and no one punished for
crime during the year.
The males of the tribe work at farming,
lumbering, and quarrying. They also fish,
hunt, and trap. In season both young and
old, male and female, engage in
berry-picking and root-gathering.
According to statements of the most reliable
men, Indian and white, the tribe is
decreasing; causes, death and desertion.
As a whole, they are intelligent, peaceable,
honest, and fairly industrious, though
restless and changeable. They have greatly
improved mentally and have not degenerated
physically. They are generally
self-supporting" but improvident.
Ontonagon Reservation
Indians in this section are
a rarity. There are not more than 5 families
in the section, and these are to all intents
and purposes white people. Their children
attend school and the older ones are married
to whites. All are intelligent and well to
do, and would resent being classified as
Indians. The land allotted to the Indians is
perfectly useless and has never been
occupied by them. The Ontonagons as a band
are extinct. Those who are not dead are
scattered far and wide.
Besides those with indirect relations to the
old reservations, there are groups of
Indians in a number of counties no longer
connected with any reservation or any
special administration of Indian interests.
Mason County, The census enumerators
found 335 Indians, under the name of the
"Ottawa and Chippewa tribe", residing in
Mason County, and the Ottawa dialect is
used. The people wear citizens' dress
wholly, and with the exception of 20 very
old Indians, are of mixed blood. Perhaps 40
over 20 years old and 80 under that age can
read.
A majority of the civilized male Indians can
use English sufficiently for ordinary
intercourse, although a stranger can obtain
but little information from them. They will
answer their minister and teacher readily,
and it is mainly through these that facts
are obtained. Some, however, are intelligent
and educated, and had no hesitancy in
answering. Indian women, as a rule, do not
speak English.
There are 80 Indian voters on the
reservation. They have no Indian school and
no Indian church, but many children attend
district schools, and nearly all, young and
old, are church members, the younger portion
being baptized at a very early age. Three
hundred and fifty are said to be
communicants, by far the. greater number
being of the Roman Catholic faith. The
services are conducted in English, an
interpreter being present, who translates
for the benefit of the Indians. Ninety
families own houses, 10 frame and 80 log,
for the most part neat and comfortable, with
a patch of ground upon which vegetables are
cultivated. The greater number of Indians
follow a variety of callings, sometimes
logging and laboring, then fishing, hunting,
trapping, picking berries, or gathering
roots, according to the season.
Three-fourths of the tribe are at this time
(last of September) in the woods gathering
ginseng root, which commands a good price.
They raise no produce for the market.
The tribe is decreasing rapidly. There are 4
mulattoes, but no Negroes, quadroons, or
octoroons here. There is 1 blind and 1 deaf
and dumb person, but none are crippled,
insane, idiotic, or deformed. Seven deaths
have occurred during the year, 5 of
consumption and 2- of unknown diseases. No
Indians have been killed in the year ended
September 1, 1890, but 1 was murdered in
June, 1889, and a white man is now in prison
for the crime. No whites have been killed
and none are unlawfully on the reservation.
There were originally 4 full townships in
this reservation, but how much now belongs
to the Indians it is difficult to ascertain.
Much of the property is mortgaged, and in
such cases is seldom redeemed. Three-fourths
of the land would be tillable if cleared. It
is thickly timbered and well fitted for
farming purposes. The remainder is now pine
stump land and is not so valuable. The price
is from $10 to $30 per acre, according to
quality and location.
Consumption is the prevailing disease. All
are addicted to liquor drinking, though many
do not indulge to excess. The Indians are
growing weaker physically but better
mentally. They are usually honest, and their
morals are generally good among themselves,
but become bad when mingling with the
whites.
Generally they do not seem to know the first
rudiments of economy. There are of course
some notable exceptions to this rule,
forming, however, a very small minority.
In the deep woods of Sherman Township is a
band of pagan Indians. They number 75
members and have 10 log cabins. A few live
in wigwams. The band is generally unhealthy,
and the children do not attend any school.
The chief claims that they are as happy now
as during the agency system, while a
full-blooded Ottawa, aged 80, thinks the
tribe has not been happier since Mingling
with the whites nor better off than under
the agency. They believe in witchcraft and
worship imaginary gods, each having his own
deity, though all recognize the existence of
a Great Spirit. There are no farmers among
them and no stock whatever. They use their
own medicines and employ no physicians, and
prefer to live by themselves; as far from
civilization as possible, but they receive
some help from the whites. They as well as
some of the civilized Indians think the
government owes the Ottawas and Chippewas a
considerable sum of money.
Oceana County. There were found in
Oceana, County, adjoining Mason County on
the south, 271 Indians whose general
conditions are kindred to those given for
Indians in Mason County.
Huron County.-It was learned that
there were but 8 Indians in the county, 5
males and 3 females, and all of- these,
except 1 old man, were absent from their
homes much of the time. Years ago each
Indian took up 40 acres of land, but during
the war a, large number, afraid of being
drafted, sold their lands and went to
Canada. But few returned, and these, with
the exceptions above named, have disposed of
their property and left for parts unknown.
Geneses County, There are 5 families
of Chippewas in Gaines Township. They are of
mixed blood and own. 100 acres of land and
some horses, dress in citizens clothes and
use the English language, but are not
prosperous. They consider themselves
civilized, but do not belong to any church.
These are all the Indians to be found in
Genesee County.
Saginaw County, There are nearly 100
Chippewas distributed throughout the south
and east corner of Saginaw County, all of
mixed blood, who dress in citizens' clothes.
The males speak sufficient English for
ordinary intercourse. A few own farms and
stock and are prosperous, but the are poorly
off and quite a number receive assistance
from the whites.
The list of Indians by counties at the
beginning of this report on Michigan will
indicate the number in other counties. Their
condition is like that in the counties here
mentioned.
There is a government day school at Baraga,
Baraga County, with an enrollment of 36; a
contract school at Baraga with 49 enrolled;
a government day school at L' Anse with 30
enrolled; a contract school, Harbor Springs
Boarding, at Harbor Springs, Emmet County,
with an enrollment of 107.
General Remarks
Few Indians own cows, even
on the larger farms their absence is
noticeable. These people are not very
industrious and are fond of liquor. They
have no idea of economy and will never
succeed until they have learned to
accumulate and manage property.
The Michigan Indians off reservations are
scattered singly and in groups along the
shores of the Great Lakes, on the banks of
rivers, and in the woods, and it would be
the work of months for any person to visit
even a majority of them. They are poor but
self-sustaining. The greater number of the
Indians on the Isabella reservation are
disheartened and dissatisfied, and in my
opinion it would be better for them if the
government could appoint a just and
impartial man (detail of au army officer
would probably be best) to act as agent
among them, as they have no knowledge of
business matters nor the least comprehension
of their rights.
Compulsory education would be an excellent
thing for all Indians in the state. They
will not now force their children to attend
school regularly, and when those who go to
school return to their homes they soon
relapse into old habits and forget the
lessons that have been taught. Education and
constant good associates are the ways by
which an Indian can best overcome his
natural instinct and become a respectable
citizen.
The Indian children in boarding schools,
where they remain until their education is
completed, of course appear better than
those not having such advantages. Their
tastes are elevated, their ambition is
aroused, and dislike for their old ways is
created, which is seldom eradicated. If the
state or national government would institute
and maintain an industrial school for the
younger Indians in the state, it would be a
great benefit to them.
Observation among Indians in all parts of
the west has led to the belief that it would
be much better for them if the government,
in granting them lands, would give alternate
sections and let white men have the
intervening ones, the sections so allotted
to Indians to be held in trust for a number
of years.
The Indian of old is doomed, and it will be
best for him and the country if his
extinction is accomplished with moral and
mental elevation rather than with partial
starvation and neglect, as is now largely
the case in Michigan.
Condition of the Indian by State, 1890
Notes About the Book:
Source: Report on Indians Taxed and Indians not Taxed in the United States, Except
Alaska at the Eleventh Census: 1890, Department of the Interior, Government
Printing Office, Washington DC., 1894
A
Report to the Secretary of War of the United
States on Indian Affairs, by Rev. Jedidiah
Morse, 1822, Printed by S. Converse
Online Publication: The manuscript was scanned and
then ocr'd. Minimal editing has been done, and readers can and should expect
some errors in the textual output. Several spellings have been used for the same
tribe of Indians.
This site includes some historical materials that may imply negative
stereotypes reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place.
These items are presented as part of the historical record and should not be
interpreted to mean that the WebMasters in any way endorse the stereotypes
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