What you need to know about 3 Native tribes that call Michigan home

November is Native American Heritage Month, so here’s what Michiganders should know about the history of the Indigenous people of Michigan.

The month of November conjures up many of the childhood stories we were told about Native Americans and the English settlers who enjoyed the first Thanksgiving feast, but did you know that the entire month of November is Native American Heritage Month? 

The official website for Native American Heritage Month explains that the month started as turn-of-the-century efforts by influential Native Americans to establish a government-official day of recognition for the contributions of Indigenous peoples. 

What started at the turn of the century as an effort to gain a day of recognition for the significant contributions the first Americans made to the establishment and growth of the U.S. has resulted in a whole month being designated for that purpose. Early efforts resulted in “American Indian” days, but none that were nationally recognized. Today, some states have elected to make what was once known as Columbus Day as Native American Day. However, there is still no nationally recognized official government holiday in honor of the Indigenous people of America. 

Many advocates are still working for an official day of recognition for Indigenous people. In the meantime, in honor of Native American Heritage Month, Michiganders can learn more about the Native tribes that once—and still—call Michigan home. 

Michigan’s Native American History

The Library of Michigan explains that Michigan is a state with one of the richest histories of the Indigenous populations. Due to its central location in the Great Lakes and lush natural resources, Michigan is believed to have been home to Indigenous peoples for over 10,000 years before European settlers arrived in the Americas.

Today, Michigan is still home to 12 federally recognized Indian tribes and is one of the 10 states with the largest existing population of Native Americans. Here’s a closer at some of the Michigan tribes, along with their histories and cultures. 

Ottawa Tribe

• Where they lived: Northern Michigan
• What they did: Farming and trading
• What their name means: “Trader”
• Known for: Trading and birchbark crafting

Spelled “Odawa” in their native language, Ottawa means “trader” and reflects this Indigenous tribe’s affinity for travel and trading. They traded goods and were expert farmers. Like many Native Americans at the time and in the area, Ottawa people lived in wigwams and were expert builders of birchbark canoes, which they used to do a lot of their trading with. 

The Ottawa tribe is especially important to the history of Michigan because you could say this tribe is Michigan. According to the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa Chippewa Indians, the entire state of Michigan was only formed because of U.S. government treaties that established the state from the Ottawa and Chippewa lands. Their site explains that the State of Michigan was established from two lands ceded to the U.S. government in 1837, with the rest of the land reserved for the Indigenous people’s use of hunting, fishing, and gathering. However, in 1855, the U.S. government brought another treaty to the people and requested the remaining third of the land be ceded. 

The Ottawa Tribe largely settled in Northern Michigan along the Grand River and was semi-sedentary. In the summer, they stayed in villages for planting and harvesting (done primarily by women and children) and settled down in the winter with family groups. They spoke Algonquian and traded goods like cornmeal, furs, sunflower oil, mats, tobacco, and medicinal herbs a lot. 

Today, The Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians is a native sovereign nation with most members living in Kent, Muskegon, and Oceana counties. Their official agreements with the federal government can be traced back to 1795, but the tribe has been petitioning for federal recognition for their tribe for over 30 years, with the status still pending. There is also another tribe, the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, that was federally recognized in 1994. Many Ottawa Indians were also deported by the U.S. government to Oklahoma, where descendants still reside. 

According to the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians, their totem is a turtle because the tribe is a “turtle clan” that hibernates for a few months each year and then comes back to life, representing “each of our generations moving forward.”

Ojibway/ Chippewa

• Where they lived: Northern Michigan, some Southern Michigan
• What they did: Fishing
• What their name means: “The Spirit that is lowered from above”
• Known for: Fishing, maple syrup, wild rice harvesting

The Ojibway tribe is also known as the Chippewa tribe (also called Saulteaux by French settlers). They were closely related to and acquainted with the Ottawa Tribe, which was also located in Northern Michigan. The Ojibway lived across what is now Western New York, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota, as well as southern Canadian areas of Quebec and Ontario. Some of the Ojibway Indians also lived in southern Michigan. 

As part of Ojibwe’s oral tradition, the people received a prophecy to travel west to find the “food that grew on water,” so they did, finding wild rice. The tribe was also a part of an alliance among the Odawa and Potawatomi tribes called the Council of the Three Fires. Each tribe played a specific role, and the Ojibwe’s identity was to be the “middle brother” and “keepers of the faith,” which was in line with the Ojibwe’s role in following the prophecy that led them to discover rice. 

Like the Ottawa tribe, the Ojibwe spoke Algonquian. Notably, they are credited with creating the dreamcatcher. The dreamcatcher originated as a way for the “Spider Woman” to catch bad dreams from infants and children in the tribe to protect them. 

Today, the Ojibwe people remain one of the largest tribal populations among Native American peoples in the US. You are also probably familiar with the Saginaw Chippewa tribe, a settlement that happened as a result of a series of treaties with the US government that removed much of Ottawa people’s land until, eventually, individual Tribal members were offered land in Isabella County—many members settled there and have descendants there to this day. 

Potawatomi 

• Where they lived: Southern Michigan
• What they did: Hunted, traded
• What their name means: “Those who tend the fire”
• Known for: Dancing, art, and a deep reverence and spiritual connection with nature and the environment

The Potawatomi’s history is a tragic one—when Michigan became a state in 1837, the Potawatomi were pressured to move west, but the challenging trip killed every 10 out of 500 of their people. As a result of the risks incurred by those traveling, many Potawatomi still in Michigan tried to flee to Northern parts of the state, travel to Canada, or hide in forests and swamps. However, the Indigenous people who tried to hide were rounded up by US soldiers in a forced removal called the “Potawatomi Trail of Death.” Some people refused to leave, and a small group was able to remain in Michigan because they converted to Catholicism. Today, their descendants are the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians.

Before their forced migration, the Potawatomi people lived close to the Chippewa and Odawa tribes. In the Council of the Three Fires, their role was to be “Keeper of the Sacred Fire.”

Check your area

Michigan is home to many different Native American histories, and if you’re curious about the area where you live, you can use the interactive land map created by Native Land Digital, an Indigenous-led nonprofit based in Canada. The map lets you search anywhere in the world by area or you can type in your exact address to see what tribe or tribes were original to your area. 

For instance, I plugged in my address to find out I live in what was once most likely land settled by the Wyandotte Nation, a tribe that lived and traveled through Southeast Michigan. The Wyandotte Nation was formed by members of three unique tribes: Tionontati, Attignawantan, and Wenrohronon (Wenro). These unique and independent tribes united in 1649-50 after being defeated by the Iroquois Confederacy, a larger, powerful Indigenous group of six tribes who took control of larger parts of Northeastern America. 

One of the Wyandotte Nation’s symbols is a willow branch because due to the willow tree’s resilience and ability to survive, they see it as a symbol of the renewal of life. And wouldn’t you know it? I planted a willow tree on our property a few years ago—despite the odds, it is still surviving and I love that there is such a deep connection to the land and the meaning of the tree to this area. Perhaps you’ll discover a new connection or fact about the land you currently make your home on—or, at the very least, learn more about the Indigenous people who stood on the land before you. 

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.