CHAPTER IV.

TREATIES WITH THE INDIANS.

The cause is good when the intent is just. The savages found here, even within the memory of the pioneers, could never be brought within the fold of civilization. Their occupation of the entire Peninsula, at a time when the American cultivators of the soil required it for development, was an outrage on the advancement of that day, almost approaching that existing scandal which renders helpless the European agriculturist of the present time. The United States, acting on the strict principles of just government, determined that he who would cultivate the land should possess it. To carry out this laudable determination, the Indians were informed of the intention of Uncle Samuel, and of the magnificent basis on which that intention was formed. They, of course, like the European aristocracy, wished to hold the people's domain, though their own special title to it was founded, not exactly on the rights of conquest, but rather on that of some dishonorable coup de guerre which resulted in the total annihilation of the original occupiers. Their logic failed. The sons and grandsons of the Revolution could not see precisely where the claims of the red men were founded, and consequently were doubly determined to win for the people that which pertained to them by the laws of right. Lest republican justice should not be observed in every particular, and to prevent the shedding of human blood, the power of moral suasion was brought to bear, an equitable arrangement for the purchase of the lands proposed, and every effort made to deal honestly with the savages.

The Ottawas and Chippewas of Grand river were not neglected. Even before the celebrated treaty of Saginaw was negotiated the attention of the Government was directed to the valley of the Owashtenong. The favorite old Governor Cass and his efficient associate, Solomon Sibley, were commissioned in 1821 to enter a treaty with the Ottawas, Chippewas, and Pottawatomies, and to perfect its negotiation in the fall of that year. This important event in the history of the United States, and particularly in that of the Grand River Valley, took place at Chicago, Aug. 29, 1821. That its provisions may be the better known, and for the purpose of completing this section of the county history, the articles of that treaty are given as follows:

The Ottawa, Chippewa and Pottawatomie nations of Indians cede to the United States all the land comprehended within the following boundaries: Beginning at a point on the south bank of the River St. Joseph, of Lake Michigan, near the Parc aux Vaches, due north from Rum's Village, and running thence south to a

line drawn due east from the southern extreme of Lake Michigan; thence with the said line east to the tract ceded by the Pottawatomies to the United States by the treaty of Fort Meigs in 1817, if the said line should strike the said tract; but if the said line should pass north of the said tract, then such line shall be continued until it strikes the western boundary of the tract ceded to the United. States by the treaty of Detroit in 1807, and from the termination of the said line, following the boundaries of former cessions, to the main branch of the Grand river of Lake Michigan, should any of the said lines cross the said river; but if none of the said lines should cross the said river, then to a point due east of the source of the said main branch of the said river, and from such point due west to the source of the said principal branch, and from the crossing of the said river, or from the source thereof, as the case may be, down the said river, on the north bank thereof, to the mouth; thence following the shore of Lake Michigan to the south bank of the said River St. Joseph, at the mouth thereof, and thence with the said south bank to the place of beginning.

From this cession there shall be reserved, for the use of the Indians, the following tracts:

One tract at Mang-ach-qua Village, on the River Peble, of six miles square: one tract at Mick-ke-saw-be, of six miles square; one tract at the village of Nato-wa-se-pe, of four miles square; one tract at the village of Prairie Ronde, of three miles square; one tract at the village of Match-e-be-narh-she-wish, at the head of the Kelkamazoo river.

There shall be granted by the United States to each of the following persons, being all Indians by descent, and to their heirs, the following tracts of land: To John Burnett, two sections of land; to James Burnett, Abraham Burnett, Rebecca Burnett, and Nancy Burnett, each one section of land, which said John, James, Abraham, Rebecca and Nancy are children of Kaw-ke-me, sister of Topni-be, principal chief of the Pottawatomie nation. The land granted to the persons immediately preceding, shall begin on the north bank of the River St. Joseph, about two miles from the mouth, and shall extend up and back from the said river for quantity.

To John B. La Lime, son of Noke-no-qua, one-half of a section of land adjoining the tract before granted, and on the upper side thereof; to Jean B. Chaudonai, son of Chip-pe-wa-qua, two sections of land on the River St. Joseph, above and adjoining the tract granted to J. B. La Lime; to Joseph Daze, son of Chippe-wa-qua, one section of land above and adjoining the tract granted to Jean B. Chaudonai; to Monguago, one-half of a section of land, at Mish-she-wa-ko-kink; to Pierre Moran or Peeresh, a Pottawatomie chief, one section of land, and to his children two sections of land, at the mouth of Elk-heart river; to Pierre La Clerc, son of Moi-qua, one section of land on the Elk-heart river, above and adjoining the tract granted to Moran and his children.

The section of land granted by the treaty of St. Mary's, in 1818, to Peeresh, or Perig, shall be granted to Jean B. Cicot, son of Pe-say-quot, sister of the said Peeresh, it having been so intended at the execution of the said treaty.

To O-sh-ak-ke-be, or Benac, one-half of a section of land on the north side of the Elk-heart river, where the road from Chicago to Fort Wayne first cros-es the said river; to The.esa Chandler, or To--ak-qui, a Pottawatomie woman; and to her daughter, Betsy Fisher, one section of land on the south side of the Grand river, opposite to the Spruce swamp; to Me-naw-che, a Pottawatomie woman, one-half of a section of land on the eastern bank of the St. Joseph, where the road from Chicago to Detroit first crosses the said river; to Charles Beaubien and Medart Beaubien, sons of Man-na-ben-a-qua, each one-half of a section of land near the village of Ke-wi-go-shkeem, on the Washtenaw river; to Antoine Roland, son of l-gat-pat-a-wat-a-mie-qua, one-half of a section of land adjoining and below the tract granted to Pierre Moran; to William Knaggs, or Wis-es-kuk-son, son of Chesqua, one-half of a section of land adjoining and below the tract granted to Antoine Roland; to Madeline Bertrand, wife of Joseph Bertrand, a Pott iwatomie woman, one section of land at the Parc aux Vaches, on the north side of the River St. Joseph; to Joseph Bertrand, junior, Benjamin Bertrand, Laurent Bertrand, Theresa Bertrand, and Amable Bertrand, children of the said Madeline Bertrand, each one-half of a section of land at the portage of the Kankakee river; to John Riley, son of Me-naw-cum-a-go-qui, one section of land, at the mouth of the river Au Foin, on the Grand river, and extending down the said river; to Peter Riley, son of Me-naw-cum-e-go-qua, one section of land at the mouth of the river Au Foin, on the Grand river, and extending down the said river; to Jean B. LeClerc,

son of Moi-qua, one-half of a section of land above and adjoining the tract granted to Pierre La Clerc; to Joseph La Framboise, son of Shaw-we-no-qua, one section of land upon the south side of the River St. Joseph, and adjoining on the upper side the land ceded to the United States, which said section is also ceded to the United States.

The tracts of land herein stipulated to be granted, shall never be leased or conveyed by the grantees or their heirs to any persons whatever, without the permission of the President of the United States. And such tracts shall be located after the said cession is surveyed, and in conformity with such surveys as near as may be, and in such manner as the President may direct.

In consideration of the cession aforesaid, the United States engage to pay to the Ottawa nation, one thousand dollars in specie annually forever; and also to appropriate annually, for the term of 10 years, the sum of fifteen hundred dollars, to be expended as the President may direct, in the support of a blacksmith, of a teacher, and of a person to instruct the Ottawas in agriculture, and in the purchase of cattle and farming utensils. And the United States also engage to pay to the Pottawatomie nation five thousand dollars in specie annually, for the term of 20 years, and also to appropriate annually, for the term of 15 years, the sum of one thousand dollars, to be expended as the President may direct, in the support of a blacksmith and a teacher. And one mile square shall be selected, under the direction of the President, on the north side of the Grand river, and one mile square on the south side of the St. Joseph, and within the Indian lands not ceded, upon which the blacksmiths and teachers employed for the said tribes, respectively, shall reside.

The stipulation contained in the treaty of Greenville, relative to the right of the Indians to hunt upon the land ceded while it continues the property of the United States, shall apply to this treaty.

The United States shall have the privilege of making and using a road through the Indian country, from Detroit and Fort Wayne, respectively, to Chicago.

This treaty shall take effect and be obligatory on the contracting parties so soon as the same shall be ratified by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate thereof.

In testimony whereof, the said Lewis Cass and Solomon Sibley, Commissioners as aforesaid, and the chiefs and warriors of the said Ottawa, Chippewa, and Pottawatomie nations, have hereunto set their hands, at Chicago aforesaid, this 29th day of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty

In presence of Alex. Wolcott, jr., Indian Agent; John R. Williams, Adj. Gen. ; Gabriel Godfroy, Indian Agent; W. Knaggs, Indian Agent; Jacob Visger; Henry I. Hunt; H. Phillips, Paymaster, U. S. Army; R. Montgomery; Jacob B. Varnum, U. S. Factor; John B. Beaubien; Conrad Ten Eyck; J. Whippley; George Miles, jun.; Henry Connor; James Barnerd; John Kinzie, Sub-Agent.

The tract reserved at the village of Match-e-be-nash-she-wish, at the head of the Ke-kal-i-ma-zoo river, was by agreement to be three miles square. The extent of he reservation was accidentally omitted.

LEWIS CASS,
SOLOMON SIBLEY.

The treaty negotiated at Chicago in 1833 did not deal particularly with the Indians of Grand Rapids, and consequently is not introduced here.

TREATY OF 1836.

The lands belonging to the Ottawas and Otchipwes north of Grand river were subsequently ceded to the United States by the treaty of Washington perfected March 28, 1836. The provisions of this arrangement are thus summarized:

First, the Ottawa and Chippewa nations cede to the United States all the country from a point beginning at the mouth of Grand river of Michigan on the north bank, and following up the same to the line called for in the first article of the treaty of Chicago, Aug. 29, 1821; thence, in a direct line, to the head of Thunder Bay river; thence with the line established by the treaty of Saginaw, Sept. 24, 1819, to the mouth of that river; thence northeast to the boundary line in Lake Huron between the United States and the British Province of Upper Canada; thence northwestwardly, following the said line as established by the treaty of Ghent, through the straits and St. Mary's river, to a point in Lake Superior, north of the mouth of Gitchy Seebing, or Chocolate river; thence south to the mouth of said river, and up its channel to the source thereof; thence in a direct line to the head of the Skonawba Sibi of Green bay; thence down the south bank of that river to its estuary; thence in a direct line through the ship channel in Green bay to the outer part thereof; thence south to a point in Lake Michigan west of the north cape or entrance of Grand river, and thence east to the place of beginning, at the said cape, comprehending all the lands and islands within these limits, not including the following reservations: 50,000 acres on Little Traverse bay; 20,000 acres on the north shore of Grand Traverse bay; 70,000 acres on the north of the Pere Marquette river; 1,000 acres to be located by Chingassanoo, or Big Sail, on the Cheboygan river; 1,000 acres to be located by Mujeekewis on Thunder Bay river; six square miles on the north shore of Michilimackinac, between Point-au-barbe and Mille Coguin river; the Beaver island, Round island opposite Michilimackinac, the island of the Chenos, Sugar island and islets in St. Mary's river; 640 acres at the mission of Little Rapids, a tract of land at the mouth of the Pississowinning river; 640 acres on Grand island; 2,000 acres on the main land south of it; 1,280

acres at the northern extremity of Green bay, together with the reservation at St. Mary's, named in the treaty of St. Mary's, June 16, 1820.

In consideration of relinquishing all claims to these lands, the United States Government agreed to pay the Indians, between Grand river and the Cheboygan, $18,000 annually for 20 years; to the Indians on the Huron shore, $3,600 for the same term, and $7,400 to the Chippewas north of the straits of Michilmackinac, and $1,000 to be invested by the Treasury in stock, A sum of $5,000 was appropriated to be expended annually for 20 years in providing teachers, books in the native languag, schoolhouses; $3,000 per annum for mission purposes; $10,000 for agricultural implements, cattle, mechanics' tools, and such other articles as the President may deem necessary; $300 per annum for vaccine and medicines; doctors' fees to be continued while the Indians remain on their reservations. Provisions to the amount of $2,000 with 6,500 pounds of tobacco, 100 barrels of salt, and 500, fish barrels annually for 20 years; $150,000 worth of goods and provisions to be delivered at Michilimackinac on theratification of the treaty.

Together with all those liberal allowances, a sum of $300,000 was appropriated to pay off all the just depts of the Indians, and $150,000 to provide for the half-breed relatives of the Indians resident within the lands purchased in the year 1876. Under the treaty the Government agreed to appointed two additional blacksmiths, one for the Sault Ste. Marie reservation, and one for the reservation at the rapids of Grand river, to build a dormitory for visiting Indians, and send two agriculturists and assistants to teach the Indians at each of those posts.

It was agreed at the making of the treaty of Washington that as soon as the Indians desire it, a deputation shall be sent west of the Missippi, and to the country between Lake Superior and the great river, to locate reservations. Such improvements as add valne to the lands in Michigan, ceded under the treaty, shall be appraised, and the amount paid to the proper Indian; but in no case shall such a payment be made or assigned to a white man. The mission establishments upon Grand river shall be appraised, and the value be paid to the proper boards. It was further provided, that when the Indians would wish to be removed to the reserves west of the Mississippi, the Government shall provide them with transports, furnish a year's subsistence and supply the same articles and equipments to each person as promised to the Pottawatomies in the last treaty of cession, made at Chicago in 1833.

HALF-BREED RESERVATIONS.

It appears that both Ottawas and Chippewas desired to show their gratitude to many of their half-breeds on Grand river, for services rendered, and granted them various parcels of land. This