A moment in Beausoleil First Nation history: Remembering June 1

By Waab Shki Makoons (Clayton Samuel King)

BEAUSOLEAIL — For many Indigenous people across the land of so-called Canada, June 1 marks the beginning of Indigenous History Month. During this time, the moon cycle in the month of June is known as Ode’min Giizis (Strawberry Moon).

June 1 is also election day for Beausoleil First Nation (also known as Chimnissing) — the first-time in history that Beausoleil First Nation will be taking part in the First Nations Election Act. June 1 also marks another significant event in the history of Beausoleil First Nation.

In 1916, the small Christian Island community had voted to admit 62 Non-Treaty Anishinabek into their Band. The brief history behind this important day is as follows:

While the Coldwater–Narrows British Government experiment was taking place during the 1830s with the Chippewas of Lakes Huron and Simcoe, President Andrew Jackson’s regime in the United States had carried on their own assimilation policies with their Indian Removal Act and the second Treaty of Chicago. This Act and Treaty saw the forceful displacement of many Anishinaabek and others to places like Oklahoma and Kansas. Also known as the Trail of Tears, many tribal nations experienced suffering, hardship, and death during the long march west over the Mississippi. Even though many were forcefully gathered up for this relocation, many other Anishinabek escaped capture and relied on the promises of their old British allies and sought places of refuge in Upper and Lower Canada.

In Wisconsin, Pottawatomi Chief Ogemahwahjwon escaped the American forces with many of his family and tribesman and crossed over the border at Sault Ste. Marie in the spring of 1835. When translated into English Ogemahwahjwon means Chief of the flowing waters. Ogemahwahjwon was a chief and warrior allied to the British during the War of 1812. Ogemahwahjwon knew the promises of protection that were made to him and his people by the British during the late war. At the Sault, Ogemahwahjwon met up with Indian Agent Thomas Gummersall Anderson. Anderson had directed the Chief to go to Penetanguishene. At Penetanguishene, he was then directed to go to Coldwater where Ojibway Chief John Assance and his people had lived. Chief John Assance invited Ogemahwahjwon into his Band through the adoption process. Two years later, more of Ogemahwahjwon’s people arrived at Coldwater from present-day Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

After the Coldwater Treaty of 1836, the dispersion of the Chippewas of Lakes Huron and Simcoe took place. The Methodist missionaries had failed to convert Ogemahwahjwon and the Pottawatomi into the Christian faith. Because of this non-conversion, members of the Assance Band raised a protest to the government to have Ogemahwahjwon and his people struck off the list of annuity payments from previous treaty agreements. Chief Assance wasn’t in favour of this whatsoever and had loaned Ogemahwahjwon and his band 100£ each year until his death in 1847. The Pottawatomi Chief was then directed by Chief John Assance Jr. to go and secure the Christian Islands. Ogemahwahjwon and his people were the first people to occupy Christian Island since the dispersal of the Wendat in the spring of 1650.

In 1854, a group of Odawa had come to live at Christian Island as well. This group had come from several places around Lake Michigan. There were 45 Odawa in total that Thomas G. Anderson had enumerated in 1856. Anderson stated on the census that this group of Odawa were welcomed by the Assance Band.

After the Assance Band relocated to Christian Island in the late 1850s,  generations of this group of Anishinabek had lived together. For those that married into the Assance Band from these two other Anishinabek Nations, their children were able to receive the benefit of the annual treaty annuities. All others still did not reap any benefit and had to rely on their traditional sustenance, trade, and sometimes, employment, to help make ends meet. Life was hard for these non-Treaty Anishinabek and because of this, many had moved away to Mitaabik, Wasauksing, and Neyaashiingimiing.

In 1911, Christian Island Band member Henry Jackson started to help his Pottawatomi kin begin the process of admittance into the Band. He was able to create an application process for them, where they had also written affidavits of who they were and where their family came from, and if they had ever received annuities or yearly presents from the government. Several other questions were answered in these applications as well. Jackson was also able to hire a lawyer named A.J. Chisholm from London, Ontario, to further the Pottawatomi’s inclusion into the Christian Island Band and to petition the Canadian Government for this inclusion.

On June 1, 1916, a vote took place and passed in favour to admit 62 non-Treaty Anishinabek into the Christian Island Band. The result of this vote was 54-10. Only the males of the Band over the age of 18 were able to vote in this process. The surnames the 62 Anishinabek admitted into membership were King, Sandy, Sunday, Isaac, Mixemong, Toby, Copegog, Monague, and Marks.

It is interesting to note that also on that day, the government tried to get the Christian Island Band to surrender Hope and Beckwith Island. The result of that separate vote was defeated as 48 were against and 36 were in favour for the surrender.