Vacation to Ashland 2012

We decided to travel back up to Ashland WI this summer for our vacation.  We love the view of the Chequamegon Bay from the hotel we stay at (River Rock Inn) and of course we visit Odanah (Bad River Rez) and the town of Barnes.

We started out on Sunday morining.  It is always a challenge to pack the van and fit the girls comfortably in, but thanks to our 9 yr old Anna's packing skills we were able to work it out.  The trip to Ashland WI takes abour 4.5 hours from Oshkosh.

We had a few goals for this trip:
1.  Visit the Bad River rez, see the cemetary there, drop off some books for the head start program and of course spend time with Paul's cousin Stephanie.

Of this...we did all but see the cemetary.

Beautiful Chequamegon Bay

Margaret, Stephanie and Anna

2. Visit the Ashland County Land office

Paul and I wanted to find out how Martha Woods land allottment that she applied for actually changed hands in ownership.  We found out that the land was actually allotted to another person after the BIA stated there was no land left to allot.  Very interesting....

This very nice man helped us research the very old land records.

3.  Visit Madeline Island

We did do this.  We took the ferry over to the island and viewed the museum, the beaches and also an Indian burial ground where Chief Buffalo is burried.

Beautiful scenery driving to Bayfield to take the ferry.

Madeline Island Ferry

At the Madeline Island Museum - wigwam

4. Drive to Baraga MI to visit the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community...

We didn't quite make it there...but our detour turned out to be quite special.  We ended up visiting Stephanie at the Bad River tribal offices and had the opportunity to meet an elder of the tribe.  We offered him tobacco and asked if he could give Paul, Margaret and Anna Ojibwa names.  The elder kindly named all of us (even me!) and told us the importance of the names and how the Ojibwa culture takes a naming ceremony very serioiusly and with the name comes great responsibility to live up to that name.

Paul was named Wabijiishey (White Fisher and also after his ancestor Chief Waubojeeg)

Margaret was named Mijawkweniigiijigokwe (medicine, sky woman)

Anna was named Miskwaniigiijigokwe (red sky or clear sky woman)

I was named Jingkwak (spruce tree - sturdy, strength)

Tradition says that we choose 4 Weh'ays (sponsors) and have a feast for the naming.  We plan to do this the weekend of the Bad River Manomin Powwow.

Paul at the Bad River Historical Preservation Office

5.  Spend the 4th of July at the town of Barnes

We drove to Barnes early that morning to meet Paul's cousins Fred (Fritz) and Jeanne Barnes.  We started the morning out with a delicius pancake breakfast.  Then we headed to the Barnes cemetary to see some of the Barnes family plots.  The town threw a great parade with candy and water fights (which was great with temps almost at 100 degrees).  We then went back to Fred and Jeanne's home to swim in the lake and have a very enjoyable visit talking about family history.

It was very foggy the morning we drove to Barnes, but very beautiful.

Barnes Parade

6.  Ashland Fireworks

This is always cool to see over the Chequamegon Bay.  They start out with the town fire trucks blaring sirens (known as the "Fire Run")

Look at that one!

Heading home the next morning was bitter-sweet.  It is always nice to come home but always hard to leave the beautiful Northwoods and Chequamegon Bay.  We will be back in August!

Our Daughters Dancing at School

The following is a newspaper article from the Oshkosh Northwestern...

Sounds of a drum reverberated Tuesday afternoon at St. John Neumann Middle School in Oshkosh. There was an educational theme for the noise during a one-hour drum circle and Jingle Dress Dance demonstration in the school gym as part of Native American Heritage Month.

Margaret Berger, a sixth grader at Neumann and her sister, Anna, a third grader at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Elementary School, were among the star attractions. The two wore American Indian regalia as they performed the Jingle Dress Dance, which is a ceremonial healing dance where participants focus on a family member or friend who is ailing. "It's fun because I put on an outfit and dance," Margaret Berger said.

Their regalia included 80 to 90 small tobacco can lids curled up in the shape of cones and attached to their dress. The jingle creates noise for healing and prayer. "The sound of the jingle is good medicine," said Margaret and Anna's mother, Dana Berger, who helped arrange the demonstration at St. John Neumann.

The demonstration was presented through the Fox Valley Men's Circle in partnership with American Indian Services of the Fox Valley. Berger said her daughters have been practicing the Jingle Dress Dance since this summer after the family found out they have American Indian relatives. She said the great-grandmother of her husband, Paul, spent part of her life in the Bad River Lake Superior Band of Chippewa Reservation in northern Wisconsin.

Berger said the demonstration, where her daughters did the Jingle Dress Dance around the drum circle, was a good cultural experience for St. John Neumann students. "They learn about Native Americans in their history books, but don't get to experience it first hand, so this is a good way to introduce them to it," she said.

The demonstration included the opportunity for St. John Neumann students to join in on the fun with a two-step to end the gathering. Students formed pairs for the dance. Sixth grader Riley Edwards said he enjoyed the experience. "I think it was pretty fun to dance with all of my friends," he said.

Dana Berger said the drum circle was presented free of charge at St. John Neumann. She said The Oneida Nation has provided a grant for presentations this month at Seton, including lessons last week in how to play lacrosse and an upcoming session on drumming, singing and dancing on November 28. "Any school can apply for a grant to have performers come through the Oneida tribe," Dana Berger said.

Our daughters are learning the dance...

This summer Margaret and Anna decided they would like to learn more about Jingle Dress dancing. A friend of the family (through Paul's aunt) was nice enough to meet with our girls and teach them about the history of the dance and also the basic dance steps.

A few weeks later, they practiced their dance at the Bad River Powwow. (see photo) It has been a wonderful experience for them, to learn more about the Ojibwa traditions of dancing, ceremonies and celebrations.

Sault Ste Marie Vacation

We had a pleasant vacation at Sault Ste Marie. We really enjoyed visiting the Johnston home. it doesn't look like much in the pictures but it was really neat to look at all the family artifacts. Above, is a picture of Ozhaguscodaywayquay's maple sugar mold. After her husband died, she made her living by making thousands of pounds of maple sugar each year from the maple trees on Sugar Island.

John Johnston's trading room - or at least the information about his booming trade business.

Obviously - the bedroom. There is a stairwaay that leads to the upstairs but currently not open (safe) to go up. I believe the Chippewa Historical Society is talking about making repairs to be able to view the upstairs next year.

Kitchen area - notice the crumbling fireplace / stove pipe hole in the wall. Interestingly, Ozhaguscodaywayquay refused to use the stove her husband bought for her. She said in the warm weather she cooks outside and when it's cold - over an open fire. So the new stove sat outside and rusted. She was considered to be a gracious and charming host. She never spoke English - only Ojibwe - but she understood English and French as well.

Some of the Johnston's dishes and such. John brought home his mother's china from Ireland for his wife to use. When people traveled to the Sault many years ago it was almost a "must" to visit the Johnston home. They were gracious hosts. In the day...John was making the equivalent of $650K per year (in today's dollars) with his lucrative trade business.

Staue of Ozhaguscodaywayquay in her garden. The garden looks a little rough but I guess plans are being made to beautify it a little. She encouraged visitors and travelers to bring her plants and seeds from all over so she had a great variety in her garden. We may need to send a WI native plant for her garden project. The owl on her shoulder represents her father Chief Waubojeeg (he always put a wooden owl outside his wigwam when he was home) and the fisher by her feet represents her father as well. Waubojeeg means white fisher in Ojibwa.

More From Martha's 1912 Northland College Yearbook...

Any information that we find about Martha's life or personality is fascinating to me. Here is another excerpt taken from her yearbook at Northland College:

MARTHA WOOD. "Her voice was ever soft and low, an excellent thing in woman." - "Martie" left her Odanah wigwam in 1907 and has been with us ever since. Her victories are numerous, being found especially in dramatics, debating, and English work. Her literary activities have made an enviable position for her, as testified by the number of her stories which find their way into "Student Life" and Annual. Her stumbling block is to be found in Mathematics. Martha, as president of the Senior Class, has succeeded in safely piloting that body past the dangers which so plentifully beset them.

The photo on this page is taken from a group shot of fellow editors of "Northland Student Life."

A Mohave Legend In The Ojibwa Tongue (Retold and Written by: Great Grandma Martha H. Wood - Barnes

Last year I wrote Northland College and asked if they had any old yearbooks from 1912 when G Grandma Martha graduated (pictured -I am amazed at how much she looks like our daughter Margaret). Surprisingly they did and in it was a Native American Legend written by her. Whether this story is truly a legend or was created by Martha, I do not know:

A MOHAVE LEGEND IN THE OJIBWA TONGUE

(As was told to me by the half-breed Indian trader who hath visited many encampments, who knoweth many tribes of men and who can speak in many tongues).

And now in the moon of the strawberries was there great feasting and rejoicing in the lodge of Chief Soan-ga-te-ha, for Gitchee Manitou, the mighty, had sent him a son from the clouds of white hazy mists and shadowy shapes and naked souls.

And there was great cause for this dancing and feasting for Ge-bod-is, the other only son of Soan-ga-te-ha, had died in infancy, and Ahnnung, the starry eyed daughter had left home, to dwell in the far city with her paleface husband. Soan-ga-te-ha mourned that his line should die; for he had no son to succeed him as chief. His father and his father's fathers had been chiefs ever since the world was young and green and the Great Father of all had planted the red man upon it to hunt and fish. Now was all the earth changed, he had a son. His eyes were filled with the lustre of his dreams he had of the future glory of his papoose. The face of his wife Gesa was illuminated again as in those old days when he first brought her to his lodge from the wigwam of her father.
Wa-wa-te-se they called the boy. He grew up tall and straight and of all the young men of the tribe he was the most proficient in all the feats and games. But in his heart there was a spark of cruelty which smouldered, fiercely against the palefaces. The people in the neighboring settlements suffered at his hands and the whole tribe was censured and persecuted by the whites. The tribal council assembled and it was agreed that Wa-wa-te-se should forfeit his life for the many he had taken. Heart-broken though he was, Soan-ge-te-ha gave the word that meant death to his son, his own flesh, his own blood, his own beloved, wild Wa-wa te-se.

In the dark funeral days which followed Gesa mourned and would not be comforted.

"You let paleface have Ahnnung; you let medicine man kill Gesa's son; you make Gesa's heart to bleed. She hate you, she no live with you no more. She go back to her father's wigwam."
Soan-ga-te-ha would not let her go. He clung to old Gesa wanting comfort, but her heart was hurt and sore. One night, she sought to kill Soan-ga-te-ha and another night the medicine man. Then Soan-ga-te-ha sat by the fire and pondered long. If Gesa did not love him, what use was it to keep her? Love was the law of life and Gesa did not love him anymore. When she arose, sullen, heavy-eyed the next morning, he told her she could go. His heart was heavy as a mountain when he saw her walk down the path that led from him.

From this time on, did Soan-ga-te-ha sit before the fire and dream and think. Then one day a trader came to the door of his lodge. He brought with him a little boy, a boy with great black eyes and yellow hair. The chief gazed at him long and then said, "Soan-ga-te-ha knows him; yet he knows him not. Ah he has it! The boy is flesh of his flesh, blood of his blood, bone of his bone. The heart of Soan-ga-te-ha mourns for his own and already it loves the boy who's eyes sparkle like Ahnnung's."

"You are right" explained the trader "the boy is Ahnnung's own. She and her husband were killed in a railroad wreck and the boy has been sent to you."

"I take him? - I keep him?"

"Yes, he is yours. No one else can claim him."

The days that followed were very happy ones for Soan-ga-te-he. Gesa, hearing of the coming of the boy returned home and they called the child Opechee, which means "robin" in the Ojibwa tongue. he truly was a little wild woodland bird. The forest awoke that Indian love of the wild in him which would have been dormant all his days had he dwelt in the city.

Gesa fashioned for Opechee moccassins, leggings and pouches wondrously wrought with beads of cream color, and bright colored porcupine quills and downy furs. Soan ga-ta-ha defty made a bow and many arrows for him. he taught him, even as a child, to fish and hunt and swim and run and dance and fight. He also told him may strange and beautiful tales of the Great Master of life. So Opechee, little wild bird, grew to love the old Grandmother and Grandfather and grew to love all his people and woods wherein they dwelt.

One day the sheriff from the neighboring village appeared with an unknown paleface. The sheriff was blunt, "Chief, we have come seeking the boy. We want to take him with us."

"Soan-ga-te-ha not let him go. Opechee stay here always. By and by, him be chief."

"The law won't let you, Chief. This man here, is the boy's uncle, understand Chief?"

Almost fiercly Soan-ga-te-ha turned to the stranger, "You love him, you?"

"As much as it will be possible to love an Indian brat. I have plenty of money to support him, if that is your idea of love. It's one that works well with most of us."

Paying no heed to this insolent talk, the old Indian addressed the boy. "What you say Opechee? You want to stay here with your chief or go away with big paleface?"

"Me stay here, here always!" and the little fellow clung almost crying to his grandfather.

"What? Opechee cry! Opechee is no papoose, no paleface baby, he Indian brave. Indian brave no cry," admonished Soan-ga-te-he.

"Me cry no more. Me no good brave if I cry."

"Does Opechee love his chief and is willing to obey him?"

The square little shoulders grew squarer. "Yes."

"Your chief commands you to go away from him with the paleface man."
The sheriff and the uncle looked on wonderingly as the little fellow quietly walked over and put his hand in that of his uncle.

Many, many moons waned. Soan-ga te-ha dragged out his long, strong life. The old fire was gone from his bosom. Gesa was dead and he was alone. The bitter thought that always was with him was that his line was dead, that he has no one to succeed him. Then came upon the feebleness of years. The medicine man said that soon his spirit would hear the call of the Great Spirit and would be still. Already the young tribesmen strove in feats and contests hoping to be chief.
One afternoon Soan-ga-te-ha's life was wavering and his soul longed to be free, yet hardly dared to go and face his ancestors without leaving behind him one of his own blood for chief. He lay on his couch quiet and tense; but his spirit was writhing. The curtain in the doorway was lifted and a great, tall, bronzed man with black eyes and gold-glinted hair entered and fell on his knees before the bed of Soan-ga-te-ha.

"Oh chief, my chief, now am I come to do that which you dreamed of, to lead my people and your line will not be extinguished, my chief.

And with great joy on his seamed, leathery face, the pinnioned soul of Soan-ga-te-ha broke away from the holdings of the flesh and passed into the spirit land, the happy hunting ground, here to dwell with his fathers and his father's fathers until the day when the Son of Man, would descend from the clouds and call the tribes of men together.

M.H.W.

The Man of the House is Home!

In the book Harps Upon the Willows there mentions the story of how Chief Waubojeeg's wigwam had a post outside the entrance in which the family would place a carved owl on top of whenever Waubojeeg was home. My husband liked that part of the story, so today when I was at Goodwill, I found a smaller-sized wooden owl and purchased it for him.

Now Paul puts the owl in the window sill when he is home....quite humorous. (see picture)

desCarreaux and St Arnold

Mary desCarreaux married Eloi (Edward) St Arnold I believe in MN. They moved back to the LaPointe area in WI and had Marguerite, Margaritha, Madeline, Henricus and Edwardus.

We know very little about the St Arnolds other than they were in MI at one point and moved to LaPointe. Marguerite (next in line in the family tree) married August Bachand from MI which is where the L'Anse / Keweenaw Bay Tribal history comes in.

Marguerite (Margaret) and August Bachand had six children: Esther, Virginia, James, Edward, Nancy and Ivy. What is more interesting is ALL of these children ended up moving back to Ashland (Bad River) Odanah and died there as well. Nancy Bachand (b1870) would be Paul's G, G, Grandmother. I wish we had picture of Nancy. We think that maybe she is in an old photo of Hotel Murray in Odanah WI on the balcony - but this is only speculation. I would LOVE to see what she looked like because our daughter Margaret looks almost identical to Nancy's daughter Martha Wood (Paul's G Grandmother). I will post a picture comparison in the next couple days.

Waubojeeg's Unknown Daughter

I realize this post is a bit of a repeat - but it puts us back into Paul's direct lineage. I will pick up from where I had left off....

So it is noted that Chief Waubojeeg had 6 children...one of them with a name that is not known. It only figures that this would be the daughter that links into my husband's direct lineage.

This particular daughter married Francios desCarreaux a French fur trader. They married somewhere between Bayfield and Ashland and moved to Leech Lake MN to raise their family. We have a little information regarding Francios from a military journal by Alexander Henry and states the following:

"18, May 1804. One of my men Mr. Hesse, arrived from Red Lake in 13 days bringing 12 kegs of suagr and a few beaver skins. One of my men Des Carreaux was shot in the thigh by an Indian. The shot was intended for Mr. Cotten."

Francios and "Unknown Daughter of Waubojeeg" had 4 children: Susan, Marguerite, Henry and Mary. Francios' wife died shortly after the birth of Mary. Francios died at Leech Lake in 1816 and it was his wish they attend a mission school. All of the childred did except for the baby, Mary who was secreted away by her Grandmother up the Bad River to live with her Native people.

It is a matter of record that Chief Waubojeeg insisted that his daughters who married white men be married in the Roman Catholic church, but so far the Des Carreaux marriage record has not been found.

Planning our July road trip...

So this July we will be taking a little historical roadtrip to visit some more of Paul's ancestral stomping grounds. First stop...Sault Ste. Marie...

We know that Ozhahguscodaywayquay married John Johnston and they built their life in Sault Ste. Marie. Their home still stands so we plan to see it! (see photo) I believe that Jane Johnston Schoolcraft's (Henry R Schoolcraft) home is on the historical register as well. I am sure their local museum will have some great info as well. We also plan to stay at the Kewadin Hotel and see the Saulte Tribe Powwow.

From there we will travel to Baraga MI to the Keweenaw Bay area. Paul's Great Grandma was born there at the Keweenaw Bay Indian Reservation and her mother was awarded an allotment there as well. Unfortunately, enrollment with this tribe is not an option either because you need to be 1/4 Superior Chippewa blood. There also is a historical society and museum which will research birth records and such. A walk through the Pinery Indian Cemetary and a drive through the rez will be interesting too.

Lastly we will travel to Ashland to visit the Barnes family and of course Bad River. It will be a lot of driving and a long week but as long as we stay at hotels with a pool, the girls will be happy!

Ozhahguscodaywayquay (Woman of the Green Glade

Upon further research of Chief Waubojeeg's family, I came across many books and references made regarding his daughter Ozhahguscodaywayquay (see photo). She married the fur trader John Johnston in 1792 (who gave her the name Susan) only after an agreement was made by her father (Chief Waubojeeg). Ozahahguscodaywayquay was not happy with the arranged marriage and wanted nothing to do with Johnston. She ran back home only to be beaten with a stick by her father and sent back to her husband.

Fortunately, their marriage did end up a happy one and blessed with many children, one being Bamewawagezihkaquay (The Sound the Stars Make Rushing Through the Sky) or otherwise known as Jane Johnston who married Henry Rowe Schoolcraft. Schoolcraft is known for his historical writings of the Native Americans in the Great Lakes areas. Some of the many books regearding the Johnston family are:

• Woman of the Green Glade (Soetebier)


• The Sound the Stars Make Rushing Through the Sky (Parker)


• The Invasion (Lewis)


• Harps Upon the Willows (Brazer)

Even more interetsting is that Henry Schoolcraft's writings and Jane's writings were used as the basis for Longfellow's famous poem Hiawatha.

Ozahahguscodawwayquay would be my husband's 6th generation Aunt and her daughter Jane a cousin....truly amazing.

The French Connection

Waubojeeg's daughter, whose name is not known, married a French fur trader Francios DesCarreaux about 1800. They had 4 children: Susan Ogeememaqua (The Chief Woman) who married Ambrose Davenport Jr.; Marguerite who married a Mr LaPointe of Odanah, WI; Mary who married Edward St. Arnaud (St. Arnold) of Canada and Henry who took the name Blatchford after his sponsor by that name after being enrolled in a mission school on Mackinac Island.

Francios DesCarreaux, after serving in the French Army, came to MN to become a fur trader and settled in the Leech Lake, Red Lake and Sandy Lake areas of MN. It is probable that he was born around 1750 and came to MN in the 1790s. Two of DesCarreaux's daughters maintained a French connection by marrying French men (see above).

Mary was the only one of the 4 children who did not receive a formal education. It is told that before her father died he expressed his wish of having the children educated at a mission school in Mackinac Island. However, after the death of Mary's mother, her maternal grandmother wanting to bring her up in the ways of her people had secreted her away in a canoe up the Bad River.

After marrying Edward St Arnold, they had 10 children (5 girls and 5 boys). After her father's death in 1818, Marguerite, Susan and Henry were sent to the Presbyterian Mission school as their father had wished. Henry was 13 at the time and reported as being a good student. He was called upon by the board and the president Rev. Henry Blatchford adopted him and was given the name Blatchford. He retained this name for the rest of his life. Later, Henry went to a mission at Bad River. He later died there at the age of 93 after nearly a century of service.

Let's start at the beginning...

When the Ojibwa first came to Chequamegon Bay, Lake Superior and established a village at Lapointe, Wisconsin they were considered intruders by the Sauk, Fox and Mdwekatan Souix. Tribal wars were common until peace was negotiated around 1700. At this time Wabasha (a Dakota Souix) took an Ojibwa woman for a wife. They had two sons Omigaundib and Wabasha. It was inevitable that peace would not last so they thought it best that the children stay with their father.

Years later upon returning to her people(his wife) in Chequamagon (LaPointe), she became the wife of of a man named Noka or Nokay. They had a son named Big Foot "Loons Foot" Mamongazida around the year 1727. It seems that the two cheifs (Noka and Wabasha) maintained a friendly relationship but their young warriors did not. The 2 young sons did manage to visit their mother in LaPointe periodically and were able to form a bond with their half brother Big Foot.

Mamongazida was a boy (abt 9) when the Souix Massacre at Fort Charles (Lake of the Woods) occured. After this massacre the Ojibwa formed an alliance with the Cree, Assiniboine, and attacked Dakota villages at Lake Pepin. The French traders tried to halt the fighting at LaPointe but the Ojibwa and Dakota would not listen. The northern MN Ojibwa and Souix wars continued for 40 years! And so it was that Mamongazida learned to be a warrior in his formative years.

We know that about 1747 Mamongazida married an Ojibwa woman Wenona because a son, Waubojeeg (White Fisher) - was born about that time.

In 1768 Big Foot, who wasn't fond of the British, was asked to go to Sir William Johnston in NY to ask that a trader reside amongst them. Reluctantly he went and to his surprise, was received well (Johnston, no doubt, had Lake Superior copper on his mind). He was even presented with a Waumpum belt of peace.

"The warfare that Big Foot engaged in early initiated his young son,
Waubojeeg, in the arts and ceremonies of war. With eager interest he
listened to his elder's war stories and songs and longed for a time when he would be old enough to participate. He learned early the arts of hunting, abstinence, suffering, danger, endurance and fatigue. He grew up to be an impressive young man, tall (6'6"), erect in carriage and slender in make. A commanding person with full, black, piercing eyes and the usual features of his countrymen. To these attractions he united an early reputation for bravery and skill at the chase, and at age 23 was already a war leader with the Chequamegon band."
(taken from Schoolcraft's book)

It was in the late 1770s that the Dakota, Souix and Fox were defeated by the Ojibwa under the leadership of Waubojeeg. Also around this time, John Sawyer, a 26 year old free trader came into the picture. He later married Mamongazida's daughter, Obemau Unoqua. Mamongazida died around 1790 and Waubojeeg took over as hereditary chief.

Waubojeeg has also married (2xs) his second wife being Misquobonoquay. They had 6 children:

• Oshawgusdoquaywayqua (Susan aka Woman of the Green Glade)


• Iahbewadic


• Child III (name unknown)


• Auwawbawadick (Male Reindeer)


• NaQuod Waubojeeg


• Child VI (name unknown)

Waubojeeg's daugher (name unknown) married a French Fur trader names Francios DesCarreaux and this is where my husbands family really starts to come in...

A letter to Uncle Boots...

Shortly after Christmas, my husband's Uncle Gary wrote a letter to his Uncle Boots (photo). I am guessing this letter was written in the mid 1950s. Boots was only 6 years old. Enjoy....

Dear Boots,

Hope you are fine, I'm six years old. Moma is fine. We have a new dog. His name is Skippy. He is black and white. He is house broken. He sleeps with me some times. Jimmy sleeps with me too, but he takes all the covers at night so I like to sleep with Skippy better. For Christmas I got a electric train, a sled, guns and holsters, trucks and cars, a hot rod and I didn't break anything yet, so I'll get more next year.

I like school. My teacher's name is Miss Bomber. I like to sing and hear stories but mostly I like to play on the monkey bars. Nancy looks like a monkey and Jimmy smells like one (his siblings). Moms says Jimmy takes after you. He got a bow and arrow for Xmas and he shoots holes in everything.

Grandpa and Grandma like beer. Daddy says that you take after them. I like candy the best and then money and I have enough to send this letter. Jimmy has two girls. One is Patty Jo and one is Mary. I don't know what to say so ....Love, Gary.

A gift in a box from the basement

This evening we visited my husband's uncle who has been finding little treasures in his basement over the last 6 months about family history. These treasures are bits and pieces from Great Grandma Martha's trunk that his Uncle Boots sent to him periodically. After thumbing through its contents we found college diplomas, newspaper clippings about Martha's children and a very old photo of Martha's Grandfather, John Leonard Wood.

The yellowed scrapbook pages and tissue paper-like letters and correspondence thrill me. The stories they reveal are simple but intriguing and some are even humorous. I wonder what it was like for their family back in the 1920s and 1930s.

Martha was known for her public speaking abilities and the box contains several letters of invitation for her to speak at various events. Her children George and Martin (Boots) were also quite active in forensics and dramamtics as the box holds many articles about competitions and plays they were in. They even excelled in the culinary arts during their teen years winning several awards and ribbons (beating out most college age girls) for their famous cream puffs and strawberry shortcakes!

If only the trunk itself could be located. I can't imagine how much history it holds. I fear it is lost forever. Tonight was a pleasant surprise though.

What I am thankful for

• my husband, children and family
• health
• gainful employment
• a warm home
• a sense of humor
• my neighbors
• my friends
• freedom to choose my faith and speech
• our Creator's beauty
• peanut butter (can't forget peanut butter)

Are our history books correct?

(Exerpts taken from John Two-Hawks)

Unfortunately the history books don't have Thanksgiving quite right.

Thanksgiving did not begin as a great loving relationship between the pilgrims and the Wampanoag, Pequott and Naragonsett. In fact, in October of 1621 when the pilgrim "survivors" of their first winter on Turtle Island sat down for the first "unofficial" Thanksgiving meal, the Indians who were there were not even invited! There was no squash, cranberries, pumpkin pie or turkey. A few days before this feast took place, a group of pilgrims led by Miles Standish actively sought the head of a local Indian leader and an 11 ft high wall was built around the pilgrims to keep the Indians out.

Officially the holiday we know as Thanksgiving actually came into existence in the year 1637. Governor Winthrop of the Massachusettes Bay Colony proclaimed this first official day of Thanksgiving and feasting to celebrate the return of the colny's men who has survived the slaughtering of 700 Pequot men, women and children in Connecticut. Mr. Winthrop decided to dedicate a day of thanksgiving and feasting to give "thanks" to their victory.

As hard as it is to conceive of, this is the actual origin of our Thanksgiving Day holiday. Many American Indian people do not observe this holiday. I do not see anything wrong in gathering with family to give thanks to our creator for all of his blessings and sharing a meal. I do however, hope that Americans as a whole will reflect on the pain, loss and agony of our indigenous people who suffered at the hands of the pilgrims.

I know my family will.

The Big Dog

It was told by my husband's uncle that when Great Grandma Martha was a little girl on the Bad River Reservation she was walking down a path (probably on her way to school). She noticed a big dog following her as she walked. She heard his paws trotting on the path behind her and she stopped. The big dog also stopped and stared at her. Martha turned around and began to walk and once again, heard the big dog trotting behind her. She stopped, and heard nothing...silence. She turned around and the dog was there staring at her just as before.

One of the neighbors happened to be driving down the same road Martha was traveling. He pulled over and asked Martha if she needed a ride. She accepted and climbed into the neighbor's pickup truck. Martha then asked, "Hey, did you see that big dog that was following me?"

The neighbor replied, "You mean the wolf that was stalking you! It was a good thing I picked you up!"

This land is your land... this land is my land...We stole it from the Indians....

Well I didn't get the best news today. Paul and I had written to the individual who owns the land that G Grandma Martha had applied for (allotment) to see if he might be willing to sell a few acres. The letter was very non threatening...we even acknowledged him as the legal owner of the property...

I got a voice mail today from him. He basically stated that the land was allotted to someone different who lived in South Dakota?? I found this rather odd seeing as he is listed as the owner and not the tribe. He told us to go to Bad River and get our own land (allotment) from the tribe. Little does he know that the allotment treaty ended YEARS ago. He also stated that this would be his last contact with us... To say the least he was very defensive and even called us from a pay phone.

So now my next question is...if this was truly alloted to someone different...why did the BIA tell Martha the allotments were exhausted? Sounds like a government BIA scam to me...chances are very high that the government kept the land for the timber and sold it to a private party...hence the checkerboard effect you see on so many reservations.

So much for that plan...

Nice try but no cigar...

Well today I am excitied because it has been confirmed that an intertribal drum group and 3 dancers will be performing at my daughter's school on Nov 29th. I am very excited about this and want to thank Lisa in American Indian Services at work for all the help in coordinating this.

I am also in search of pictures of Paul's Great Great Grandma Nancy Bachand-Wood-Murray. I posted a comment on the Anishinabe News website to see if there might be any Bad River members out there with some old picts of the hotel they ran (Hotel Murray) in Odanah WI in the early 1900s. No one in the family has a picture of her.

I also received some interesting info from the Indian Land Tenure Foundation. They have a publication that educates about restoring Indian lands back to tribes and how the allotment act of 1887 really screwed everything up. It just so happens that Paul's Great Gma Martha (photo) applied for an alottment, got a receipt for her application from the government farmer at the time and then got a letter from the BIA stating "Gee, we're sorry we can't award you you're rightful allotment...all the tribal land has been exhausted but hey...we may have some swamp land for you if the government ever decides they don't want it anymore..."

Our dream, mine and Paul's, is to somehow obtain that alltoment and dedicate it back to the tribe in memory of Martha. Even though Martha hid her native ancestry, I think deep down she had some pride and love of her heritage.