Keepers of the Fire

How the Chippewa, Potawatomi, and Ottawa Became One People

Link: https://www.mpm.edu/content/wirp/ICW-137 A long, long time ago, the Chippewa, Potawatomi, and Ottawa people were enemies.

A Chippewa man had ten children, all boys. He brought them up to be warriors, and all ten sons were killed in battle.

There was also an Ottawa man who had ten sons who were warriors, and they, too, were all killed.

At the same time, a Potawatomi man had his ten sons killed in raids as well.

Each father was left without children. All three men mourned their sons and could not see the point in living any longer. They wandered away from their tribes and into the woods, looking for a place to die.

The Chippewa man traveled west until he was completely exhausted. As he came to a place to rest, he saw a tree which had a long root running toward the east. The root was as long as a tree is tall, and very thick. He laid down and rested awhile, and then looked towards the south. There, he saw another very long root — as long as the one which went to the east — running toward the south.

He went to the west and north sides of the tree and found two other roots, each as long as a tree is high. All around the tree, the grass grew long and rich. He walked around the tree until he had come to the east; he realized that the four roots pointed exactly in the four directions. As he looked up at the tree, he realized that there were also four huge branches — one to the East, one to the West, one to the South, and one to the North.

The tree had beautiful leaves, but only had these four branches, each extending out as far as the roots. As he examined the tree, he could also see that the tree had a big root that ran straight down into the earth and a huge branch that went up from the center straight to the sky. There were no leaves on that branch until the very top, and then there only a few. All around the tree, he could see the blue sky, and there was no wind or breeze.

As the Chippewa man walked around the tree, he was happy and forgot all of his sorrow at losing his sons. He had never seen so beautiful a place. As he sat there, he heard a noise like someone crying. He looked around, but didn’t see anyone.

At last, he saw a man walking toward the tree, weeping and mourning just as he had earlier. He saw that the newcomer was an old man, just like him, and that he approached the tree from the south. As the newcomer came to the spot, he saw how beautiful it was and stopped crying.

He looked around and noticed all the things about the tree and then he saw the first man. He saw that the man was mourning and asked him why. The Chippewa man, who was sitting at the base of the great tree, said, “I had ten sons and I lost them all in war. I decided I had nothing left to live for and wandered until I came to this beautiful place.”

The other man, an Ottawa, said, “I did the same as you. I had ten sons and they were all killed and I did not wish to live. I wandered off to die and came to this place.” They talked over the past, and while they were talking they forgot their sorrow and felt happy.

While they talked, they heard the noise of a person crying. Far off, they saw a man approaching, mourning and crying. It was an old man, about the same age as the other two, and as he walked along wearily. They watched him as he came from the west and approached the west root of the tree.

He stopped and examined the root, and he began to notice how beautiful the tree and the place was and wiped away his tears. As he came up to the tree, the Chippewa man and the Ottawa man asked him who he was and why he was mourning.

He answered that he was a Potawatomi and that he mourned his ten sons lost in war. Like them, he had wandered off to die. They each told their stories and saw that the same thing had brought them to this place. The Chippewa man said, “It is the will of the Great Spirit that has brought us here to meet.” They all agreed.

They walked around and explored the place together, and saw that the air was very still and calm around the tree. It was very quiet and it seemed to them that every word they spoke could be heard by the spirits. Together they said, “The spirits have sent us here to hold council together. There has been too much fighting in our lives.”

The Chippewa man said, “I think I had better go back to my people.” The Ottawa man agreed, saying, “Yes, I think it has been wrong for us to fight all the time. We have suffered and neglected our children. It is best for us to go home.” And the Potawatomi man said, “All this is true. It is wrong to allow all these people to die because of the fighting between us. We should all go home, and stop the fighting between our tribes and live in peace.”

They lit their pipes and smoked, agreeing on what they had said. They talked a long while. As they smoked and talked, the Chippewa man, having been the first to get to the tree, felt he had a right to speak first. “Our people should unite as one. I will be the eldest brother. And the Ottawa will be our second brother. And you, Potawatomi, will be the youngest brother.” They all agreed.

The Chippewa man said, “My brothers, I will make a pipe and a stem for it. When I get home, I will present it to my people. I will tell them that I had ten children who were all killed in war; but I will wash that away. I will paint the stem of the pipe blue, like the sky, and we will use this pipe when we make peace with other nations.”

And the Ottawa man said, “I will do the same. I will remind my people of my sons, and I will have them quit fighting.”

The Potawatomi said, “I, too, will make a pipe of peace. I will call a council of our people and tell them of our resolution, and explain the foolishness of allowing our people to be killed.”

The Chippewa said again, “It is good. Our spirits have brought us together at this point, and have brought us to agreement.”

They agreed that in ten days they would all meet and bring their tribes to the roots of the tree, and at these roots their tribes would live, each sheltered by one of the great branches. And then they all went their separate ways home.

When he got home, the Chippewa man took tobacco and put it in his pipe. He was not a chief, only an old man. He took the pipe to the Chief and told him that it was the pipe of peace. The Chief smoked it with him. The old man told all his people to make peace. He told all the head chiefs of different Chippewa bands to take the pipe, and to tell his story and to explain that the pipe was to be used in friendship.

The smoke from the tobacco would soothe and purify their hearts and maintain peace. The older people, who had learned the lesson of peace through their losses, would teach the messages to the younger people, who would carry it on.

The same thing happened with the Ottawa and the Potawatomi. Ten days later, they brought their people to the roots of the beautiful tree. As they all got there, each set up camp on one root of the tree. The Chippewa man brought a chunk of wood, and so did the Ottawa man and the Potawatomi man.

Together, they started a common fire and brought food so they could cook together. As they began cooking, they took tobacco and lit the pipe of the Chippewa man from the fire they had built together. They were going to offer the pipe to their chiefs to smoke together, but they thought that they should it first offer the pipe to the Great Spirit who had brought them together.

They pointed the pipe stem straight up in the air by the tree. Then they pointed the stem to the east and offered it to the spirit of the east. Then they pointed to the south and offered it to the spirit of the south, and then to the spirit of the west, and lastly to the spirit of the north. Then they turned the stem down toward the central root of the great tree, offering it to the spirit that keeps the earth from sinking in the water. After this, they offered the pipe to the Chippewa Chief and he smoked it, and passed it to the braves and warriors. They all smoked.

The man of the Ottawa tribe did the same, as did the Potawatomi tribe. After that, they all lived as one people, and said, “We will keep this fire to represent our bond with each other, and the Potawatomi will be keepers of this sacred fire.”

The three old men made rules for the people to live together, and presented them as a path that their people must follow. From the point at which they met under the tree, they must live always in peace and friendship. From that time forward, they kept their rules and the three tribes lived in peace and intermarried with each other and came to be almost as one people.

The Creation Of The World

Link: https://www.mpm.edu/content/wirp/ICW-137 In the beginning of things, there was nothing but water everywhere and no land could be seen. On the waves, a canoe floated, and a man sat in it and wept because he had no idea what would happen.

After a while, a muskrat climbed up on the canoe and said, “Greetings, grandfather! Why are you crying?” The man answered, “I have been here a long time, and I cannot find any land.” The muskrat replied, “But there is earth under all this water!” The man asked the muskrat to get him some land, and the muskrat dove down and came up again with both paws full of mud. He dived again and brought up a ball of earth in his mouth.

The man did not think this was enough land to live on. The man asked the muskrat if he was all alone, and the muskrat answered no. The muskrat gave out a call and the animals chiefs of the water swam up to the canoe. The first to come was a white muskrat. “I hear that you want to see us,” he said to the man. “Yes,” answered the man, “I want you to bring me some earth so I can make the world. I will make it a good world where we can all live.”

The animals agreed and they all began to dive. They all brought up earth, and the man they called Grandfather kneaded the mud that they brought, and molded it into a long column that reached from the surface of the water to the earth beneath it. It showed above the waves, and he kept adding to it.

They kept on day after day until it was finally solid and there was a lot of land there. Then the man planted a great tree there. He kept adding to the island. As the man worked on the north end of the island, he noticed that the ground grew dry and dusty. He asked his animal helpers how they liked what he had made, and they told him that it was a good place to sun themselves. He told them to keep on bringing him earth, and he would make it better.

Thus, he kept on until the world was completed. Then he told his animal friends that it would be covered with green grass and trees. He took a stick and marked out where he wanted the rivers to run, and then he had the muskrats dig out the channels. At last, the man built a wigwam. When he had it ready, the muskrats were close by in a lake, so he went over and planted rushes along the shore for them. Then, he got into his canoe and paddled out into the ocean, and called on the muskrats to help him again while he built another world. He built it up until it met the first one.

“Now,” he said, “I have it the way that I want it.”

One day he walked up to the north end of his island and found some people there. He approached them and asked them where they came from.

They were the Potawatomi, and they asked who he was. “I am Wi’saka,” he replied. The Potawatomi replied, “Well, we have heard of you, you must have come from above, as we did.” “No,” answered Wi’saka, “I have always been here, and I made this earth and all that you can see on it.”

“Well then,” said one, “You must be the Great Spirit.” “Yes,” answered Wi’saka, “That is who I am. Who can do any more than I have?”

Wi’saka asked the muskrats to dive into the lake and fetch him some tasty roots. When he had plenty, he told them to stop, and then he gave the roots to the Indians. They camped beside his lodge and he lent them his cooking utensils. He showed them how to make clay pots and how to cook their food. Wi’saka showed the people the forest that he had made, and in the woods he showed them how to peel bark and make household utensils like baskets. He showed them how to make string to tie their lodge poles together. He instructed them how to gather and prepare reeds to weave mats, and how to make rush-mat wigwams.

The next day, he told them that there would be animals in the world, and deer, buffalo, and other game appeared. In this way, Wi’saka made the world right for the Potawatomi.

Seven Grandfather Teachings

Link: https://nhbp-nsn.gov/seven-grandfather-teachings/#:~:text=This%20child%20was%20chosen%20to,be%20used%20with%20the%20rest.

The Seven Grandfather Teachings have always been a part of the Native American culture. Their roots date back to the beginning of time. These teachings impact our surroundings, along with providing guidance toward our actions to one another.

According to the story, long ago, a messenger sent to see how the Neshnabék were living, discovered that the Neshnabék were living their life in a negative way, which impacted their thoughts, decisions, and actions. Some had hate for others, displayed disrespectful actions, were afraid, told lies, and cheated. Others revealed pride or were full of shame.

During his journey, the messenger came across a child. This child was chosen to be taught by the Seven Grandfathers to live a good life. He was taught the lessons of Love, Respect, Bravery, Truth, Honesty, Humility, and Wisdom. *** “Neshnabek” is an alternate spelling of Anishinabek, which is a name the Chippewa and Potawatomi people use for themselves in their own language.

Before departing from the Seven Grandfathers, they told him, “Each of these teachings must be used with the rest. You cannot have Wisdom without Love, Respect, Bravery, Honesty, Humility, and Truth. You cannot be Honest if you are only using one of the other teachings. To leave out one teaching would be embracing the opposite of what the teaching means.”

The Seven Grandfathers each instructed the child with a principle. It was then up to the child to forget them, or to put them to use. Each one of us represents the child. We must faithfully apply the teachings of our Seven Grandfathers to our own lives. We must place our trust in the Creator. We must also never forget to be sincere in our actions, character, and words.

Love

Knowing love is to know peace. Our love must be unconditional. When people are weak, that is when they need love the most. Love is a strong affection for another. This can form between friends and family. Love is an attachment based upon devotion, admiration, tenderness, and kindness for all things around you. For one to love and accept themselves is to live at peace with the Creator and in harmony with all of creation. Love knows no bounds. We must accept it sincerely and give it freely.

Respect

A way to honor creation is by showing respect. There should be no part of creation that should be excluded from the honor that we are to give. We demonstrate respect by realizing the value of all people and things, and by showing courteous consideration and appreciation. We must give respect if we wish to be respected. We honor the traditional roles that we fill and the teaching we have been given. We honor our families and others, as well as ourselves. We are not to bring harm to anyone or anything. Respect is not just an action, but a heart-grown feeling.

Bravery

Facing a problem with integrity is a true demonstration of bravery. We do what is right even when the consequences may be unpleasant. We face life with the courage to use our personal strengths to face difficulties, stand tall through adversity, and make positive choices. We must stand up for our convictions and have courage in our thinking and speaking. All of these actions together will lead to ceaseless bravery.

Truth

Truth is having the knowledge of our cultural teachings. It gives us the ability to act without regret. We must understand, speak, and feel the truth, while also honoring its power. Truth should not lead us to deceptions. We know who we are in our heart. By knowing that, we also know the truth. Our emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual gifts will guide each one of us in our journey.

Honesty

Facing a situation is to be brave but having the courage to not only do the right thing, but also saying it, is honesty. We must allow truth to be our guide. We must first be honest with ourselves. This will allow us to be honest with others. We must give full value to both the efforts of our own and others. When we walk through life with integrity, it is then that we know honesty. Be truthful and trustworthy. We must also remember to accept and act on truths through straightforward and appropriate communication.

Humility

Humility is to know that we are a part of creation. We must always consider ourselves equal to one another. We should never think of ourselves as being better or worse than anyone else. Humility comes in many forms. This includes compassion, calmness, meekness, gentleness, and patience. We must reflect on how we want to present ourselves to those around us. We must be aware of the balance and equality with all of life, including humans, plants, and animals.

Wisdom

The mixture of these teachings, combined with the experiences of life, is what we refer to as wisdom. It is given to us by the Creator to be used for good. Wisdom carries other meanings, which also include intelligence or knowledge. When we cherish our knowledge or intelligence, we are also cherishing our wisdom. We must use sound judgement along with the ability to separate inner qualities and relationships. We must use a good sense and course of action to form a positive attitude. We must remember to listen and use the wisdom that has been provided by our Elders, Tribal leadership, and our Spiritual leaders. We must also always remember that Wisdom comes in all shapes, sizes, forms, and ages.

A Monterey History

Prehistoric Times To 1900 Our Family Story, A Keller Odyssey, 2004, compiled by Thomas Joseph Keller As we celebrate our SESQUICENTENNIAL, we should not forget those who came before us & preserved so well the environment we were destined to inherit. The unpolluted Tippecanoe River abounded with fish & the many woodlands with overflowing game. The sky was filled with fowl, such as geese, ducks, pigeons, pheasants, turkeys, quail, etc. of numbers only previously imagined by many. In pre-historic times, the “Mound Builders” occupied this land, leaving evidence of their prior existence within burial mounds and encampments. This general area of Indiana was the last to be settled by the white man or ravaged as an Indian might say.

With much swampland and the proximity to the large lakes and rivers, the area was rather difficult to reach. Also, because this land was less desirable than lands in surrounding counties, the Indians were allowed to remain here a little longer than elsewhere. The Potawatomi tribes were the ones dominating the area. Two of the more famous chiefs were Menominee, located near the Twin Lakes area, & Aubbeenaubbee, located near Leiters Ford, and his alternate village at Bruce Lake. No matter what terms were agreed upon for the purchase of Indian lands & establishment of treaties, there were those who wanted more lands opened for settlement.

The early treaties at least left some glimmer of hope to the Indians that life would be better, often “convinced” they had the best of both worlds. They retained lands with woods, lakes & rivers, sustaining their lifestyle & cherished culture. With each new treaty, they often were manipulated, with the help of liquor, into believing ‘this time’ the white man would keep his word.

The Indians never fully comprehended how some white men’s word & honor differed from their own. Treaty or not, the encroachments continued to plague the Indians. There were many treaties we could use as examples, but we will focus on the ones dated October 26/27, 1832, which led to the ultimate demise of the Indians in our area. There still was a little honor left on the part of the white man as the Potawatomie’s retained possession henceforth of certain lands spread over several counties.

Chief Aubbeenaubee (Obanoby) was said to be instrumental in this agreement where he and his band of Indians retained 36 sections of land. Also mentioned were the twenty-two sections retained by Chief Menominee. Each affected band of Indians was listed with the amount of land they would own legally. Indiana Gov. Jonathan Jennings was among those representing the government. (Ref. Ervin Stuntz writings in Fuiton County Historical Society Quarterly No. 39.)

Later, Chief Aubbeenaubee deeply regretted his decision to concede his lands & lost himself in the white man’s ‘bottle’. Skipping many of the details here, the Chief’s oldest son, Paukooshuck, eventually killed his father in 1836/37 & became Chief.

Even before his father’s death, Paukooshuck sold Aubbeenaubee’s land for 50 cents to a $1 an acre. Per the Stuntz article already mentioned, “He spent much of his time at the village a mile west of Delong & the village at Bruce Lake, where he was born & spent most of his boyhood.

Unlike his father who had made such a good treaty …… Paukooshuck signed a treaty (at the Chippewanong Village north of Rochester at the river) ….. & would move all ….. to Kansas within two years. When it came time to leave, he refused to go & tried to get the Indians to fight. During one of his orations to the tribe he was quoted as saying, “We run country-no taxes, no debts, no New Deal, women do all work. How hell white man do better?” Essentially, Chief Paukooshuck committed the Potawatomi Nation to leave.

When Chief Menominee refused, the “ethnic cleansing” of the area’s Indian population began. The story in history is known as the ‘The Trail of Death’. Despite Chief Menominee’s pleas, interpreted as defiance, they fell on the deaf ears of one Colonel Abdel Pepper. Per John Reidelbach’s “A Century of Achievement” p46, they first assembled at Pretty Lake in Marshall County. Colonel Pepper told the Indians that he would remove them by force if they did not leave peaceably.

The Chief responded in substance “The President does not know the truth. He, like me, has been deceived. He does not know that your treaty is a lie, and that I have never signed it. He does not know that you made my chiefs drunk, got their consent and pretended to get mine. He does not ……. would not by force drive me from my home, the graves of my tribe & children who have gone to the Great Spirit ……. I am not going to leave my land.”

By August of 1838 all preparations were complete to remove the Indians by force. Then-Governor, David Wallace, ordered General John Tipton to take an army & do what was necessary to remove the Indians. Col. Pepper planned a decoy by calling the Indians back into assembly at Twin Lake Village. Tipton surrounded them and captured about 400 & many more when others came looking for them. “Detachments of Tipton’s army searched the reservation for others, plundering and destroying their homes and gathering for the journey horses, mules, cattle and other necessary belongings. Some scattering families made their get-away into the wilderness, down the Tippecanoe River. They remained in Pulaski County for another ten years or so, until they were absorbed into the general population.”

The Fulton County Historical Society has done an excellent job under the leadership of Shirley Willard in preserving the history of the “Trail of Death”. A very interesting story in John Reidelbach’s writings is on page 110. Malinda DeMoss Kleckner, daughter of Peter DeMoss, recalled an experience with Indians living along the Tippecanoe River. The DeMoss family lived on a farm at the east edge of what is now Monterey. Malinda recalled they lived in a log house located in the orchard of the Henry Keitzer farm, which was their homestead at the time (1843).

There was an Indian encampment on the north side of the river. They were quite fond of her three year old brother and once wanted him to stay overnight with them. Her parents were very apprehensive at first but decided granting their permission was safer than risking the Indians ill will. The next morning her brother was back, completely dressed in nice new Indian attire. Malinda said, “Those Indians were our best neighbors as long as they lived there, providing us with all the fish & game we wanted.”

So how does one summarize the story of the Indians and their fate as we settled this land? Certainly, if more time was taken to understand their culture the outcome could have been different. Perhaps we could swim in the Tippecanoe without fear of some disease. Or maybe we could eat the fish, what few remain that is. Their Great Spirit sounded a great deal like ours! Mother Earth seemed to be respected with a clear understanding of man’s responsibility to her. It is obvious the Indians· were not always the savages they were made out to be. The ultimate question of course is whether this generation would have treated thein any differently than those that went before us. Can the answer lie in just how we are treating each other today, on the streets, in our schools & in our homes?