Indigenous Peoples of Michigan

United States Michigan  American Indian Research  Indians of Michigan

Learn about the Indians of Michigan, tribes and bands, state recognized tribes, agencies, and records.

The name Michigan come from a Chippewan Indian word "Michigana" meaning "great or large lake"

Tribes and Bands of Michigan
The following list of tribes and bands of American Indians who have lived in Michigan has been compiled from Hodge's Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico...  and Swanton's Indian Tribes of North America.


 * Indians of the Midwest
 * Natives Michigan
 * Native American and French Settlement Patterns

Tribes:


 * Chippewa

Literature - Welker Chippewa

Tolats Ojib

Native Heritage Project Chippewa


 * Delaware

Tolats Delaware


 * Fox - Tolats
 * Huron - see Wyandot

Tolats


 * Kickapoo

Tolats


 * Menominee

Dick Shovel


 * Miami

Dick Shovel


 * Neutrals - Dick Shovel
 * Noquet - Access Genealogy
 * Ottawa

A starting point for doing Ottawa/Odawa Indian genealogy research - Ottawa Indians

Scott Nicholson

Native Languages

Tolats


 * Potawatomi

Trail of Tears - Potawatomi

Potawatomi Traditionals Prairie Band Res. 1930's Part 1

Potawatomi Traditionals Prairie Band Res. 1930's Part 2

Potawatomi Traditionals Prairie Band Res. 1930's Part 3

Tolats


 * Sauk - Tolats
 * Winnebago

Dick Shovel


 * Wyandot
 * Tribal Map

Tribes Recognized by the State of Michigan
Burt Lake Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians,Grand River Band of Ottawa Indians, Gun Lake Village Band of Grand Lake Ottawa Indians, (Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians United Nations of Chippewa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi), Swan Creek Black River Confederated Ojibwa Tribe, and Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan,

Bands:


 * Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
 * Croix Band of Chippewa
 * Grand River- Grand River
 * Grand Traverse
 * Keweenaw Bay
 * L'Anse
 * Lac Vieux Desert
 * Little River
 * Little Traverse
 * Mackinac
 * Ontonagon
 * Saginaw - Chippewa
 * Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa
 * Michigan Wikipedia
 * Michigan Government Documents

Agencies and Subagencies of the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Agencies and subagencies were created as administrative offices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and its predecessors. Their purpose was (and is) to manage Indian affairs with the tribes, to enforce policies, and to assist in maintaining the peace. The names and location of these agencies may have changed, but their purpose remained basically the same. Many of the records of genealogical value were created by these offices.

The following list of agencies that have operated or now exist in Michigan has been compiled from Hill's Office of Indian Affairs..., Hill's Guide to Records in the National Archives Relating to American Indians , and others.


 * Great Lakes Agency
 * Lac du Flambeau Agency
 * Mackinac Agency, 1828-1880
 * Michigan Agency, Federal Square Office Plaza, P.O. Box 884, Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783
 * Saginaw Subagency
 * Sault Ste. Marie Agency, 1824-1852

Records
The majority of records of individuals were those created by the agencies. Some records may be available to tribal members through the tribal headquarters.They were (and are) the local office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and were charged with maintaining records of the activities of those under their responsibility. Among these records are:


 * Allotment records
 * Annuity rolls
 * Census records
 * Correspondence
 * Health records
 * Reports
 * School census and records
 * Vital records

Census Records
1860 Indians of Michigan, Index of Indians appearing in the 1860 Federal Census of Michigan; published in Michigan 1860 Federal Census Index (North Salt Lake, UT: Accelerated Indexing Systems International,n.d.) pages 420-425.

Church Records

 * L'Anse - Church Records

Families: Indian Metis
Multiple families:


 * Native American Families
 * Habitant Heritage
 * Research Resources

ANCE / ANSE


 * Genealogy wise

ASSIGINACK


 * Facebook groups

ASSINIWE


 * Facebook Groups

BAILLEY


 * Rootsweb
 * Chesterton Tribune

BERTRAND


 * Joseph and Madeleine

BLACKBIRD


 * Facebook Groups

BOURASSA


 * Facebook Groups

CADOT(TE)


 * Mathurin Cadeau

CAMPAU


 * Facebook Groups

CHARBONNEAU


 * Facebook Groups

COBMOOSA aka WALKER


 * Facebook Groups
 * Facebook Groups

COON / KOON


 * (see attached file)

COWN / CANNE / COWAN 


 * Native American Ancestry Mackinac-Metis-Families

DAVENPORT


 * Family Tree Maker

DUFAULT


 * Facebook Groups

ERMENTINGER


 * Ermentinger Family

ESPIEW


 * Espiew Family

FAGNANT &amp; FONTAINE


 * Mackinac Metis Families

FRANCIS


 * Facebook Groups

GESICK


 * Facebook Groups

GORNOR / GURNOE


 * Facebook Groups

JACKO


 * Facebook Groups

JOHNSTON


 * John-Johnston

LaFRAMBOISE


 * Michelles Family Tree

(De)LANGLADE


 * Hoxsie Family

LEBLANC


 * Facebook Groups

LOUISIGNAN

Facebook Groups

LOZON


 * Facebook Groups

MADOSH


 * Facebook Groups

MAISHCAW / MAISHKAW


 * Facebook Groups

MARTIN - SOUD


 * Habitant Heritage

McGULPIN


 * Facebook Groups

McSAWBY


 * McSawby Family

Nay-wash-metta-wash Descendants


 * Facebook Groups

(O')FLINN / FLYNN


 * Facebook Groups

OZAMICK


 * Facebook Groups

Pay-She-Ne-Ne-Abe descendants


 * Facebook Groups

PEQUONGAY


 * Facebook Groups

PONTIAC


 * Facebook Groups

PRICKETT


 * Facebook Groups

SABO / SABBOOE


 * Sabbooe Families

SHOMIN


 * Facebook Groups

TABASASH


 * Facebook

TROTOCHAUD


 * Free Pages

Biographies
Miscellaneous leaders, not all resided in Michigan but may have had descendants -

Chippewa Indian Chiefs and Leaders


 * Blackbird, Andrew J.

Andrew Blackbird

Andrew Blackbird

AIS Assets

Michigan Markers

Book Blackbird


 * Cobmoosa

Cub-Baa-Moo


 * Okemos

Michigan Markers

John Okemos

Chief Okemos

The Writings Okemos

Chief Okemos Mems

Chief Okemos Temp


 * Pontiac

Chief Pontiac

American Indians History

Native Heritage Project

Ottawa Chief Pontiac

Chief Pontiac-Ottawa

Genealogy Trails

Biographic

Pontiac and the Indian Uprising, by H.H. Peckham, 1947.


 * Waukazo(o)

Free Pages


 * Wolfe, Payson

Payson-Wolfe

History Grand Rapids

Wiki Tree

Indian Schools
The Office of Indian Affairs (now the Bureau of Indian Affairs) established a network of schools throughout the United States, beginning with Carlisle Indian School, established in 1879. Some of these schools were day schools, usually focusing on Indian children of a single tribe or reservation. Some were boarding schools which served Indian children from a number of tribes and reservations.

In addition, other groups such as various church denominations established schools specifically focusing on American Indian children. (read more...)

The following list of Indian Schools in Michigan has been compiled from Hill's Office of Indian Affairs..., Hill's Guide to Records in the National Archives Relating to American Indians , and others.


 * Bay Mills School
 * Bena School
 * Mt. Pleasant Indian School

Lists, Census and Payment Rolls

 * Michigan Education Library
 * Family History
 * Free-doc-Lib
 * Annuity-Payment-Rolls-for-the-Ottawas-and-Chippewas-of-Michigan-for-the-Year-1865

Maps

 * Facebook Photo

Military Engagements

 * Pontiac's Uprising

Facebook Groups

History of the Conspiracy of Pontiac - History of Pontiac


 * Civil War

Company K 1st Michigan Sharpshooters Civil War Veterans Facebook Groups

General info - Civil War Talk

Civil War Talk Threads

Indians at Brompton

Family History Library
Michigan Superintendency of Indian Affairs 1814-1851.

Northern Superintendency 1851-1876. M1166

Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of Michigan, 1855-1868. by Raymond Clyde Lantz. WorldCat

Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of Michigan, 1870-1909. by Raymond Clyde Lantz. WorldCat

FamilySearch Catalog Michigan Native Races

Queries: Messages Boards &amp; Mailing Lists

 * Native American &gt; Intertribal &gt; Michigan
 * Native American &gt; Nations &gt; Chippewa / Ojibwe &gt; Chippewa / Ojibwe
 * Native American &gt; Nations &gt; Metis &gt; Metis
 * Native American &gt; Nations &gt; Ottawa &gt; Ottawa
 * Ethnic-Native: NISHNAWBE Mailing List
 * Ethnic-Native: NAOTTAWA Mailing List
 * Ethnic-Native: THREE-FIRES Mailing List
 * Facebook
 * Native American Access Genealogy
 * Ethnic-Native: THREE-FIRES Mailing List

Reservations
From the mid-1800s, the official policy of the United States government toward the American Indian was to confine each tribe to a specific parcel of land called a reservation. Agencies were established on or near each reservation. A government representative, usually called an agent (or superintendent) was assigned to each agency. Their duties included maintaining the peace, making payments to the Native Americans based on the stipulations of the treaties with each tribe, and providing a means of communication between the native population and the federal government.

Sometimes, a single agency had jurisdiction over more than one reservation. And sometimes, if the tribal population and land area required it, an agency may have included sub-agencies.

The boundaries of reservations, over time, have changed. Usually, that means the reservations have been reduced in size. Sometimes, especially during the later policy of "termination," the official status of reservations was ended altogether.

For a current reservation map -Michigan – Indian Reservations- The National Atlas of the United States of America. Federal Lands and Indian Reservations. by the U.S. Department of Interior and U.S. Geological Survey.

The following list of reservations has been compiled from the National Atlas of the United States of America, the Omni Gazetteer of the United States of America , and other sources. Those reservations named in bold are current federally-recognized reservations, with their associated agency and tribe(s). Others have historically been associated with the state or are not currently recognized by the federal government.


 * Bay Mills Reservation: Federal, under jurisdiction of Michigan Agency, Tribe: Chippewa
 * Chippewa Reservation:
 * Grand Traverse Reservation: State, under jurisdiction of Michigan Agency, Tribe: Chippewa and Ottawa
 * Hannahville Community: Federal, under jurisdiction of Michigan Agency, Tribe: Potawatomi
 * Huron Potawatomi Reservation: Federal recognized,Tribe Potawatomi
 * Isabella (Saginaw) Reservation: Federal, under jurisdiction of Michigan Agency, Tribe: Saginaw Chippewa
 * L'Anse (Keweenaw Bay) Reservation: Federal, under jurisdiction of Michigan Agency, Tribe: Lake Supior Band Chippeewa
 * Little River Reservation
 * Little Traverse Bay Bands Reservation
 * Michigan Reservation: 1837-1848
 * Ontonagon Reservation: State,1854
 * Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians
 * Sault Ste. Marie Reservation: State, under jurisdiction of Michigan Agency, Tribe:

Treaties

 * TREATY WITH THE CHIPPEWA, ETC., 1808
 * TREATY WITH THE CHIPPEWA, 1819
 * TREATY WITH THE OTTAWA AND CHIPPEWA, 1820
 * TREATY WITH THE CHIPPEWA, 1837 Jan. 14, 1837
 * TREATY WITH THE CHIPPEWA, 1837 Dec. 20, 1837
 * TREATY WITH THE CHIPPEWA, 1838
 * TREATY WITH THE CHIPPEWA, 1839
 * TREATY WITH THE CHIPPEWA OF SAGINAW, ETC., 1855
 * TREATY WITH THE POTAWATOMI, 1826
 * Native American Treaties: Their Ongoing Importance to Michigan Residents

Anishnawbe Genealogy Research – comp. by James P. LaLone, rev. Apr. 2013
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Bantin, Philip C. &amp; Mark G. Thiel - Guide to Catholic Indian Mission and School Records in Midwest Repositories. (intro online) - CATHOLIC INDIAN MISSION AND SCHOOL RECORDS IN MIDWEST REPOSITORIES Baraga, Frederick - Chippewa Indians as Recorded by Rev. Frederick Baraga in 1847. Baraga, Frederick – A Dictionary of the Otchipwe Language, Explained in English. (available through Google books) Barce, Elmore – The Land of the Potawatomi (Google book). Barr, Charles Butler - Guide to Sources of Indian Genealogy. Bellfy, Phil – Three Fires Unity. The Anishnaabeg of the Lake Huron Borderlands. Blackbird, Andrew J. - History of the Ottawa &amp; Chippewa Indians of Michigan. (Google book) Blair, Emma Helen - Indian Tribes of the Upper Mississippi Valley and Region of the Great Lakes. (Google book) Buechner, Cecilia Bain – The Pokagons. Bussey, M.T. comp., with legends by Simon Otto – Aube Na Bing: A Pictorial History of Michigan Indians Carpenter, Cecelia Svinth - How to Research American Indian Blood Lines: A Manual on Indian Genealogical Research. Chaput, Donald – Michigan Indians, A Way of Life Changes. Cleveland, Charles E. - Rites of Conquest: the History &amp; Culture of Michigan's Native Americans. Clifton, James A. - The Pokagons, 1683-1983. Copway, George - Traditional History &amp; Characteristic Sketches of the Ojibway Nation. Dawes, Charles E. – Dictionary English-Ottawa, Ottawa-English. Diedrich, Mark – Ojibway Chiefs: Portraits of Anishinaabe Leadership. Dinsmore, Dorothy Stott &amp; Anne M. Hallock - Indian Dave's Travels: a Colorful Character. Dowd, James – Built Like a Bear, Shabni (He Has Pawed Through). Edmunds, R. David - Kinsmen Through Time: an Annotated Bibliography of Potawatomi History. Edmunds, R. David - The Potawatomi, Keepers of the Fire. Eklund, Coy – Chippewa (Ojibwa) Language Book. Englebert, Robert &amp; Guillaume Teasdale (eds.) – French and Indians in the Heart of North America. 1630-1815 Faux, David K. – Understanding Ontario First Nations Genealogical Records, Sources and Case Studies. Genser, Wallace – “Habitants, Half-Breeds, and Homeless Children: Transformations in Metis and Yankee-Yorker Relations in Early Michigan”, in THE MICHIGAN HISTORICAL REVIEW, v.24, #1, Spring, 1978, pp.23-47. Gilman, Carolyn, et al. – Where Two Worlds Meet: The Great Lakes Fur Trade. Gruett, Phillip - Indian Family History (1868). Unpublished mss. (now online) Hale, Duane Kendall - Researching &amp; Writing Tribal Histories. Hele, Karl S., editor, - Lines Drawn Upon the Water: First Nations and the Great Lakes Borders and Borderlands. Hickson, Harold – The Chippewa and Their Neighbors. A Study in Ethnohistory. (revised edition) Hill, Edward E. - Guide to Records in the National Archives of the United States Relating to American Indians. Hill, Edward E. - Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Howe, Frances R. (edited by James Dowd) – Story of a French Holmstead in the Old Northwest Hulst, Cornelia Steketee – Indian Sketches, Pere Marquette and the Last of the Pottawatomie Chiefs. Ilko, John A. – An Annotated Listing of Ojibwa Chiefs. Johnson, Steven L. - Guide to American Indian Documents in the Congressional Serial Set, 1817-1899. Johnston, Basil H. - Anishinaubae Thesaurus. Jones, Peter - History of the Ojebway Indians. Karamanski, Theodore J. – Blackbird’s Song. Andrew J. Blackbird and the Odawa People Kelton, Dwight H. – Indian Names of Places Near the Great Lakes. (Google books) Kinietz, Vernon – Chippewa Village, The Story of Katikitegon. Kinietz, Vernon - The Indians of the Western Great Lakes, 1615-1760. Kirkham, E. Kay - Our Native Americans and Their Records of Genealogical Value, 2 vls. Kohl, Johann Georg - Kitchi-Gami: Life Among the Lake Superior Ojibway Kubiak, William J. – Great Lakes Indians, a Pictorial Guide. Lantz, Raymond C. - Ottawa &amp; Chippewa Indians of Michigan, 1870-1909. “ - Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of Michigan, 1855-1868. “ - Potawatomi Indians of Michigan, 1843 – 1904. Matson, N. – Memories of Shaubena, With Incidents Relating to the Early Settlement of the West. (Google book) McClurken, James M. – Our People, Our Journey: The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians. McDonald, Daniel – Removal of the Pottawattomie Indians from Northern Indiana. Minnesota Historical Society - Chippewa &amp; Dakota Indians: a Subject Catalog of Books, Pamphlets, Periodical Articles &amp; Manuscripts in the Minnesota Historical Society. Murdock, George P. &amp; Timothy O'Leary - Ethnographic Bibliography of North America, 5 vols. Murphy, Lucy Eldersveld – A Gathering of Rivers: Indians, Metis, and Mining in the Western Great Lakes, 1737-1832. National Archives &amp; Record Service - Guide to Genealogical Research in the National Archives, see Chap. 11, p. 157, "Records of American Indians". National Archives Trust Fund - American Indians: a Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications. Neal, Henry S., et al. – Half-Breed Script. Chippewas of Lake Superior. (Google book) Nichols, John D. &amp; Earl Nyholm – A Concise Dictionary of Minnesota Ojibwe. O’Meara, F. – Report of a Mission to the Otahwahs and Ojibwas on Lake Huron. (Google book) Peacock, Thomas &amp; Marlene Wisun – Ojibwe Waasa Inaabidaa, We Look in All Directions. Peers, Laura, - The Ojibwa of Western Canada, 1780-1870. Rafert, Stewart - "American-Indian Genealogical Research in the Midwest: Resources and Perspectives" in the NATIONAL GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY QUARTERLY, v.76 #3, Sept. 1988, pp.212-224. Ritzenthaler, Robert E. &amp; Pat – The Woodland Indians of the Western Great Lakes. Rhodes, Richard A. – Eastern Ojibwa-Chippewa-Ottawa Dictionary. Ruoff, A. LaVonne Brown &amp; Donald B. Smith, editors – Life, Letters &amp; Speeches; George Copway (Kahgegagahbowh). Schenck, Theresa M. – All Our Relations. Chippewa Mixed Bloods and the Treaty of 1837. “ “ “ - William W. Warren, The Life, Letters, and Times of an Ojibwe Leader. Schmalz, Peter S. – The Ojibwa of Southern Ontario. Schmalz, Peter S. – “The Roll of the Ojibwa in the Conquest of Southern Ontario, 1650-1751”, in ONTARIO HISTORY, v. 76, #4, Dec. 1984, pp.326-52. Sleeper-Smith, Susan – Indian Women and French Men: Rethinking Cultural Encounter in the Western Great Lakes. Smith, Donald B. - Sacred Feathers: the Reverend Peter Jones (Kahkewaquonaby) &amp; the Mississauga Indians. Soetebier, Virginia M. – Woman of the Green Glade. The Story of an Ojibway Woman on the Great Lakes Frontier. Swierenga, Robert P. &amp; William VanAppledorn – Old Wing Mission. Tanner, Helen Hornbeck - Atlas of Great Lakes Indian History. Tanner, Helen Hornbeck - The Ojibwas: a Critical Bibliography. US Government - LETTERS RECEIVED, 1824-1881(microfilm publication M234). US Government - REGISTERS OF LETTERS, (film M18). Vogel, Virgil J. - Indian Names in Michigan. Warren, Paula Stuart – “Native Sons and Daughters” in FAMILY TREE MAGAZINE, April 2004, v.5, #2, pp.38-43. Warren, William W. - History of the Ojibway People (aka - History of the Ojibway Nation). Weeks, George – Mem-ka-weh. Dawning of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. White, Richard - The Middle Ground: Indians, Empires &amp; Republics in the Great Lakes Region, 1650-1815. Widder, Keith Robert – Battle for the Soul: Métis Children Encounter Evangelical Protestants at Mackinac Mission, 1823-1837. Willard, Shirley &amp; Susan Campbell – Potawatomi Trail of Death – 1838 Removal from Indiana to Kansas

Webpages

 * Native Americans In Michigan
 * The Sneakers website
 * FAMILY TIES
 * Native American Studies Research Guide: Michigan's American Indian Heritage