Anishinabe Tribe

An Algonquian people whose original homeland in 1492 was located in Quebec and Ontario. They should be properly named the Algonquin Tribe. All Algonquian Tribes are related to the Algonquin but only so far as to include a language relationship. The Ottawa River and St. Lawrence River were important to them.Their land included the area where present day Montreal is situated and to the north. It included the land between Montreal to the eastern shores of Lake Superior. Most of what is now New York State including Lake Champlain, was their domain, as was Michigan, all of Ontario, and most of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Northern and central Wisconsin was also a part of their domain, as was parts of what is now Minnesota. They are also known by other names the whites have used to identify the Anishinabe people. They include Abenaki Indians, Algonquin, Arapaho Indians, Cheyenne Indians,  Chippewa, Cree Indians, Delaware, Gros Ventre including the Crow Indians and the Hidatsa, Kickapoo, Illini, Innu, Mahican, Miami, Menominee, Mississauga, Montagnais, Munsee, Muskego (Swampy People), Nipissing, Ojibway, Ottawa, Potawatomi, Sauk, and Shawnee. Historical records prove they all spoke the same language. According to the Anishinabe author Peter Jones, after the Anishinabe people met to discuss important issues, they at first had difficulties in understanding each other. However, after a short time they were fully capable of talking with each other. Though no historical records tell of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Gros Ventre speaking Anishinabe, they were living next to the Chippewa's in Minnesota in the 17th century. The Chippewa's brought Minnesota under their control starting in the early 17th century. William W. Warren stated in his 19th century book "History of the Ojibway People," that the Anishinabe people counted generations in 40 year periods. The Arapaho including the Gros Ventre, and the Cheyenne, were living next to the Chippewa's in Minnesota in the 17th century. In fact, the Cheyenne were possibly still living in Wisconsin in the 17th century. The Cheyenne continued to practice the Midewiwin well into the 19th century. = Districts =
 * St. Lawrence:

This region included the entire area of the St. Lawrence River including the north of what is now present day New York State, and the region to the north of the same said river in Quebec. The Anishinabe people who live in this region are named by the whites the Abenaki, Algonquin, Cree, Mahican (the name Mahican is the Anishinabe word for wolf which is mahigan), and the Montagnais.


 * Ottawa River

This region includes land in far western Quebec to the eastern shores of Lake Superior. The Anishinabe people who live in this region are named by the whites the Algonquin, Chippewa, and the Nipissing.


 * Muskego

This region is to the north of Lake Superior. In fact, the region actually begins to the north of Lake Nipigon, to the southern and northwestern shores of Hudson Bay. The Anishinabe people who live in this region are named by the whites the Cree and Ojibway. The whites also use Oji-Cree. The correct name to use is Muskegowuk which means Swampy People in Anishinabe.


 * Southeast

This region includes land in the southern part of what is now Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York State, extreme western Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia and parts of Virginia. The Anishinabe people who live in this region are named by the whites the Chippewa, Delaware, Mahican, Munsee, Ottawa, Potawatomi, and the Shawnee.


 * Midwest

This region includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and southern Ontario. The Anishinabe people who live in this region are named by the whites the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Chippewa, Illini, Kickapoo, Miami, Menominee, Mississauga, Ottawa, Potawatomi, and the Sauk.

= Prophecy =

Anishinabe people were weary of prophecy. The Seven Fires Prophecy was taken very seriously by Anishinabe leaders. It foretold the arrival of the white race and the intentions of the white race. They were told to migrate to the west. If they did not migrate, they would be destroyed by the white invaders. Thus, the reason the whites have so many names for the Anishinabe people. Anishinabe leaders not only instructed their military to force their way to the west, they also instructed them to migrate to the north and south.

= Totems =

Within Anishinabe society was a clan or totemic system. They had 5 major totems and many smaller but important totems. The largest was the military and police totem who were known as the Noka, Mako, and Makwa. All three Anishinabe words mean bear. The following are the major totems of the Anishinabe people whose totem members called each other by their totem name. An example is the Noka calling the Ottawa, the Ottawa Nation, and the Ottawa calling the Noka, the Noka Nation. They were not distinct nations however. The whites took it to represent distinct nations but only in secret. All Anishinabe totems members lived in all Anishinabe villages. They did not live amongst themselves as an independant nation. Each totem member had to marry a member from another totem. If they married within their own totem it was considered to be incest. If members from the same totems were caught married, they were sometimes executed for breaking the law of the Anishinabe totemic or clan system.


 * Noka

They were the largest Anishinabe totem. Today, they are known as the Chippewa and Ojibway. They were the soldiers and police of the Anishinabe people. They were taller than members of the other Anishinabe totems. They received their totem name as a result of being very hostile.


 * Metis

They were the doctors and teachers within Anishinabe society. The whites took to naming them the Metis long ago. They are not to be confused with the mixed bloods who the French named the Metis. Their name is a short version of midewiwin. Metis is pronounced as may-tay.


 * Ottawa

They were the merchants and traders within Anishinabe society. They made up a large percentage of the Anishinabe population. They are not a distinct tribe.


 * Potawatomi

Their role within Anishinabe society is not so well known other than being known as the Keepers of the Fire. They did, however, have a major role within Anishinabe society. They are not a distinct tribe. There were at least 20 Anishinabe totems. Some regions of the vast Anishinabe domain had higher populations of certain Anishinabe totems but all totems members lived in all Anishinabe villages.