I.

Introduction

Ojibwa or Chippewa, Native Americans of the Algonquian language family and of the Northeast, Subarctic, and Great Plains culture areas. During the colonial period, the Ojibwa were one of the largest and most powerful tribes on the continent. Their extensive territory included much of the western Great Lakes region and reached well into southern Canada.

The name Ojibwa (pronounced oh-JIB-wuh), along with its variations, Ojibway, Ojibwe, Chippewa, and Chippeway, means “puckered up” and probably refers to a puckered seam in the style of moccasins tribal members wore. Their native name Anishinabe (pronounced ah-nish-ih-NAH-bay) means “first people.”