II.

History

According to their oral tradition, the Ojibwa originally emigrated from the region of the St. Lawrence River in the east, in company with the related Ottawa and Potawatomi peoples. The three tribes separated at what is now Mackinaw City, Michigan, the Ojibwa spreading west over a vast area along the shores of Lake Superior while the two other tribes settled to the south. The Ojibwa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi remained allies through much of their history, united in the Council of Three Fires.

The Ojibwa did not have extensive relations with the early European explorers and settlers. They became known to Europeans in the mid-17th century, when they lived within a narrow area along the shore of Lake Superior, confined there by the incursions of the Sioux and Fox. They were active in the fur trade, mostly with the French. After acquiring firearms from the French around 1690, the Ojibwa drove off their enemies and greatly expanded their territory. They supported the French against the English in the various wars fought in North America, including King William’s War (1689-1697), Queen Anne’s War (1702-1713), King George’s War (1744-1748), and the French and Indian War (1754-1763).

In 1763 the Ojibwa joined an alliance of tribes led by the Ottawa chief Pontiac in a revolt against the British. In the American Revolution (1775-1783) and the War of 1812, however, they sided with the British against the Americans. In 1815 they joined with other tribes in signing a treaty of peace with the United States government. Under the terms of subsequent treaties, they were forced to cede most of their territory.