Chippewa Customs

TRADERS AND TRADING POSTS

140 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [BULL. Btl Mrs. Julia Warren Spears gave the following account of a payment at Madeline Island. The account was in manuscript, written by her at the age of 88.73 In the summer of 1847, when a girl, I was staying with my brother's. family at the old fort * * * in the &Outhern part of Madeline Island. The old fort was the first building ever built on the island; built by my grandfather, l\Jichel Cadotte, his home and trading post. After a few years my father * * * built a home there, a number of buildings at the same time, &0 it was quite a village. There were strong cedar posts put all around the buildings as a protection for the Indians. The Indian payment was to be in the month of August. The Chippewa were arriving every day from all parts of Wisconsin Territory, and the island was: very crowded when they all arrived. Their agent was James P. Hays; he was a good man. My brother, William W. Warren, was the interpreter. They were both well liked by the Indians. That year the Indians received $10 a head, and each family got a very large bundle of goods. * * * They had rations issued out to them during payment. * * * The day before they would start for their homes they had a custom of going to all the stores and houses and dancing for about one hour, expecting food to be given them. They went around in different parties of about 25 or 30. A party came to our house at the old fort. We were prepared for them. The day before we had cooked a lot of "Legolet bread," a lot of boiled salt pork, and cookies to give them. They came dancing and hooting. They were naked, with breechcloths, their bodies painted with black, red, yellow, v:ermilion, with all kinds of stripes and figures. They were a fierce-looking crowd. They were all good dancers. After they were through they sat down on the grass and smoked. We gave them their food, and the~' were well pleased. They thanked us and shook hands with us all as they left. TRADERS AND TRADING POSTS French and English traders came among the Chippewa ,at an early date. It is probable that the French traders came first, during the time that preceded the taking of Canada by the English. The oldest trading post of the American Fur Co. among the Chippewa was at Mackinaw Island, and a secondary post was established about 1825 on Madeline Island in Lake Superior. This post was in charge of Michel Cadotte, maternal grandfather of Mrs. Mary Warren English, Mrs. Julia Spears, and \V"illiam W. Warren, author of the" History of the Ojibways." Madeline Island was also the point where annuities were paid to the Chippewa. Later a trading post was established at Fond du Lac, Minn" known as the post for the Department of Fond du Lac. This post was in charge of Clement Beaulieu, father of Rev. Clement H. Beaulieu. There the inland traders from the various parts of the present State of Minnesota obtained the stock of goods which they traded with the Indians for their furs. The traders started in the early fall, the goods being 73 Practically the only changes in this manuscript are those in punctuation and capItalization . DENSMORE] CHIPPEWA CUSTOMS 141 put in packs weighing 75 pounds each, this being half the load of a man in portaging. One pack was strapped on his back, the other Ming thrown on top of it. They went in canoes, following the various watercourses. With them were men from the trading post who paddled or poled the canoes. These men acted as coureurs du bois in the Indian country, and at the end of the season they paddled or poled the canoes on the return trip to the post at Fond du Lac. At each inland post the "post trader" had his warehouse and dwelling. On their return from Fond du Lac the Indians hastened to make the principal purchases of the year and to "outfit" for their hunting expeditions. Usually they were allowed to have their purchases charged to their account, the trader's books being kept by pictures of articles purchased, and when furs were placed to a man's credit, by pictures of the various sorts of furs. This bookkeeping was called by a Chippewa word meaning" he pictures." The Indians who lived near the post...