Comments on
Early Settlement as told by Peter D.
Sahpenais This is how the Potawatomi Tribe of Michigan was settle at Escanaba. This young couple was on their honeymoon from Door county, Wisconsin. These two young couple was named Shaw Wah nong gay and his wife name, Shaw Wash ko go She gok and it is said in year 1838 - five years after the last treaty Wau Be gon Ke zis meaning May month and in a few years more people came and settle there and the place was called Es Ko na Bang meaning new settlement and few years later there was Big Village because the fishing was good. Whenever the Bay waters was too rough to be out with small canoes, they went up river to fish and hunt. Some stayed at Ford River and Cedar River in few more years later. Then that's when white peoples came and found Indians there and the palefaced men began to build their houses there without asking the chief and some went to Canada. But at Cedar River most of them went up river far away from the white peoples and they stealth's was in year 1846. And yet today there is few of them yet living in their parents settlement. It is called Hannahville. And about 1873 they took up some homestead land about almost three thousand acres. Some had 1/4 section. Most had taken 80 acres and when time came to pay tax, most lost their land couldn't it. Because it was too far to go to Cedar River to pay tax in winter and today there is only one homestead land yet at Hannahville that is my Grandfather John K. Sahpenais land and he gave five acres of his land for cemetery and church lot this was about 1875 and this cemetery should be fix up some way to have deed on some kind of papers to show this ground is for all Indians cemetery. Right now it is only not quite half acres. But it was five acres of land. This n.w.n.e. 1/4 is 45 acres and five acre is cemetery and church lot. And it was in the year of 1912 when my Grandmother gave will to Abraham Thunder of 30 acres of this 80 acres of land and this 45 acres was willed to Martha Philemon and she suppose to make deed of 5 acres for cemetery and church lot. But she never did try. She wanted all the land for herself and there was some papers written by John K. Sahpenais stating that his land will be divided on four part. His daughter Mrs. Martha Philemon 20 acres and grand childrens (20) Peter D. Sahpenais, (20) Sarah Sahpenais - Curt Abraham Thunder. Each member of these got 20 acres I guess Mrs. C. Lolthon made some papers to Philemons. But the old John Sahpenais never mention any name of Philemon only his own grand childrens. Now we are only two of us yet living off the place. We would be very glad to fix everything while we are alive. Yet at this time of the year these Philemons are no relations to Sahpenais only Joseph Philemon married to Martha Sahpenais that's how this relation comes by marriage. Not by blood these folks are Northern Chippewa from Canada North Shore of Lake Superior they have a largest reservation in Canada about 120 miles long and 70 or more miles wide big land. These came to Hannahville in 1848 and they stayed with this Potawatomi ever since. These peoples followed moose track from their country on the ice. These young mens use skates and sleds to move their belonging things and their wife and kids on the sled and they landed at Munising. They said there was large flock of moose came across on the ice that winter of 1847. Then the story would be written moose took the lead for the Northern Chippewas to cross the Lake Superior and now these are well mix with Potawatomi blood and Chippewas. Philemons and Keshick - James Keshick mother was Northern Chippewas and Tom Keshick mother was full blooded Potawatomi and Anthony Keshick had two wives and nim kies or Thunder. Peter Thunder was Northern Chippewas that's Abraham Thunder father. Peter Thunder married to Elizabeth Sahpenais and both died at the same month of January 6-30, 1890 and these are Peter Thunder grand children is Percey, Ira, Perry, and four ladies. And others are in Wisconsin. Philemons are mix blood with Potawatomi and Thunders. But Keshicks family, Tom Keshick family are full blooded Potawatomi and James Keshick and family are mix blooded also Richard Meshigaud family. Harry Meshigaud and Mrs. Jennie Philemon their mothers are mix blood. Now I will tell how the Indian ruling was. The woman will take all her childrens to her own nation or tribe. But the father could not take their childrens to register in his tribe. Because it is said in their laws the women provided the blood & flesh to her childrens but the fathers do not furnish any blood to their childrens except the cords and bones are the seed of the father. This is why women had more right to follow her tribal nation to get all her childrens into her tribe because of blood and flesh. But now days the rule is change by white peoples laws. The whites have the law all their family to fall to the father side. But the doctors even knows that the mother nurse her baby with her own blood before the child is born. It would be different if the doctors had transferred the blood from the father to the newly born child. This is one point I'd like to ask - question. This is one way when the land was bought by the Government these mens Hines & Bennett put laws to be followed as it is written. These Indians shall be free from the State laws and shall be free from taxes and shall be free from licenses of any kind. Let the Indians be just as they were found in this country. From Escanaba's Lighthouse Library |
