THE MICHIGAN INDIAN
Transcribed from a document composed by Benjamin Greane in the 1980’s.
Benjamin was born in 1916 and died in 1991.
I am Benjamin Greane, a full-blood Ottawa Indian, born on Pincherry road in Charlevoix County.
I attend the Greensky Hill Indian Methodist Church near Charlevoix. There are not very many of
us full-bloods around; my grand-children are three-eighth Indian and you would have to be told
that they had Indian blood in their veins because they look “white”.
I would dare say; the chances of an average person knowing an average Indian in an average
lifetime are pretty slim. Think about it!
I have been to many meetings across the nation and right in Michigan where lecturers, who are
usually non-Indian, are relating the history of the American Indian. These lecturers have history
books and “documented” writings, written by non-Indians. These histories are usually about the
eastern tribes, Oklahoma, or Southwest Indians. Sometimes the Indians of the Dakotas are referred
to in relation to Custer and his “Last Stand”. I heard one lecturer say that there were no survivors
in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, that person was shocked when I told him that there were
thousands of survivors, Indian survivors. American history books are only recently being revised
to reflect American history from the Indians’ point of view and they are slowly being introduced
in the schools of the nation. Very little has been written about the Michigan Indians. We have our
problems with history. We have social problems. We have economic problems. We have problems
with our U. S. government.
Some of these problems I want to discuss with you so that you might understand them from my
point of view. So let's begin with my history and background,
My grandfather on my father's side was named O-ke-che-gaw-me. He was born around 1842 in
Long Village near Harbor Springs. My grandfather on my mother's side of the family was Shegwaw-jaw. He was born around 1861 in an Indian Village west of Bay Shore. About the middle
of the 1800s, the Indians who were not removed during the Removal Act were given land and a
promise, by treaty, of a monetary payment annually. However, this was land that was offered to
early settlers for homesteading but was not taken because of its difficulty or uselessness for
farming and was “left over” and unclaimed. Each Indian family was given eighty acres of his
choice of these unclaimed parcels of land to be farmed,
Becoming a land owner presented other problems with the State of Michigan. One of the problems
was the name to be placed on the deed registration. With names like She-gwaw-jaw and O-ke-chegaw-me, the State of Michigan said these were not proper names for a deeded parcel of land. You
have to have a “Christian” name said the state and the county! How do you go about changing
your name? If it is a “Christian” name they want, where could be a better place to find one but the
bible! So my grandfathers searched the bible for a “proper” name. O-ke-che-gaw-me became
Simon and She-gwaw-jaw became Benjamin. This was the passing of a heritage, a memory to be
forgotten, a beautiful part of my heritage disappeared. The last name of Greane was provided by
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the county to fulfill the wishes of the state, the name of Willis was provided for my other
grandfather. A very personal part of my heritage was destroyed that day, and could we say this
was done “in the name of Christianity”, it appeared that way. This was only one way, of many
ways, to destroy the Indians’ culture and heritage,
On May 24, 1888, the United States government granted to Simon Greane and his wife Mary (also
from the bible) S.E. ¼ of Sec 36, Charlevoix County. Simon and Mary had two sons, twins, named
James and Charles, born May 17, 1876. Forty acres were cleared for farming. Clearing not only
meant trees, it meant pincherry trees and other scrub growth that thrives in sandy, rocky, soil.
Many plow points were broken as many rocks were plowed up; farming this land was very
difficult.
Granted lands were supposed to be “tax free”, but the State of Michigan, through congressional
representation, had this reversed because the “annual” payment amounted to about forty dollars,
per Indian, over a period of ten years, and then discontinued because the money was not being
appropriated by Congress. This money was to be paid, annually, “as long as water runs downhill”,
as I used to hear my elders say during their conversations.
It is well known that Peter Minuit in 1626 bought Manhattan Island for $24.00 in cloth and beads.
To make a moral point, the incident is told often in recent years to illustrate the white man's
unethical dealings with Indians. It was a shady deal at best, yet this infamous real estate deal,
consummated along the Hudson, has nothing on the illegal and unethical transactions between
whites and Indians in the State of Michigan.
The following was typical: 16 counties around Detroit were lost by Indians to whites in 1807 for
$10,000 down and $2,400 a year--to be paid forever! Though comparable to the Peter Minuit
Manhattan Island deal, unfortunately there are others as bad and worse. For example, in 1818, 7.4
million acres of thumb area were lost. The price was $16,667, Indians received only $3,000 in
silver and none of the other treaty stipulations guaranteed were ever delivered: farming instructors,
school teachers, and school houses, plus, the balance of the monies was never paid. Remember
too, the price of land at this time was 50 cents an acre which should have brought the Indians more
than 3 million dollars on this one transaction alone.
The year before, in 1817, in a gesture of friendship and goodwill, Indians gave a large piece of
land to the University of Michigan. The agreement, in black and white and understood by
everyone, was that the university would provide free education to all of this state's Indians who
wanted it. This agreement, of course, was never kept and compensation for the Indians is still in
the hands of the courts. These small, so to speak, one-on-one transactions throughout the state may
prove to be the cruelest to Indians and most embarrassing to whites of all.
As bad as these deals are, probably the biggest swindle of all took place in 1819 with the Treaty
of Saginaw. One third of the Lower Peninsula became the property of the United States
government for a few trinkets, several barrel of rum, and a thousand dollars in silver. A company
of the United States Third Infantry was there to assist with the transactions, of course. Most of the
articles of this treaty were broken by whites within the first two years following the signing.
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Overly trusting, friendly and confronted with strange and alien concepts, Michigan Indians were
slow to realize what was happening. Nevertheless, they ultimately became outraged as one
injustice after another was heaped upon them. Fearing Indian solidarity and an uprising, whites
acted swiftly. There was no end to which they wouldn't go to acquire the Indians' land. In the
1820s, a proposal was made to remove Indians either by death in battle, if they resisted, or as
prisoners of war, and this became the leading issue in the 1828 presidential campaign. Andrew
Jackson made it the official policy in 1830. Every Indian in the two peninsulas would be moved
to Minnesota. This would get rid of the “Indian Problem” once and for all. No more phony treaty
procedures. Just move the Indians and steal their land outright.
Naturally, the Indians resisted, becoming fugitives in their own country. Not because of what they
did or didn't do, but just because they were Indians. They clung desperately to their native soil for
six years, and, with but minor skirmishes, they eluded the military expeditions sent out to get them.
Then, much to the embarrassment of the whites, Indians were still around in 1836. This was a
critical year for white expansion, wanting statehood with a passion and desperately needing Indian
title extinguishment of the land, another treaty was hastily drawn up. The treaty of 1836 was
instrumental in bringing about statehood in 1837. Unfortunately, this treaty was broken so badly
by whites that presently ten million dollars was awarded to the Chippewa and Ottawa tribes for
the grave injustices done. This award has now grown to be about 30 million dollars at this time.
This award is for land only and does not include hunting and fishing rights involving two thirds of
the state granted in this treaty.
Of the twelve Michigan treaties which will be judged by the United States Supreme Court in the
decade of the 80s, it will be interesting to see what materializes from some of the non-direct money
award clauses. As but one example, the 1836 treaty clearly and specifically mandates the
construction of a free hotel on Mackinac Island for the Indians. There are many treaty articles
such as this. Possibly, the most far reaching of all will be the Supreme Court interpretation of the
treaty entitlement “Fruits of the Land”. Those in the know claim this means timber and mineral
rights for Michigan Indians on all 19th century ceded lands.
Even crueler were the local incidents that do not make the history books such as the Burt Lake
Incident. At the turn of the century in the early 1900s, lake front property and lake locations were
becoming more desirous to the whites. The Indians living on those lands were systematically being
removed by “Quit Claim Deeds” and other shady legal means. Indians living in a village on Burt
Lake were being pressured to move. During one of Michigan’s bitter winters, the Indian village
became sick and some were dying. Doctors from the area came in to “help” by giving the Indians
shots laced with typhoid germs and the Indians began to die off rapidly. The ones who did not die
and were still mobile went to the Catholic Mission in Cross Village. After the Indians vacated their
village, the health department came in and burned the village down.
Doctors lost their credibility among the Indians and, for many years, were not used for their
sicknesses. Mothers giving births did not call them and this led to a birth record problem in the
surrounding counties because babies’ births were not recorded anywhere. During the 1920s,
doctors began to become more dependable for Indians’ ailments and more doctors were being
called by Indian people.
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Legal aid was also a problem for local Indians of Petoskey. One could find a lawyer to fill out
legal papers and contracts and such; but, if you were in a legal confrontation with a white person,
no lawyer would represent you. This did not change completely until after the Second World War
of the 1940s.
Hundreds of young Indian men returned from the battlefields of World War II. The youth, in their
Eisenhower jackets and crew cuts, came home from the “War of the Whites” and expected to be
accepted by society and communities from whence they came. When this did not happen, they
turned to the federal government and there they found the “BIA”—the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
To the amazement of the Indians, they found out that they were not Indians! All of the Michigan
Indians were moved to Minnesota and there were no longer Indians in Michigan. Being in a war,
and sometimes with rank, did not change a man’s stature in the community; he was still “Just an
Indian”. One thing he did learn during this time was “Organization”—that together we can get
things done.
The North American Indian Club was started in Detroit and Waunetta and Robert Dominic started
the Northern Michigan Ottawa Association, a statewide organization, to press for a settlement of
the 1836 Ottawa Treaty. But first of all, they had to prove there were Indians in Michigan; and,
second, they had to prove that these Indians were descendants of the original occupants of the land
at the time the treaty was signed. Land value at the time of the treaty had to be established; and, a
roll of the descendants of the people who were paid on the original treaty roll had to be established.
After many years of hard work by the Dominics and other Michigan Indian leaders, the case was
finally won. Payoff to the Saginaw Band and the Grand River Band has been paid. Because of
legal complications within the Ottawa and Chippewa Bands, the northern Indians' reparations have
not been made, at this period in time.
There have been two trains of thought in all of this. One has been held by the Dominics of “No
Give” on starting a reservation-type of existence—of being tied to and controlled by the “BIA”.
The other has been to organize and join the “BIA” and start a reservation. This seemed to be the
line of least resistance for some people in certain areas of the state.
One area that succumbed to the pressure from Washington was the Indians who were around Mt.
Pleasant. Previously, they had been tied to and somewhat dependent upon the Mt. Pleasant Indian
School. When the school was closed and ties to the federal government were broken, they realized
they were also cut off from many benefits extended to other Indians in other states. In order to
participate in programs such as housing, health, and employment services, they would have to
organize and apply for reservation status with the “BIA”. This they did and they are now one of
six such reservations in Michigan.
Indians of the Keweenaw Peninsula had a former reservation that was, at one time, terminated.
When the Self-Determination Act under the Nixon administration came into being, the Chippewa
of the Keweenaw Peninsula opted to become a reserve once more. They started a building project
on the reserve and also have a settlement in Watersmeet, Michigan, where more building is being
done. Of course, there is also a fishery industry that was taken over by the reservation.
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The Brimley Indians did a lot of fishing and when they began to study the treaties and the fishing
and hunting rights extended to Indians under those treaties, they began to explore the possibility
of being covered by those treaties. They found out that the federal government could not, or would
not, help them out unless they were an instrumentality of the federal government. They then
organized under the “BIA” regulations and became the Bay Mills Indian Reservation; the publicity
of the Indian fishing has been such that it need not be further covered here.
The Potawatomi Indian Reservation near Bark River in the Upper Peninsula has a somewhat
different story. To begin with, they are a displaced tribe. They originally came from around
Athens, Michigan and were to be moved to Minnesota; but, many “escaped” and moved north
through Wisconsin and ended up north around Bark River. There was a large consolidated public
school located at Harris where nearly one hundred Indian children attended. Under the JohnsonO'Malley Act, monies were allocated to schools where Indian children attend. This money was to
be used for the benefit of the Indian child and was supposed to have some Indian parent input as
to how it was used. The Harris School administration refused this input and monies were placed
in the school’s general fund, school officials said the Indian children were being benefited by this
general fund through the school’s programs. The parents could not accept this and they started
their own school; they pulled out all their children. They organized a school board, hired qualified
teachers, and built their own school on the reservation. This school became very successful. The
Harris School, on the other hand, had been dealt a blow to its financial wellbeing because all the
reservation money, in lieu of taxes and federal money had been pulled out of the school system.
The Sault Ste. Marie Chippewa Indians had a problem with the city of Sault Ste. Marie in getting
benefits extended to cities for depressed minorities living within the city limits. For many years,
the city had been receiving monies for various community projects such as water mains, electricity
extension, and sewer lines. The money had been earmarked for the depressed areas of the city, but
was not used for those areas. The Indian community became angry with the city council and began
to explore the possibility of becoming a reservation within the city limits. Of course, the city said
it could not be done and went to court about it. The city lost and the Sault Band of Chippewa
became a reservation within the city limits. This too cost the city a lot in lost taxes and federal
money that was allocated for Indian benefits. With access to this funding, the Band acquired more
land and improved their sewer system, water system, and took care of drainage problems that
plagued them every spring.
The newest reservation to be organized under the Self-Determination Act was the Grand Traverse
Band of Ottawa/Chippewa Indians in Suttons Bay, Michigan on the Leelanau Peninsula, north of
Traverse City. This Band was organized out of desperation, because social services, legal services,
and health care were difficult to come by through area and community services.
When the Grand Traverse Band came into being, I gave up on the Dominics’ “No Give In” policy
and I joined on the 22nd of October 1980 and became reservation member “498”. Becoming a
member of a recognized tribe by the “BIA”, I became an Indian who was eligible for health care
at any Indian Health Service Center, legal services, and other miscellaneous services. Of course,
several years later, the “BIA” began enrolling and certifying Indians not on reservations and
allowing them to participate in the Indian Health Centers. This is after many years of bitter fighting
in courts and other legal processes; the Indians won back a little ground in their fight for justice
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under the law.
The treatment of Indians in Michigan is our state and national shame. A nation founded on justice
and law and God does not do what was done to its native people.
Native Americans comprise our most depressed and most forgotten ethnic minority group. The
paternalistic and pervasive government “welfare” programs seem to have been more effective in
soothing the Anglo-American's guilt than removing the Native American's poverty. Perhaps this
is because strategies and programs have been designed and implemented by Anglo-Americans
largely according to “white” culture, understanding, and needs. The Church, too, has had a
paternalistic relationship with the Native Americans. Too often, the Church has not brought the
Native Americans the gospel—good news—which can be appropriated by any people. Instead, the
Church has ignored or denied the Native American’s existing ancient and beautiful expressions of
his experience of the providence of the Great Spirit. The Church has brought “white” forms of
worship sermons—sermons preached and English hymns sung within four walls. It has often
condemned, or at least patronized, forms of worship indigenous to the Native American—dancing,
presenting dramas, singing Native American hymns, and meeting out-of-doors at “pow-wow
grounds”.
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Perhaps at last the Native American can say what he needs, what he is, and what he will become;
perhaps at last the Anglo-American can listen, support and empower. Self-determination may be
a long trail, but the journey must be undertaken. In the Church, the development of leadership is
crucial to self-determination. Young people entering the ministry must be encouraged and
supported; scholarship and seminary programs should be re-examined to see if they meet the
specialized needs of the Native Americans. Also, indigenous lay leadership should be developed
by training programs which are self-determined by districts and local churches,
Native Americans must be free to develop their own theological statements, and these may well
come from paint, clay, or the stage, rather than in verbal form from the printing press. Worship
must be an expression of the Native American experience and feeling; the compilation of the
Native American hymns in songbooks and hymnals is particularly recommended.
More Native Americans must be appointed to decision-making positions in United Methodist
Boards and Agencies; and salaries of Native Americans, whether they are board staffers or local
pastors, must be equivalent to their Anglo-American counterparts. Two-way communication
between Anglo and Native Americans—which has been blocked for so long—is essential.
Society and the Church ignore the Native American at their own peril. The Native American has
insights which can contribute to the renewal, indeed perhaps the survival, of us all. The
relationship between the Anglo-American and the Native American has been paternalistic, like
the relationship between a father and a child. This relationship must be changed to one of
partnership; indeed the Anglo-Americans and the Native Americans must become brothers. In
the prophetic words of Chief Seattle speaking in 1854: “One thing we know, which the white
man may one day discover—our God is the same God. You may think now that you own him as
you wish to own our land; but you cannot, he is the God of man, and his compassion is equal for
the red man and the white. This Earth is precious to him, and to harm the earth is to heap
contempt on its creator. The white too shall pass; perhaps sooner than all other tribes. ....even the
white man cannot be exempt from the common destiny, we may be brothers after all. We shall
see.
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