Indians at the Straits

Indians at the Straits. Mackinaw City Historical Pathway. , The Woodland Indians of the Northern Midwest are believed to be remnants of the prehistoric Middle Mississippian people. The common ancestry of various tribes is evident in their similar languages. The Huron tribe spoke an Iroquois language. The Ottawa and Ojibway tribes spoke an Algonquian language. Tribes were composed of limited numbers, typically 2,000 to 3,000 people, although perhaps as many as 10,000. They were poorly organized, chiefs as tribal leaders were an invention of the white man. , , The Ottawa people were agricultural and moved with the seasons to find food. They were characterized as brave, suspicious, treacherous, generous friends and fierce enemies. They migrated to the Straits of Mackinac from the Ottawa River area and frequently traveled west to war with the Sioux. The Ojibway (Chippewa) were the first Straits region inhabitants. They were hunters and fishermen and were heavily involved in the fur trade. The Huron people were originally from Southeastern Georgian Bay and were enemies of the Iroquois. They settled at the Straits about 1650 but moved to the Mississippi River and fought with the Sioux. They returned in 1671 and joined in Marquette Mission at St. Ignace with the Ottawa. , , About 1763, at the time of Pontiac's uprising, the Huron tribe left the Straits and settled at Detroit and Sandusky, to be called the "Wyandot". The Ottawa eventually headquartered at Cross Village and occupied the Northwest Lower Peninsula. The Chippewa occupied the Northeast Lower Peninsula with a major village on Mackinac Island.