Near Brimley in Chippewa County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Anishinabeg

Original People of Whitefish Bay

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 27, 2014

1. Anishinabeg Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

Native American History Links Past to Present
and People with the LandAccording to traditions and historical evidence, Whitefish Bay is part of the central Anishinabeg (Ojibwe or Chippewa) homeland in the Great Lakes. Members of the nearby Bay Mills Indian Community and the Sault Sainte Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians are descendants of Ojibwe bands who have occupied this area for more than 450 years.

Legend of the Crane"The Great Spirit once made a bird, and he sent it from the skies to make its abode on earth. When it reached half way down, among the clouds, it sent forth a loud and far sounding cry, which was heard by all, even by the spirits. It circled slowly above the Great Fresh Water Lakes, and again it uttered its echoing cry. Nearer and nearer it circled, till it lit on a hill overlooking Boweting (Sault Ste. Marie), pleased with the numerous whitefish that glanced and swam in the clear waters and sparkling foam of the rapids. Again the bird sent forth its loud but solitary cry, and the Bear, Catfish, Loon, Moose, and Marten clans gathered at his call. A large town was soon
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congregated, and the bird whom the Great Spirit sent presided over all."
From speech given by Crane Clan leader Tug-waug-aun-ay (Warren, 1885)

Archeological Evidence of
Pre-European Native AmericansThe earliest pottery found along Whitefish Bay is 1,900 to 1,400 years old and is hand built with designs pressed into the soft clay before the pots were fired.

Erected by Whitefish Bay Scenic Byway and Hiawatha National Forest.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Native Americans.

Location. 46° 29.041′ N, 84° 37.89′ W. Marker is near Brimley, Michigan, in Chippewa County. Marker can be reached from West Lakeshore Drive (Iroquois Road), 0.7 miles east of South Monocle Lake Road, on the left when traveling east. Marker is located in a boardwalk kiosk at the east end of the Point Iroquois Light Station parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 12942 West Lakeshore Drive, Brimley MI 49715, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 4 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Point Iroquois Light Station (here, next to this marker); Glacial Gifts (here, next to this marker); Place of the Iroquois Bones (here, next

Marker detail: Shin-ga-ba-w’ossin image. Click for full size.

2. Marker detail: Shin-ga-ba-w’ossin

Shin-ga-ba-w’ossin was a Crane Clan Leader who lived along Whitefish Bay, c. 1763-1828
(from painting by James Otto Lewis, 1826)

to this marker); Point Iroquois (within shouting distance of this marker).

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Point Iroquois Light Station, Michigan

Also see . . .
1. Anishinaabe (Wikipedia). Anishinaabe is the autonym for a group of culturally-related indigenous peoples who are resident in what are now Canada and the United States. They also include the Odawa, Saulteaux, Ojibwe (including Mississaugas), Potawatomi, Oji-Cree, and Algonquin peoples. Anishinaabe is often mistakenly considered a synonym of Ojibwe; however, it refers to a much larger group of tribes. (Submitted on August 9, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. The Ojibwe Migration. A larger group of Ojibwe, which consisted primarily of families of the Crane, the Bear, the Catfish, the Loon, and the Marten and Moose clans, blazed a path westward along the southern shores of Lake Superior. They stopped at Grand Island, near the Pictured Rocks, and again at L’Anse Bay, until they finally made their way to Chequamegon Bay in present-day Wisconsin. (Submitted on August 9, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Marker detail: Basket Maker Katherine Boulley image. Click for full size.

Courtesy Mrs. Carol Taylor and Bayliss Public Library

3. Marker detail: Basket Maker Katherine Boulley

Marker detail: Hazel Parish Wilcox image. Click for full size.

Courtesy Bay Mills-Brimley Historical Research Society

4. Marker detail: Hazel Parish Wilcox

Native American Worker cutting large maple tree with crosscut saw in 1930.

Hazel Parish Wilcox netting whitefish through the ice in early 1900s.

Marker detail: Tree Planting Crew from Camp Marquette image. Click for full size.

5. Marker detail: Tree Planting Crew from Camp Marquette

Camp Marquette (1935-1941) was the only all-Indian CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) camp in the nation that was not located on a reservation. Enrollees from this camp located near Whitefish Bay built many miles of roads and planted thousands of pine trees on National Forest land.

Marker detail: Ancient Artifacts image. Click for full size.

6. Marker detail: Ancient Artifacts

Stone net sinker (above), Stone projectile points (upper middle), Fragments from rims of decorated clay pots (far right and lower middle).

Credits. This page was last revised on August 9, 2020. It was originally submitted on August 8, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 216 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on August 8, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on August 9, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.