Reverend James Evans

Reverend James Evans. . , Reverend James Evans was a Methodist missionary credited with translating the Cree language and creating the first Ojibway-Cree alphabet. Reverend Evans spent the winter of 1838-1839 at Michipicoten Post. , Born in England in 1801, Evans emigrated to Lower Canada with his family in 1822. In 1828 he accepted a job as a teacher with the Methodist Episcopal Church at the Rice Lake School for Indian Children. While there, he mastered the Ojibway language and began his work on an Ojibway-Cree alphabet, translating hymns and scripture into Ojibway. , Reverend Evans was fascinated with the Ojibway people and their culture. He enthusiastically accepted the task of a two year tour of the Lake Superior country to meet with its residents and give them guidance and spiritual support. He spent two winters at the Michipicoten Post while his wife and daughter stayed in Cobourg, Ontario. In a letter to his brother dated February 9, 1839, the reverend relates the difficulties encountered during the long, cold months during a Michipicoten winter. "This winter has been particularly unfavourable. The snows have been almost incessantly falling from the 19th of October until the 1st of January ... the poor fellows on their hunting grounds have in several instances been utterly unable to provide for their families and have come in to the fort to get relief ... and we much fear some may have hungered to death, a misfortune by no means of rare occurrence in this country, for not only the Indians frequently perish, but whole bodies of whites have been hungered to death in some instances. There is an old woman who is now encamped near us who last week ate a pair of snow shoes , that is, all the netting which is raw-hide, as also her moccasins, and every bit of leather strap and string which she possessed. In fact we have no very great supply for ourselves , for in November the boat was lost with 16 barrels of fish on the bar entering the river, and all went to the bottom and a poor fellow with them, and the season was so stormy that 30 barrels more with 300 dry white fish could not be sent down the lake to this post. However we hope not to hunger as we have corn and flour sufficient." , In the summer of 1939, Reverend Evans was appointed minister in Guelph, Ontario. He returned to missionary work soon after and spent a number of years at Norway House in Manitoba. After bouts of ill health, he returned to England in 1946 and died suddenly soon after. , The Ojibway alphabet created by Evans is still used today. His many letters and journals give us insight into the lives of the 40 families of our Michipicoten First Nation ancestors. Reverend Evans' written legacies have become wonderful sources of information on the lifestyle, culture and daily activities at Michipicoten and the early Canadian frontier. , www.wawahistory.com .