People of the Water

People of the Water. . , Side 1 , Other tribes revere special places such as the Black Hills, Devil's Tower, Lake Tahoe, and the Grand Canyon. The Anishnaabek view the Great Lakes with similar reverence, and these freshwater seas remain at the center of their culture, resources, traditions, and history. , , The Anishnaabek relationship to the Great Lakes is rooted in ceremony and tradition. Powerful spirits control the lakes, requiring appropriate actions to be taken when travelling on the water. The lakes also served as avenues for trade and war, and provided bountiful catches of fish. , , Top right image caption: The Straits of Mackinac teemed with whitefish and other species of aquatic animals. Fish were a staple of the local Native diet. , , Bottom right image caption: The Anishnaabek maintained seasonal trading and fishing villages on the shoreline of the Straits of Mackinac. , , Side 2 , The Anishnaabek relied on extensive trade routes throughout the Great Lakes. The most prolific Anishnaabek traders were the Odawa, whose name translates to "trade" in Anishnaabamowin, their native language. Ojibway from Lake Superior traveled with the Odawa on their trade excursions. Paddling their canoes, Odawa men ventured from Mackinac to Montreal to obtain European goods. , , Once back at Mackinac, they journeyed to western villages to trade these goods for pelts. As fur sources declined at the turn of the 19th century, Anishnaabek trappers were forced into new trapping grounds. Odawa trappers went as far west as Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba, or in rare instances, to Lake Athapasca, Saskatchwan. The trip from Mackinac to Lake Athapasca was 1,300 miles! , , Fishing was and continues to be an important resource for the Anishnaabek. Large villages could be sustained by whitefish and sturgeon. French explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac described fishing at Mackinac in 1695:

The great abundance of fish and the convenience of the place for fishing have caused the Indians to make a fixed settlement in those parts. It is a daily manna, which never fails; there is no family which does not catch sufficient fish in the course of the year for its subsistence. Moreover, better fish cannot be eaten and they are bathed and nourished in the purest water, the clearest and the most pellucid you can see anywhere.

The Anishnaabek knew that as long as they were at Gitchi-Gumee, they could survive. , , Lower image caption: Highly prized by European traders, beaver fur was used to make warm, waterproof hats. Anishnaabek men hunted the beaver, while women prepared the furs for trade.