METIS CULTURE 1700-1707 Fort Detroit, New France (Michigan), for Marriage: birth 1705/12 (III)- Marie Anne Roy, METIS daughter (II)- Pierre Du Roy (1676-1743) and Marguerite Ouabankikoue, Miami.d-1732; married 1732 Francois Dupuis.
Pierre Du Roy, wife Marguerite Ouabankikoue (Miami Indian) d-1732 and children, paid rent, some claim Roy and Joseph Parent were in Detroit living among the Indians before Cadillac arrived. March 10, 1707, for 3 livres rent and 10 livres for other rights.
The Jesuit relations and allied documents: travels and explorations of the Jesuit missionaries in New France, 1610-1791 : the original French, Latin, and Italian texts, with English translations and notes
Thwaites, Reuben Gold, 1853-1913.
(Cleveland : Burrows, 1900.)
Subject : Jesuits -- Missions.
Indians of North America -- Missions.
Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France)
Jesuit Relations
CIHM: 07603
Biographies of Miami People
1. COLD FOOT OR LE PIED FROID-Headman or Okima of the Miami band at Kekionga called Twightwee or Twa Twa -Crane Totem- Atchategeoman Band. Coldfoot was loyal to the French at Fort Wayne, Indiana and Detroit but was unable to persuade othe Miami from following Old Briton, a Piankeshaw Miami to Piqua and the English fort there. He was a great great uncle to another famous Miami, Cheif Richardville. He and his son, Le Gris the elder, and his mother died at Kekionga during a smallpox epidemic during the winter of 1751-52.
2. MARGARET OUABANKIKOVE-She was a sister of Le Pied Froid or Cold Foot. She married a Frenchman named Peter or Piere Roy in 1703. She died of smallpox and was buried there October 31, 1732 at Detroit. Her husband was with Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac when they landed at Detroit in July 1701 and established Fort Pontchartrain.
3. TACUMAWAH-Parakeet- Marie Louis Pacanne Richerville- she was born at Kekionga sometime in the 1720's and latter married a Frenchman named Joseph drouet de la Richerville who was a member of the garrison and listed as a lieutenant at Ft. St. Phillippe ( Fort Wayne, Indiana). The French would come to know her as "Une Cheifress" of the village of Lalabiche (Kekionga) because she controlled the fur trade at this place and into the valley of the Wabash at the Forks or Flint Springs (Huntington, Indiana). She gave birth to four children, one of which grew to become known as Chief Richardville who led the Miami well into the 19th century. She encouraged him to take his rightful place as a leader amoung the Miami. She was also known as sister of the chief of Kekionga, Pacan. And niece of Cold Foot.
4. PACAN-Chief of the Kekionga Miami until his death in 1815. He was a brother of Tacumwah. He sat for two portraits in his lifetime. One is housed today at the Allen County Historical Society in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He comes from a long line of descendants of Miami people who led their nation including being a nephew of Cold Foot.
5. LITTLE TURTLE- He was known as Michikinokwa or Great Turtle's mother? In 1747 in his father's village at the norht end of Blue Lake about 17 miles west of Fort Wayne. He rose to prominence as a war leader skilled in knowing his adversary as early as 1780 when he defeated a French led American unit on the Eel River just three miles from his village. He later would lead his people against the Americans in 1790 at the battle of Kekionga, driving the forces under General Josiah Harmar from the area and once again at the battle of St. Claire's defeat commanding a unified confederacy of Indian nations against the entire American military. He counciled for peace between 1791 and 1794 but was voted down by other leaders of the united confederacy. He was present but did not command the confederacy at Fallen Timbers in 1794 when the woodland Nations lost to a new American commander, "Mad" Anthony Wayne. He signed the Treaty of Greenville in 1795 and vowed never to break the peace that was established that day. He was honored by President George Washington, and the world ambassadors with gifts, aid in many forms and sat for a portrait that today is housed in the historical society at Fort Wayne. He left a legacy for the Miami and had several children including Wakshingaw or Cresent Moon and father of Kilsoquah, Mekottamongwa and Manwangopath or Sweet Breeze by a Miami who was the sister of Chief Makwa. Sweet Breeze married William Wells. He had a cabin built for him on the Eel River and a palisaded village grew around a small trading post until they were destroyed during the War of 1812. He died in 1812 from gout, and was buried with military honors in an old graveyard along the bank of the St. Joseph River near the home of his son-in-law, the famed captive, William Wells.
6. CHIEF RICHARDVILLE- He was born at Kekionga at the confluence of the three rivers near a 300 year old apple tree to Tacumwah and her husband, Joseph Richerville in 1761. Jean Baptiste or Pechewa (Wildcat) was raised in the Miami village and was much influenced by his mother, Tacumwah. She was known to have guided him and speak for him in council. She even put a knife in his hand and told him to rescue a white prisoner from the Miami warriors who were about to burn him at the stake. He did what he was told and declared afterwards that he was the next chief of the village of Kekionga. He inherited that position upon the death of his uncle, Pacan in 1815. Later Richardville would sign many treaties on behalf of the entire Miami nation and this caused some strife between old factions of people. He gained wealth from his mother's business abilities and from the gifts alloted to him from the treaty negotiations. He had a house built for him on the banks of the St. Mary's River south of Fort Wayne, which is still standing today. He had business arrangments with other Miami and moved his trading operations to the Forks of the Wabash (Huntington) to better serve the other Miami villages. He protested talk of removing the Miami from Indiana and as long as he lived, the Miami remained in Indiana. He died August, 1841, age 80 and one of the wealthiest Indian's to have lived. He married a woman named Nantoqueah and they had six children. Three sons died before him. Three daughters, Cathrine, Susan and La Blonde had a monument erected for him. All left descendants and some are scattered throughout the United States today. He had his portrait painted three times. His body remains in the old cemetery beneath the Cathedral in downtown Fort Wayne. His legacy lives on.
7. CATHERINE RICHARDVILLE-PECONGOQUAH-She was the youngest daughter of six children born to Chief Richardville. She is a descendant of a very long line of Miami and French aristocracy. She was born sometime in the late 18th century and married Topeah, or Francis Lafontaine in 1810. She had been raised Catholic and was schooled along with her sisters by nuns. When her father died in 1841, she inherited the trading house and land holdings at the Forks of the Wabash. Her husband continued to trade and hired whitemen to clear land for farming. He tried to continue the argument to stall emigration of the Miami but did not have the influence of his father-in-law. He went west in 1846 with nearly 400 Indian Maimi who boarded canal boats in southwest Allen County for land in Kansas and Oklahoma. On the return trip, Francis died at Lafayette, leaving Catherine a wealthy widow with eight children. Catherine remarried and upon her death, her youngest child, Archangel inherited her property in the late 1860's.
8. KILSOQUAH-SETTING SUN- Kilsoquah was a granddaughter of the famous Little Turtle who lived to be 105 years old. She was born in 1810, the daughter of Wokshingwah or Cresent Moon, one of the Little Turtle's two sons by a Miami woman. She was born on the Eel River and later married Anthony Revarre, a French-Miami. They had two children who died childless. She spent her remaining years with her son near Roanoke, Indiana. She became quite a sensation attending picnics and Miami reunions. Many photos were taken during her lifetime and she was interviewed about her grandfather, though she never spoke English. She died at her home in 1915.
9. FRANCIS GODFROY-PALAWONZA- Francis was born in 1789, of a Miami mother and French father who was a trader amoung the Miami. He became war chief of the Miami in the War of 1812 defending the Miami villages along the Mississinewa. He later became a good businessman and ran two trading posts, one on the Salamonie and one on the Wabash. He employed a white man to build several cabins in 1822 surrounded by a palisade and called it Mount Pleasant four miles east of Peru. He once gave a steamboat captain a parcel of land if he would paddle up the Wabash and set him off the boat near his home at Peru. He was an associate of Chief Richardville and left correspondence of such which is now housed in the Miami County Museum at Peru, Indiana. He married a Miami and had thirteen children. His son James married La Blonde Richardville's daughter, Archange and so the families were linked directly. He had his portrait painted in 1838 by George Winter, which depicted him as a robust man with reddish hair wearing a mixture of Miami and American clothing. He was said to have weighted as much as 340 pounds near the time of his death. The chief left many descendants and some are still living in the area today. He died at home in 1840.
10. FRANCES SLOCUM-MACONSAQUAH-LITTLE BEAR WOMAN- She was a white captive taken by the Delaware when she was five years old from her home in Pennsylvania along the Susquehanna. She later married a Miami and lived near Fort Wayne. Sometime around 1818 she and her family moved to Osage village along the Mississinewa and later moved further up the river where she lived long after the death of her husband, Shepoconah or Deaf Man and her two sons. She had two daughters, Ozashinkwa and Kiknokishewa or daughter of cut finger. Both married Miami/Frenchman who became preachers. Her white relatives found her in 1837 and visited her several times trying to persuade her to come back east and live the rest of her life. She declined. She could not remember the language of her relatives and she only knew the life of a Miami. She died at her Miami Cabin in 1847. George Winter painted several portraits of her and her daughters while he stayed at her cabin in 1838.
11. WILLIAM WELLS- APOKONIT-CARROT HEAD-William was born in Kentucky in 1774? He was about 14 when he was captured by a Miami war party near Louisville. Porcupine raised William until he matured into a fine Miami Warrior. He used his ability to speak and understand English to help Little Turtle in his need for information about the enemy's plans during the 1790 and 91 campaigns. This, Little Turtle awarded with the hand of his daughter, Sweet Breeze. William and Sweet Breeze had three children. Mary Wells who married Judge James Wolcott of Ohio. Anne Wells who married Dr. Turner of Fort Wayne. And Wayne Wells who went to West Point. William was to marry a Wea woman and finally a woman named Mary Geiger with whom he had one child. William was first a spy for the adopted Miami family that he felt allegiance for and then later with the consent of his father-in-law he spied for the Americans under Anthony Wayne. He became first Indian factor and Indian agent at Fort Wayne. He was always the subject of controversy by men of both worlds. He was both hero and enemy and died dressed as a Miami warrior trying to save the instigation of Tecumseh during the summer of 1812. His enemies ate his heart because they too respected his dignity and courage.
12. METOCINYA- A descendant of his grandfather, Osandiah and his son, Atawata who settled on the Mississinewa upon leaving the villages on the Great Miami River near Piqua, Ohio. He had 10 children by his wife Chakapeah. He signed numerous treaties with the Americans starting in 1814, 1818, and 1826. He died in 1839.
13. MESHINOGMESIA- Oldest son of Metocinya and was granted the last reserve in Indiana until he broke up in 1874. The village was located along the Mississinewa near Marion, Indiana.
14. WHITE LOON-WPAMANGUA- Little is known of his life other than he married a daughter of Chief Little Turtle and her name was Macutemonquah. He helped rescue the William Wells party at the seige and massacre of Ft. Dearborn in 1812. It was at his village in 1846 southwest of Fort Wayne and at a turnaround area for the canal boats that the Miami were loaded up onto canal boats and forced to leave their beloved Wabash Valley home.
15. LE GROS- MACHEKELTAH- Today a small river town on the Wabash valley bears his name or that of his father Le Gros the elder. He represented the Miami from his village at the Treaty of Greenville in 1795. The government awarded him a grant and built him a brick home at his village of Le Gros where the Salamonie River empties into the Wabash.
16. JOSEPH RICHARDVILLE- WAPEMUNWAH-He was the warrior son of Chief Richardville and won the respect of his people during the battle of the Mississinewa in 1812. He was educated in Detroit and played the flute and violin. He later became an alcoholic and his father blamed this on the influence of the white students at the Indian schools, so therefore he thereafter opposed formal education for his children.
17. COESSE- KUWAZI-grandson of Miami Chief Little Turtle. Coesse or Kuwazi or Kowazi was the Potawatomi nickname for him. His Miami name was Metekkah and he was the son of Little Turtle's son Black Loon or Mekutamonquah. Little Turtle gave him the nickname after he had heard it from Potawatomi friends. In the later years, Coesse became a respected village chief and was given land via treaties in what is now Whitley County, Indiana. Coesse made a speech at the grave of his grandfather, Little Turtle when he died in 1812 at Fort Wayne. Coesse went west in 1846 with the Miami when they were forced to leave Indiana but he returned to his reserve sometime later. In 1853 he visited his cousin, Kilsoquah or Setting Sun at her village near Roanoke, Indiana. There he became ill and died within two weeks and was buried near there. The village of Coesse was laid out by Peter Simmonson in honor of the Miami Chief.