History of Serpent River First Nation

1689-1763

• French and Indian Wars (Beaver Wars)

• British/Iroquois vs. French/ Ojibwe

• Iroquois plunder for furs along North Shore

• British government appoints a superintendent of Indian Affairs and starts paying 40L for the scalps of other tribes

• Ojibwe capitalize on the conflict

• Treaty of Paris ends the war

1701

• Ojibwe occupy land from Lake Erie to western shore of Lake Superior.

• Official trade with French halted by order of King of France.

• Ojibwe take furs to the British

1763

• European settlement is expanding north and west despite “no settlement” proclamation for Ohio Valley and Great Lakes region.
• Pontiac’s Rebellion against the British.  The Odawa Chief Pontiac is assassinated.

1764

• Sir William Johnson declares a Covenant Chain of Friendship and Alliance between British and 24 Anishnabe nations at Niagara Falls.  Commemorative Wampum Belt is held by the Odawa at Michilimackinac.  Sixty years later, Odawa will recite the text of the proclamation verbatim.

• Agnes Pelky’s Odawa grandmother as a little girl is present at Niagara Falls with her family from Mackinac Island (Frank Lewis)

• Drummond Island becomes the site for annual distribution of British gifts to Anishnabe, a practice that continues until 1823