Wapasha I / "Red-Bonnet": (abt.1656 - ?)
He was the son of Pine-Shooter & Opechanaoanough,
born in the Mille Lacs area. He married an Ojibwe woman and their son was
Wabasha II (b.abt.1682).
In 1640 (nearly 40 years after the Europeans
explore the northern North America east & west coasts) Jesuit Relation
records the information Jean Nicolet obtained on his visit (1634) to Green
Bay (visiting the Winnebago - a Siouan tribe whose language & culture
are more closely related to the Iowa, Oto & Missouri Siouan tribes
than the Sioux) documenting a tribe called "Naduesiu" to the west (the
Algonquian name for the tribe meaning snakes - the French version of the
name became Scioux or Sioux)(the Winnebago name for their distant relatives,
the Sioux, was Caha). It was probably about this time that the Assiniboine
split off from the Yankton (Nakota) Sioux and migrate north into Cree lands.
It appears by this time period the Winnebago have been cut off from their
distantly related Siouan tribes of the Iowa, Oto, Missouri & Sioux
due no doubt to the Iroquios wars in the east which forced the Algonquian
tribes to migrate west. The Ojibwe into the north western Winnebago lands
& the Fox/Sauk into the southwestern Winebago lands.
In 1660 Radisson & Groseillier visit the
Sioux and at this time period they were seeking the firearms that their
enemy the Cree had already obtained from the French & using against
them. Radisson later takes about 50 Sioux on a peace mission to the Cree
and at another time visited the "nation of the beefe" or "Prairie Sioux"
to the west.
1671 the Sioux drive the Ottawa-Huron refugees
from the Mississippi valley.
On 2 July 1679, Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du
Luth (Duluth) visiting the "Sioux of the Lakes" village on Mille Lacs called
Izatys (this was a Santee Sioux or Dakota village).
Spring of 1680, Michel Accault-Dacan, Antoine
Dugay-Auguel dit Picard & Father Louis Hennipen (they are sent by LaSalle
up the Mississippi to the Sioux) are escorted by a Sioux war-party to the
Izatys village on Mille Lacs. The principle Chief on Mille Lacs is documented
by Hennipen as Aquipaguitin.
1695 Pierre LeSueur escorts Mdewakaton Chief
Tioscate (Teeoskahtay) to Montreal for council.
1700 Mdewakanton Chief Wankantape visits Pierre
LeSueur on the Blue Earth River. (southern tributary of the Minnesota River.
Wapasha II / "Snow-Mountain": (abt.1682 - ?)
He was the son of Red-Bonnet & a Ojibwe
woman, born in the area of Mille Lacs. His son was Wabasha III (b.abt.1700-20).
Wabasha III / "Red-Leaf" / Lafeuille / Ouabachas: (abt.1700/20
- ?)
He was the son of Wabasha II, born in the
Cass Lake area. His children were: Wabasha IV (b.abt.1773/76), Pelagia
(b.abt.1779/81)(m.Augustin Ange dit St.Onge-Lefeure), Daughter (b.abt.1776)(m.Pierre
Lapointe), Marpiyarotowin or "Grey Cloud" (d.1844)(m.James Aird, abt.1783),
Daughter (b.abt.1775)(m.Joseph Larocque) & Margaret (m.1st.Antoine
Dubois & m.2nd.Joseph Rolette).
Wabasha III was a Mdewakanton Civil-Chief
until about 1776.
In 1736 Wabasha III was accused of killing
a Frenchman in Illinois Country.
In 1737 French traders are forced out of Sioux
lands.
Spring of 1741 Ojibwe & Ottawa attack
Dakota killing 7 at one location & 11 at another.
September 1741 about 200 Cree & Assiniboine
attack "Prairie Sioux" at least 70 Sioux warriors noted by Laverndrye.
"Sioux of the Lakes" Chief "Sacred-Born" visits Paul Marin (at this time
the Cree/Assiniboine & the Ojibwe/ Ottawa alliances were threatening
the Sioux borders on the north & east) in Octorber of 1741 to arrange
a peace conference (in 1741 Sieur de LaRonde holds a Ojibwe/Dakota peace
council at LaPointe), Jan.1741 Marin hold council with Dakota at the mouth
of the Wisconsin River and in July of 1742 Marin is in Montreal at council.
Sacred-Born" & "Leaf-Shooter" represented the Mdewakanton Sioux and
spoke of raids on the "Prairie Sioux" which had killed 160 warriors. A
peace was establish which seems to have lasted a while.
In 1740 Wabasha III met Paul Marin on the
Rock River. with Sintez.- Marin takes them to Montreal council with Gov.Beauharnois.
About 1743-46, when word of the new French
war (King George's War) reached Michilimackinac a group of voyageurs deserted
the French for the far west, some living among the Sioux.
1746 Paul-Louis Dazenard, Sieur Lusignan (command
of the French post at Green Bay) is with the Sioux, attempting to bring
the deserting voyageur back east. He is unsuccessful but does return with
4 Dakota Chief whom he takes to Montreal for a Council.
1750-54 Paul Marin & his son Joseph re-establish
trade with the Dakota. He help the Dakota & Ojibwe negociate winter
hunting grounds giving the Ojibwe the right to use the Crow Wing Valley
for a season of 1750-51 and allow the Lapointe Ojibwe to hunt to the west
of their village to Sandy Lake until about 1754. During this period the
Sioux controlled the St.Croix & Chippewa Rivers (eastern tributaries
of the Mississippi) being the eastern Sioux borders and the headwaters
of the Mississippi roughly defining their northern borders. Joseph Marin
in the fall of 1753 lost control of his father's (Paul was recalled back
to the east) formerly held northern trading region to Joseph Leverendrye
(French commander at Lapointe) who claimed todays northern Minnesota for
his own benefit. It appears that Leverendrye encouraged the Sioux northern
& eastern neighboring tribes to tresspass on Sioux lands to obtain
furs and he seems to have hampered Marin attempts to gain a peaceful alliance
between the Sioux and their neighbors. By the spring of 1754 Marin was
lead to believe the Sioux claimed the lands from the mouth of the Wisconsin
River, north to Leech Lake and most of the Mississippi tributaries between.
He also learned that the Sioux intended to put a stop to the Ojibwe use
of their lands and it appears as if peace had come to an end.
1754/55 Sioux are in Montreal for a council.
At the outbreak of the French & Indian
War in 1754 French traders in Sioux lands are recalled to the east.
About 1756 Wabasha was in Montreal,
offering himself for the murder of an English trader killed by another
Dakota.
In the spring of 1766 Alexander Henry is with
the Ojibwe on Lake Superior and learns of a battle between abt.400 Ojibwe
& 600 Sioux (the Ojibwe lost 35 warriors). Jonathan Carver also leaves
Michilimackinac for Sioux Country.
About 1770 the Ojibwe center of trade is moved
from Lapointe to Sandy Lake.
Spring of 1774 Peter Pond is trading with
the Dakota on the Minnesota River and documents an increase in Ojibwe-Dakota
fighting. The next spring the two tribes meet in council at the mouth of
that river and reach an agreement that each would stay on their side of
the Mississippi.
1775 de Peyster holds a council with the Sioux,
sending Wabasha & other Sioux representitives to Montreal
1778 Charles Gautier de Verville visited the
Mdewakanton on the Upper St.Croix River & notes the Wahpetons moving
closer to the mouth of the Minnesota River.
1778 Wabasha visits Montreal & receives
a British General's commission.
In July of 1779 he was at Michilimackinac.
1779-81 Smallpox strikes Sioux villages.
Summer of 1780 Wabasha leads his warriors on a attack
on St.Louis for the British.
July 1781 Spanish trader Pierre Dorion returns to
St.Louis with 6 Sioux Chiefs for a council with Lt.Gov.Cruzat.
1783 George McBeath is sent by Mackinac commander
Capt.Dan'l Robertson to hold a council at Prairie du Chien when British
announced an end to the war - he meets with the Sioux there in May of that
year.
Between 1783 & 1805 he moved his village to
near the mouth of the Upper Iowa River.
1784 Joseph Calve is sent to hold council
at Prairie du Chien by Robertson.
July of 1786 Joseph Ainse (representing the
British Indian Department) hold a council at Prairie du Chien where the
Sioux are represented.
July of 1787 Wabasha's son leads Mdewakanton
warriors against Ojibwe, as others are negotiating a peace between the
tribes.
1788 Jean Bte.Perrault is trading on a tributary
of the Wisconsin River, bartering rum for fur with members of Wabasha's
village.
Wabasha IV / "Red-Leaf" / Lefeuille / "One-Eye": (abt.1765/77
- 1836)
He was the son of Wabasha IV
May of 1805, Robert Dickson accompies Eastern
Sioux (including 30 representitives Upper Mississippi & Des Moine River
Sioux) to hold council with American General James Wilkinson.
1815 Wabasha & Little Crow visit the British
on Lake Huron.
1816 at British council on Drummond Is., with
Little-Crow.
1817 civil Chief of Mdewakanton village at
Prairie aux Ailes (Winona, Minnesota) [sub-Chief Wazzacoota] when the American
officer Stephen H.Long arrived.
1823 Keating who was on S.H.Long's second
expedition into the area met Wabasha IV near Winona, Minnesota and describes
him as "...The Chief is about 50 years old, but appears older. His prominent
features are good and indicative of great acuteness and an observing disposition;
his stature is low; he has long been one of thhe most influential of the
Dakota Indians, more perhaps from his talents in council than his achievements
in the field..."
Summer of 1836 died of smallpox.
Wabasha V: (abt.1800 - 1876)
He was the son of Wabasha V, born in the Winona,
Minnesota area.
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