Native American Material
The library has one of the finest collections in the state by and about Native Americans. An extensive number of books written by contemporary historians, anthropologists, and ethnologists about Michigan tribes are found in the library. These modern works build upon various classics, which are also found in the Clarke. Henry Rowe Schoolcraft's six volume, Information Respecting the History Condition and Prospects of the Indian Tribes of the United States, which was published between 1847 and 1857 is one such classic. So too is Bishop Frederic Baraga's 1853 dictionary of the Ojibway language, A Dictionary of the Otchipwe Language Explained in English. It was the first work to make the Anishinaabemowin language (commonly called Algonqin, Chippewa, Odawa, or Saulteaux) acc
essible to English speakers. Manuscript collections of early settlers and missionaries also give insight into how Michigan's European settlers viewed the state's indigenous residents. An example of this is the papers of Rev. Abel Bingham and his family. Rev. Bingham served as a missionary to Sault Ste. Marie from 1828 until 1855. Also invaluable are extensive files from the federal government regarding the tribes who lived in Michigan.
Substantive as this European documentation about Native Americans is, of equal importance is material in the library created by Native Americans describing themselves and their reaction to European culture. Nineteenth century Native American writers such as Blackbird, Wright, and Simon Pokagon did much to express the Native American viewpoint. Pokagon is an example of this.
Simon Pokagon was a well educated son of a Potawatomi chief who believed that his role in life was to serve as a bridge between his native culture and that of the European immigrants. He sought both to preserve in writing the cultural traditions of his own people and remind the dominant European settlers that their coming had been a very mixed blessing to North America's indigenous residents. His autobiographical novel Ogi-maw-kive Mit-i-gwa-ki (Queen of the Woods) published in 1899 a few months after his death is his most remembered volume. His most remarkable works, however are five booklets published on the recording medium of his tribe, birch bark. The Lord's Prayer in the Algonquin Language, Pottawatamie Book of Genesis, Algonquin Legends of South Haven, Algonquin Legends of Paw Paw Lake, and The Red Man's Greeting are unique expressions of Native American culture. Pokagon and his fellow Native American authors are important voices in understanding Native American viewpoints.
Perhaps the Clarke's most interesting Native American items are a few eighteenth century land contracts signed by Native Americans using their totem. A totem could be used to represent an individual or a group. Original documents signed by Native Americans using their totem are extremely rare. Most researchers who look at printed versions of documents signed by Native Americans, such as peace treaties, are familiar with the phrase "made his mark," followed by an "X." The impression left by these printed documents are that Native Americans were devoid of a written means of expression and that even tribal leaders were reduced to signing critical documents such as treaties with a c
rude mark. Actually the Native American's totem, or signature, was often a fine drawing that reflected a characteristic of the individual's name or a central event in their life. Because printers had difficulty inexpensively reproducing these art-like totems, the practice arose of simply stating that the signer had "made his mark" and placing an "X" in the appropriate location on the printed document. The totems in the Clarke give quiet testimony to the character of late eighteenth century Native Americans.
The Clarke Historical Library's holdings regarding the Native Americans who first inhabited Michigan are extensive. They document Native American life both through the eyes of those who lived it and those who observed it. These holdings may well be the most comprehensive body of material regarding Native Americans found in Michigan.