ABORIGINAL HISTORY

DOCUMENTS - Treaties - Michilimackinac Island, No. 1


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Michilimackinac Island, No. 1

By these Presents We the following Chiefs Kitchi Negou or Grand Sable, Pouanas, Kousse and Magousseihigan in behalf of ourselves and all others of our Nation the Chipwas, who have or can lay claim to the hereinmentioned Island, as being their Representatives and Chiefs, by and with mutual consent do surrender and yield up into the hands of Lieutenant Governor Sinclair, for the behalf and use of His Majesty George the Third, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c., &c., His heirs, executors, administrators for ever, the Island of Michilimakinak or as it is called by the Canadians La Grosse Isle (situate in that Strait which joins the Lakes Huron and Michigan,) and we do hereby make for ourselves and posterity a renunciation of all claims in future to said Island. We also acknowledge to have received, by Command of His Excellency Frederick Haldimand, Esq., Governor of the Province of Quebec, General and Commander in Chief of al His Majesty's Forces in Canada, &c., &c., &c., from the said Lieutenant Governor Sinclair on His Majesty's behalf, the sum of Five thousand Pounds New York Currency, being the adequate and complete value of the beforementioned Island of Michilimakinak, and have signed two Deeds of this tenor and date in the presence of Matthey Lessey, John Macnamara, David Rankin, Henry Bostwick, Benjamin Lyons, Etienne Campion and P. Ant. Tabeau the underwritten witnesses, one of which Deeds is to remain with the Governor of Canada and the other is to remain at this Post to certify the same, and We promise to preserve in our Village a Belt of Wampum of seven feet in length to perpetuate, secure and be a lasting memorial of the said transaction to our Nation for ever hereafter, and that no defect in this deed from want of Law Forms or any other shall invalidate the same.

In WITNESS WHEREOF, We the above mentioned Chiefs do set our hands and seal this twelfth day of May, in the year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-one, and the twenty-first year of His Majesty's reign.

ROBERT SINCLAIR,
Lt.-Governor and Commandant,

JOHN MOMPESSOR,
Capt. Commanding a Detacht. of the King's Regiment,

R. B. BROOKE,
Lieut. King's or Eight Regiment,

JOHN ROBERT MCDOUGALL,
Ensign, King's or Eight Regiment,

MATT. LESSEY
DAVID RANKIN,
HENRY BOSTWICK,
BENJAMIN LYONS,
ET. CAMPION,
P. ANT. TABEAU

(totem) KITCHIE NEGOU, his mark,
[L.S.]
(totem) the mark of POUANAS,
[L.S.]
(totem) mark of POUANAS and KOUSSE, the same mark but different Chiefs,
[L.S.]
(totem) mark of MAGOUSSEIHIGAN,
[L.S.]
(totem) OKAH,
[L.S.]

 


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