Chequamegon Bay Ojibwe History

European contact and adoption of their technology by the Chequamegon Bay Ojibwe tribes revolutionized the methods and time required to perform their numerous daily tasks, especially Ojibwe women, but also eventually opened them up to exploitation by the US government. The Chequamegon Bay Ojibwe history can be divided into four major time periods: pre-European contact, early European contact and trade, the period of official, regulated fur trade, and the time period as the fur trade declined and other resources on Ojibwe lands were targeted. The introduction of European iron tools decreased the time and effort required for almost every chore and did not need to be replaced as frequently. However, since the fur trade ebbed and flowed, so too
In 1727 La Ronde took over the fort, who encouraged agriculture among the Ojibwe (a task which fell to the women) as well as imported horses (Ross 50). This accelerated travel and hunting for the men, and allowed the women to save some of the food they grew for winter. With this time of plenty came more changes for the life of Ojibwe women. An increase in decorative work occurred since the women had more time to do such things. The materials they used for this were largely European beads, a shift from the traditional porcupine quillwork. Looms were also introduced and new forms of hand weaving arose. These innovative forms of artistic expression displayed by Ojibwe women demonstrate the tangible impact that European tools had on the daily lives of the Ojibwe, especially women (Densmore
The recession of the fur trade pushed the US to look to other resources in the Chequamegon Bay area that they could profit from. In 1787, in the Northwest Ordinance the US declared that they would uphold a policy of peace and friendship towards the Ojibwe (Satz 4). However, the United States continually pushed for more and more measures to suppress Ojibwe culture and make them more “American.” In 1816 the US officially banned all foreign fur trade with Native Americans. In 1830 a school was set up on La Pointe and a mission four years later (Ross 83). Despite these attempts to Americanize the Ojibwe, they largely maintained their traditional culture and were still clearly seen by the US government as not American. In 1837, the Pine Tree Treaty was signed, marking the beginning of a long history of deceptions and exploitations of the Ojibwe people by US politicians (Satz