Native-American Nations in/near Detroit, Michigan
| Tribe Name | History | Active Today? |
| Potowatomi | – originally from the Great Lakes Region (Michigan!), specifically near the Straits of Mackinac – Migrated to Wisconsin (near Green Bay) to escaoe the Iroquois durin gthe Beaver Wars – They were strong allies of the French and fought with Tecumseh against the US during the War of 1812 – They were participants in the Trail of Tears, which led to the creation of their modern-day territory in Oklahoma. | Yes, they have a territory in Oklahoma. Their language is Bodwéwadmimwen. |
| Mississauga (Ontario, CA) | – Established themselves on the north shore of Lake Ontario between 1700 and 1720 (after the Beaver Wars) – Adopted Christianity as a religion and created a Mission village near the Credit River in Ontario | Yes, they still have nations in Ontario, Canada. |
| Wyandotte (Detroit, Michigan/Kansas) | – Were instrumental to the founding of Detroit, Michigan (there is a suburb near Detroit named after the tribe) – Were also instrumental to the founding of Kansas City, which was once named Wyandotte City – Sided with the French during the War of 1812 – Were the last tribe to leave Ohio on the Trail of Tears in 1843 | Yes, there is a Wyandotte Nation in Kansas which is around to this day. |
What surprised me?
I never knew that there were so many Native American tribes that were so instrumental to Michigan. It surprised me to learn that the city of Wyandotte, a suburb right outside of Detroit, was named after this tribe; I always thought that a person was its namesake! It is important to learn about the indigenous tribes of our communites so that we can truly understand how our society came to be, and how large of a part indigenous peoples played in its founding.
How does this impact me?
In the future, it will be a great benefit to me that I learned about this, since it allowed me to gain an even greater appreciation and understanding of indigenous populations. I think that I will better defend and understand the indigenous effect on the building of the United States. This will affect me greatly.
Artifact: my sources
https://www.mpm.edu/content/wirp/ICW-152
Reflection:
It was very interesting to learn about this! Never before have I truly researched indigenous history, and it was very interesting to learn about how indigenous people affected the growth of states around the United States. In the future, I highly look forward to researching more about this.
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