A Changing World

A map of the province of Upper Canada, 1813. Image courtesy of McMaster University Library

Contact and Conflict

The first contact between the Odawa and the Europeans was in 1615 at Georgian Bay with the French.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, French and British empires were looking to expand in North America but were met with Indigenous resistance to the taking of their lands. This was a time of immense conflict and change. Wars would immediately follow this first meeting, embroiling the Odawa, French, British and numerous other tribal nations in the Great Lakes. These wars were for resources, land, people and empire.

La Grande paix de Montréal (The Great Peace of Montreal), 1701. Image courtesy of the Canadian Museum of History

Great Peace of Montreal, 1701

The Great Peace of Montreal was the first treaty the Odawa signed with the Europeans. This was signed by dozens of tribes and ended the Iroquois War. The Odawa were the first speakers at the negotiations and thus the first tribal signatories. This showed their prominence in the war and in the economics of the time. The native leaders signed with various animals that identified their clans or extended families. Treaties and diplomacy would be critical for the Odawa for the next 250 years.

Representation of an Odawa man, circa 1757-1772. Image courtesy of New York Public Library

Threats and Resilience

The greatest threat to the existence of the Odawa during this time wasn’t war but disease. Smallpox, measles and influenza brought by Europeans decimated tribal populations throughout the Great Lakes. Outbreaks of smallpox at Waganakising were particularly devastating in 1757 and 1800. The entire world of Odawa here was permanently altered by the conclusion of the War of 1812 but despite everything, the Odawa were still in their original homelands.

Shifting Alliances

The Odawa fought in many wars, sometimes siding with prior enemies to combat new threats. Warriors from Middle Village would have departed in their war canoes to participate, especially in the wars against the Americans. Despite constant warfare, the Odawa utilized their skill on the water and political clout to establish themselves as a mainstay in the trade of furs, food and goods between tribes and Europeans. Their position in trade was equal parts economics and politics. Without the Odawa and other tribes, the French would have never been able to establish a presence in North America. The Odawa used their positions in both trade and war to secure their place in their homelands.

The Odawa at War

  • The Iroquois War, 1640-1701

  • Fox War, 1711-1712

  • French and Indian War, 1754-1763

  • Pontiac’s War, 1763

  • American Revolutionary War, 1775-1783

  • Little Turtle’s War, 1790-1795

  • War of 1812, 1812-1815

1754-1763
French and Indian War

1763
France cedes all lands in New France east of the Mississippi River to Great Britain, ending the French colonial period in Michigan

1775-1783
American Revolutionary War

1783
Great Britain cedes to the territory of Michigan to the United States

1805
Michigan Territory established by Congress

Did you know…

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