The following is an excerpt from “A History of Leelanau Township” published by the Leelanau Township Historical Writers Group.
The first native Americans were encountered by the early French explorers in what is now called Northern Michigan were the Chippewas (Ojibwas) and the Ottawas (Adawas). Both were of Algonkian stock, as were their close relatives, the Potawatomies, who inhabited southwestern Michigan. All three tribes spoke virtually the same language; they called themselves the Three Brothers. They were all on friendly terms with the Hurons, who were generally concentrated in east-central Michigan on Georgian Bay.
Centuries before the white men came, all four tribes had been driven from their ancient territory in the East by the Iroquois, fiercest, bravest and cruelest of all the Eastern Woodland Indians.
In general, the Chippewas occupied the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, with headquarters at the Soo; while the Ottawas were dominant in the Grand Traverse region. However, they were friendly enclaves of Chippewas within the Ottawa territory.
Before the white man arrived, there were a few scattered Indian villages on the Leelanau Peninsula, with small gardens close to the lakeshore; they had been used as summer homes for many years. The inland was unused except for a few trails along the coast to other villages and to the inland lakes and meadows for hunting and fishing.
When Reverend George Nelson Smith arrived here on his exploratory trip of 1848, he stopped at two Ottawa villages along the western shore of the peninsula. The first of these was located where the village of Leland is today; one of the principal chiefs was Onumunese (Onominese).
About this band Rev. Smith wrote in his diary on June 1, 1848: “Have just closed a council with the Indians here. All agree to join our Mission. They talked well but all prefer to buy on the lakeshore, not on the shore of Grand Traverse …” The second village was atop one of the highest bluffs — near where Peterson Park is today. The principal chief there was Nagonabe. Rev. Smith’s diary continues: “Three o’clock p.m. we arrived at the place where we are to look for colony location at the first recorded Protestant service Nagonabe’s village a short distance south of Cat’s Head …” Next morning he held a council with Nagonabe and his band and he notes that they seemed to be very pleased about having a mission there and would join it. He also remarked that they are the most promising band he has seen. In evening of the same day it was agreed that he would go to Old Mission the following Monday; several Indians would accompany him to see a surveyor about the land in the area which appeared to be poorly surveyed.
On Sunday, June 4, 1848, he conducted the first recorded Protestant service in Leelanau Township. It was raining and he didn’t try to have a meeting but read and sang to the many Indians who came into his lodge.
On June 5th, he went to Reverend Peter Dougherty’s mission on the Old Mission Peninsula. This may have been the first time he met Peter Dougherty, a Presbyterian missionary who had been in the region for 10 years since 1839, and they became good friends. Peter and Mr. Campbell, Mr. Rodd and some others returned with him Wednesday, and on Thursday he held a council with Mr. Rodd interpreting, and draft a paper setting the conditions of the mission and settlement. Maksube, an Indian chief whom Rev. Smith had difficulty converting from his Catholic faith, did not sign. But four chiefs, Pendunwan (also known as Peter Wakazoo), Onumense, Nagonabe, and Pashoshega (an Indian who came along with them from the area somewhere between Muskegon and Pentwater), signed Rev. Smith’s mission contract with very cordial feelings.
Before Peter Dougherty returned to Old Mission he gave Rev. Smith a pork should, a little butter, an Indian hymn book and four other Indian books containing English on the opposite page.
