Cobmoosa facts for kids
Cobmoosa (born around 1768, died 1866) was a very important leader of the Odawa people. His name, Weebmossa, meant "Great Walker," which suited him because he was known for his majestic way of walking. He lived in a Native American village located where the Flat River meets the Grand River, near what is now the city of Lowell, Michigan.
In the mid-1830s, many European-American settlers wanted to move to Michigan. This land had been the home of several Native American tribes for a very long time. The United States government began talking with tribal leaders in 1836 to find a way for the settlers to move in. Cobmoosa was one of 54 leaders from the Odawa and Chippewa tribes who worked together to create the 1855 Treaty of Detroit. This treaty was very important because it allowed the Odawa and Chippewa people to stay in Michigan, rather than being forced to move far away to Kansas, which had been suggested in earlier talks.
After the 1855 treaty, Cobmoosa's tribe moved from their ancient lands to Elbridge Township in Oceana County, Michigan. Money and goods were provided to help the tribes settle in their new homes. Cobmoosa lived to be 98 years old, spending his last years in a log cabin built by the government near Cobmoosa Lake. He was admired for his wise words and dignified manner. A poem called Cobmoosa's Lament was written in his memory, and the town of Cobmoosa was named after him. A stone monument also stands in his honor in Hart, Michigan.
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Early Life and Family
Cobmoosa was born in 1768 in a village near the Rapids of the Grand River. Although it is commonly stated that his father was Antoine Campau, a Frenchman from Montreal, this is unlikely to be true as Antoine Campau was born in 1797, 39 years too late to be the father of Chief Cobmoosa.
Cobmoosa's mother was said to be the daughter of an Odawa chief. Cobmoosa grew up to be a tall man, known for his long, confident strides.
He had a large family with several children. His daughters included Ne-gance, Mrs. Cub-as-ka, and Mrs. Ne-gak. His sons were Henry, Antoine, and James.
A Respected Leader
Cobmoosa was highly respected by the Native American communities in the Grand River Valley. People often spoke of his ability to speak well and his impressive presence. His village was located near the mouth of the Flat River, in the area where Lowell, Michigan is today.
By 1833, Cobmoosa was a key leader of the Native American groups living along the Flat River. That year, a new settlement called Ionia was started by 63 people from New York. These newcomers needed a place to stay while they built their homes. Cobmoosa's village kindly moved about three miles away along the river, and the new settlers bought the tribe's wigwams to use as temporary shelters.
Community and Business
Cobmoosa also ran a trading post at the mouth of the Flat River. Through his work, he became known as a person of "sterling character," meaning he was honest and trustworthy, and had "great dignity."
Later, Cobmoosa moved into a house in Lowell with his wife, Sophia. He even opened and ran a grocery store on Main Street, showing his involvement in the growing community.
The Important Treaties
As more white settlers arrived in the area over the years, there was increasing pressure to create treaties for Native American lands. Cobmoosa traveled to Washington, D.C., with 24 other Ottawa and Chippewa leaders to discuss these treaties with the president. The government wanted the tribes to give up all their land north of the Grand River.
Cobmoosa was part of these important discussions, but he did not sign the first treaty in 1836. This was because the tribes later learned that the treaty would force them to move all the way to Kansas. This was a big problem because Kansas was very far away and had a different environment than their homeland. Because of these issues, the treaty was renegotiated. The new agreement allowed members of the Ottawa and Chippewa tribes to move to Oceana and Mason Counties in Michigan instead.
In 1855, Cobmoosa signed the Treaty of Detroit with the United States government. This treaty meant his tribe would move to Oceana County, Michigan. Fifty-four other leaders from Odawa and Chippewa tribes also signed this treaty in Detroit. In exchange for their ancestral lands, money and goods were provided to help the tribes settle in their new homes. Cobmoosa's people relocated to Elbridge Township. The government built a log cabin for him in Cobmoosa, Michigan, and by 1858, about 1300 people had moved. Cobmoosa was sad to leave the graves of his ancestors and waited until all his tribe had moved before he finally relocated. However, he often visited members of his tribe in Oceana County.
I am an Indian; and can be nothing else. I wish my people and children to be civilized. I know your ways are superior to ours, and my people must adopt them or die. But I cannot change. The young can adopt new ways; the old cannot. I shall soon pass away, living and dying an Indian. You can bend the young tree, but not the old oak.
Later Life and Remembrance
Cobmoosa's cabin was built on 80 acres of land given to him in Oceana County, right along Cobmoosa Lake. This was about three miles west of the Cobmoosa post office. He lived in his cabin with one of his daughters and her husband, Joe Bailey. He also spent time with another daughter, Wassia, and her husband, Jerome Ne-gake, who had a farm across the lake.
Cobmoosa passed away in 1866 at the age of 98. He was buried in Elbridge Township, Michigan, on a small hill near his cabin. A monument was later placed in his honor at the site of the first schoolhouse built by the government. The Daughters of the American Revolution's Ionia chapter created this monument. Its inscription reads: "Ottawa Indian Chief and Great Speaker of the Tribe. Born at the Rapids of the Grand River, 1768. Died on this reservation, 1866."
Legacy and Honors
The poem Cobmoosa's Lament was written in memory of Chief Cobmoosa by Alden Jewell. It was published in the Grand Rapids Eagle newspaper in 1854. The "Cobmoosa Stone," a special stone monument, was dedicated in his honor in Hart, Michigan, by the Daughters of the American Revolution's Ionia chapter in 1927. This monument recognized his important role in the 1855 Treaty of Detroit, which helped the Odawa people move to Mason and Oceana counties in Michigan.
Another monument was put up at the Ionia Fairgrounds by the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1922. A plaque there explains that Cobmoosa's group lived in a seasonal village near what is now the town of Ionia.
