John Aisance facts for kids

John Aisance (whose Ojibwe name was Aisance) was an important leader, or chief, of the Chippewas of Lakes Huron and Simcoe. He led the Otter clan of his people from at least 1815 until he passed away in 1847. Chief Aisance played a part in the Lake Simcoe–Lake Huron Purchase in 1815. He also helped the government during the Upper Canada Rebellion. He was the first chief and founder of the Beausoleil First Nation.

Early Life and Land Agreements

Aisance's father was also named Aisance and was a chief before him. Because they had the same name, historians sometimes get them confused. The family was very interested in the land around Penetanguishene. It seems it was the elder Aisance who signed the agreement to give this area to the government in the Penetanguishene Bay Purchase in 1798.

In 1815, the younger John Aisance helped sign the Lake Simcoe–Lake Huron Purchase. He worked with two other chiefs, including Musquakie, who would become the head chief later. This agreement gave up 250,000 acres of land. This land stretched from Penetanguishene to the north shore of Kempenfelt Bay (which is now North Simcoe).

Life in Coldwater

In 1817, Musquakie became the head chief of the Chippewas of Lakes Huron and Simcoe. The next year, he and four other chiefs signed the Lake Simcoe–Nottawasaga Purchase. This agreement gave up 1,600,000 acres of land west of Lake Simcoe. Aisance was not involved in this particular agreement. After this, the Ojibwe had almost no land of their own. However, they could still hunt and travel across the land they had given up.

Around 1828, the Ojibwe people wanted to learn about Christianity and live a more settled life. When they became Methodists later that year, Aisance, who was a main chief under Musquakie, showed his strong commitment to this new way of life. It was probably at this time that he took the Christian name John.

In 1830, Lieutenant Governor John Colborne encouraged the Ojibwe to settle down. They moved into two villages built just for them. One village was at Atherley Narrows, between Lake Simcoe and Couchiching. Musquakie settled there with some of his people. The other village was at Gissinausebing, or Coldwater. Aisance settled there with the rest of the Ojibwe. The government built him a special house in Coldwater. It was the only wooden house in the village, which showed his important status as a chief.

Even though government officials thought this settlement was going well, Aisance soon became unhappy. He didn't like dealing with the government agents and Methodist missionaries. In 1832, he even changed his faith to Roman Catholicism, and his group followed him.

In 1836, Francis Bond Head became the new Lieutenant Governor. He soon ended the settlement experiment. He talked with Musquakie and Aisance and convinced them to leave the Simcoe-Coldwater area. This land had remained Crown land. He promised them one-third of the money from selling lots there to European settlers.

In 1842, Aisance and four other chiefs signed a complaint to Governor General Charles Bagot. They said that Bond Head had not fully explained the 1836 agreement. They especially didn't know that they wouldn't get a single payment upfront. They also didn't realize they would only get one-third of the money from the sales. Because of their request, the money from the land sales was put into a bank. This way, the Ojibwe could get a yearly income from the interest. They divided this money among Musquakie's group, Aisance's group, and a third group led by Joseph Snake who lived on the islands of Lake Simcoe. The chiefs also said they still owned the grist mill at Coldwater, but it was finally sold in 1849.

Helping During the Upper Canada Rebellion

Towards the end of 1838, Bond Head asked the Chippewas of Lakes Huron and Simcoe to help keep peace. This was after the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837-38. Aisance gathered twenty-one warriors, even though it meant stopping their autumn hunt. They followed Musquakie to a camp at Holland Landing.

The Ojibwe were soon sent home. They complained that the small payment they received for their service was not enough. It didn't make up for the money they lost by stopping their hunting. Because of their complaints, the government agreed to give the Ojibwe food until the end of February 1839.

Moving to Beausoleil Island

Because of the 1836 agreement with Bond Head, the Ojibwe had to leave the villages built for them by Colborne. In 1842, Aisance and his group left Coldwater. They moved to Beausoleil Island in Georgian Bay. This move brought them closer to their chief's home area around Penetanguishene. From then on, the Chippewas of Beausoleil Island acted as a separate group from Musquakie's band, who had settled at Rama.

Under Aisance's leadership, the Beausoleil settlement did quite well. This was different from the problems reported at Rama. In 1842, there were 232 Ojibwe people. They became better at growing corn and potatoes, raising animals, and making sugar. Their settlement slowly grew and eventually added a school house.

Even with a good start, Aisance was frustrated by the poor soil on the island. Some people blamed this on the Ojibwe's farming methods. Aisance quickly planned to move west to the more fertile Christian Island. However, he passed away before this plan could happen. In 1856, the Chippewas of Beausoleil Island joined "a few Pottawatamies and Ottawas" who already lived on Christian Island. Their arrival marked the beginning of the modern-day Beausoleil First Nation. Their main reserve, Christian Island 30, is still on Christian Island.

Death

John Aisance died in 1847. Reports say he drowned in a canoeing accident.

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