William Yellowhead facts for kids

William Yellowhead was an important leader of the Ojibwe people. His Ojibwe names included "Musquakie" or "Misquuckkey," which means "Red-earth." He was also known as "Waisowindebay," meaning "Yellow-head."

William Yellowhead was the main chief of the Chippaweans of Lakes Huron and Simcoe. He led the Deer clan of his people from 1817 until he died in 1864. He helped his people defend Upper Canada during the Upper Canada Rebellion. He also managed the sale of much of their land to the government. Yellowhead guided his people as they first tried to live by farming. Many people believe that the name of the District Municipality of Muskoka comes from his name, Musquakie.

Early Life and Military Service

William Yellowhead's father, Yellow Head, was also a chief before him. During the War of 1812, his father convinced the Ojibwe people to support the British. William Yellowhead fought alongside his father in the Battle of York in April 1813. During this battle, William Yellowhead was shot in the face. His father was also badly hurt, which ended his time as chief.

By 1815, William Yellowhead had taken over his father's duties. In 1817, he officially became the head chief.

Land Sales and Treaties

The first years of William Yellowhead's time as chief involved many talks about land. In 1815, he acted as chief for his father. He worked with John Aisance and another chief on the Lake Simcoe–Lake Huron Purchase. In this agreement, they gave up 250,000 acres of land to the government. This land was between Kempenfelt Bay and Georgian Bay. Today, this area is part of North Simcoe.

In 1818, after becoming chief, he and four other chiefs sold even more land. They sold 1,600,000 acres to the government. This area, known as the Lake Simcoe–Nottawasaga Purchase, included the areas around the Holland and Nottawasaga rivers. Even though they sold a huge amount of their land, the agreement allowed them to keep hunting and moving freely there.

Trying a New Way of Life

In 1828, William Yellowhead and John Aisance said they wanted to become Christians. They also wanted to live a more "civilized" life, meaning a settled farming life. They became Methodists that year. William Yellowhead later became an Anglican.

In 1830, Lieutenant Governor John Colborne encouraged them to settle in villages. William Yellowhead settled at Atherley Narrows, between Lakes Simcoe and Couchiching. John Aisance settled at Coldwater. The government built a special house for William Yellowhead at the Narrows. It was the only wooden house in the village, showing his important role as chief.

By 1835, officials thought this settlement plan was working well. However, John Aisance was not happy. In 1836, Francis Bond Head became the new Lieutenant Governor. He ended the settlement plan. Bond Head talked with William Yellowhead and John Aisance. He convinced them and other chiefs to leave the Simcoe-Coldwater area. In return, they would get one-third of the money from selling land there to European settlers.

In 1842, William Yellowhead and other chiefs wrote to Governor General Charles Bagot. They said Bond Head had not fully explained the 1836 agreement. They did not know they would only get one-third of the money from land sales. They asked for the money from land sales to be put in a bank. This way, the Ojibwe people could get a yearly income from the interest. This money was split among William Yellowhead's group, John Aisance's group, and Joseph Snake's group.

Helping in the Upper Canada Rebellion

In late 1838, Governor Bond Head asked the Chippewas of Lakes Huron and Simcoe for help. He wanted them to keep peace after the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837-38. William Yellowhead gathered his warriors and went to Holland Landing. They had to stop their autumn hunt to do this.

Soon after, they were sent home. They complained that the small payment they received was not enough. It did not make up for losing their hunting time. Because of their complaints, the government gave the Ojibwe people food until February 1839.

Moving to Rama

Before the call to arms, William Yellowhead and his group moved from the Narrows. They went to a new settlement at Rama in 1838. The Ojibwe people bought this land themselves on the eastern shore of Lake Couchiching. Other chiefs and their followers joined William Yellowhead at Rama. This settlement is now the main reserve for the Chippewas of Rama First Nation.

Life at Rama was hard for William Yellowhead in his later years. From the start, the settlers at Rama owed a lot of money. In 1839, William Yellowhead and other chiefs wrote to the government. They said they needed that year's hunt to pay their debts. These debts were likely to white traders.

Even though the Chippewas of Rama could still hunt on the large lands they had sold, European settlers were moving in. This made it harder to find game. The Ojibwe also faced unfair treatment from nearby white settlers. The houses built for them at Rama were not well made. By 1858, the buildings were falling apart.

William Yellowhead complained that the Methodist missionaries at Rama were not helping his people enough. He felt they did not focus on education or encouraging respect for the chiefs. The Ojibwe's efforts in farming also slowed down. This happened as government support decreased in the 1840s and 1850s. Their debts grew because they were not producing enough food. By the time William Yellowhead died, he could see the big problems his people would face in the future.

Death

William Yellowhead lived to be very old, though his exact age is not known for sure. He died on January 11, 1864. In his will, he named his nephew, Isaac Yellowhead, as his heir and the next "Head Chief." However, his people chose Joseph Benson Naingishkung, the son of Thomas Naingishkung, to be the next chief.