Odawa

Canadian Homeland

The Odawa homeland is Manitoulin Island, an island in Lake Huron, in the Canadian province of Ontario. One of Canada's largest islands, Manitoulin is home to 108 freshwater lakes, and many of the islands within those lakes have ponds. Four major rivers running through the island—Blue Jay Creek, the Kagawong, Manitou, and Mindemoya—are spawning grounds for trout and salmon. Settlement on the island dates back at least 10,000 years, though it is not known for certain whether the Odawa were the original inhabitants.

Today, there are about 15,000 Odawa living in Ontario in Canada, and in Michigan and Oklahoma in the United States. The Ottawa River, for which the Ontario city of Ottawa is named, is named for the Odawa people, whose name may mean “traders.” For centuries, the Odawa people were known for their intertribal trade, principally in tobacco, corn goods, furs and skins, and medicines. Their trading connections were widespread enough and important enough that many of the tribes they dealt with became known principally by the names the Odawa used for them—such as the Sioux (who call themselves the Lakota) and the Winnebago (who call themselves the Ho-Chunk).

Today, there are four formally recognized Odawa governments in the United States. The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa (Ojibwe) Indians was formally recognized in 1980 and includes the Grand Traverse Indian Reservation, consisting of a number of noncontiguous plots in Michigan. The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians was formally recognized in the 19th century and owns land on reservations in Manistee and Mason Counties, in Michigan. The Little River Band represents nine bands of the original Grand River Bands and operates the Little River Casino and Resort.

The Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, with about 4,000 members, operate the Odawa Casino Resort in Michigan and have a reservation encompassing land in Charlevoix and Emmet Counties. The fourth recognized government is also the only one not located in Michigan. The Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma is located in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, and has 2,500 enrolled members, though only 737 of them live in Oklahoma. The Ottawa Tribe operates the High Winds Casino, the Otter Stop Convenience Store, and two tribal smoke shops as well as an annual powwow on Labor Day weekend and a community health program.

...