which might displease such deities; but that they were not supreme
rulers, only to a certain extent they had power over the land where
they presided. These deities were supposed to be governed by the Great
Spirit above.




CHAPTER II.

Cases of Murders Among the Ottawas and Chippewas Exceedingly Scarce
--Ceding the Grand Traverse Region to the Chippewas on Account of
Murder--Immorality Among the Ottawas not Common--Marriage in Former
Times.


The murders in cold blood among the Ottawa and Chippewa nations of
Indians in their primitive state were exceedingly few, at least there
was only one account in our old tradition where a murder had been
committed, a young Ottawa having stabbed a young Chippewa while in
dispute over their nets when they were fishing for herrings on the
Straits of Mackinac. This nearly caused a terrible bloody war between
the two powerful tribes of Indians (as they were numerous then) so
closely related. The tradition says they had council after council upon
this subject, and many speeches were delivered on both sides. The
Chippewas proposed war to settle the question of murder, while the
Ottawas proposed compromise and restitution for the murder. Finally the
Ottawas succeeded in settling the difficulty by ceding part of their
country to the Chippewa nation, which is now known and distinguished as
the Grand Traverse Region. A strip of land which I believe to have