Chief Yellowhead: A Leader Through Turmoil

Chief Yellowhead (Musquakie) was one of Rama First Nation’s most important and notable Chiefs of the colonial history period. Musquakie lived from approximately 1769-1864. The name Musquakie is presumed to be a derivative of msko aki, meaning, “red earth”. One can only guess where Musquakie’s name comes from, but one of the most likely theories is the reference to his hunting grounds of Muskoka and its pink Canadian Shield rock.

The name “Yellowhead” also inspires wonder. Yellowhead can be translated as ozaawindib in Anishinaabemowin, and there are other ozaawindib and Yellowhead names found in historical figures and places across Anishinaabe territory. Musquakie too finds namesakes in meskwaki, also known as the Fox people, who called several northern United States regions their territory. The Meskwaki referred to themselves as the “red earth” people, which was said to be a reference to their creation story in which they were created out of red clay. Thus, the names of our most notable Chief have many potential origins, of which we will likely never be sure is the correct one.

Musquakie’s father was also named Chief Yellowhead, and there is sometimes some confusion between the two Chiefs. Yellowhead Senior was Chief until shortly after the War of 1812. During the War of 1812, the older Chief Yellowhead suffered a serious injury to his eye, apparently losing vision after being shot with a musket. He passed soon after the War of 1812. Per his late father’s instructions, Musquakie was lifted as principal Chief in 1817.

Musquakie led Rama through its formative years. After returning from the War of 1812, Musquakie developed an impressive reputation amongst both his own people as well as the colonial government and religious leaders. Not only a fierce and renowned warrior, as shown in the War of 1812, Musquakie was often referred to as a great orator and diplomat. Indeed, early colonial writings and correspondence often praise Musquakie for his ability as a leader.

Chief Yellowhead found himself as a leader in a time of complete turmoil and chaos. For our ancestors and Yellowhead, his time as Chief spanned during arguably the most transformative time in our known history. Up until the War of 1812, relations with settlers and colonial government had been at least decent; there were wars which were fueled by colonial influence of course, but there was reciprocity and respect. The conclusion of the War of 1812, which solidified British rule of what became Canada, brought with it a change in relationship between our ancestors and the colonial government.

The nation-to-nation relationship was over. Instead, the Crown imposed a paternalistic rule in which Yellowhead and our ancestors were obstacles in the way of colonization and development of what became Canada. Treaties, once a way to solidify equally-beneficial agreements and peace through wampum and gifts, became little more than tools of land theft. Treaties 16 and 18, signed in 1815 and 1818 respectively (by Yellowhead and others Chiefs) resulted in over 2,500,000 acres of territory allegedly surrendered to the Crown. Without territory, equal relationship, or leverage (in the form of military support), Yellowhead and our ancestors entered a difficult period of our history.

The first example was when Yellowhead and those he led were relocated from their vast territory to the Coldwater Narrows Reserve around 1830. Called the “Coldwater Experiment”, the reserve was a systematic attempt to assimilate our ancestors in Euro-Canadian culture. The reserve was also the very first reserve in North America. Yellowhead and our ancestors were expected to become Christians, and take up European-influenced agriculture and lifestyle. The expectation was that Yellowhead and our ancestors were to give up their ancient hunter-gatherer lifestyle, abandon spiritual and cultural practices, and be more like the European immigrants.

Yellowhead and our ancestors resisted these efforts. Some people, Yellowhead included, did convert to Christianity. Nonetheless, despite some conversion to Christianity by the community, our ancestors remained Anishinaabe. They continued to hunt and harvest; continued to practice culture and ceremony; and continued to speak Anishinaabemowin. Angry at the lack of complete assimilation, as well as being pressured for land by settlers, the government coerced an illegal surrender of the Coldwater Reserve from Yellowhead (as well as other Chiefs of the Chippewas of Lakes Simcoe and Huron). As a result, in 1836 our ancestors were essentially landless, and Yellowhead had to find a new home for his community.

This led to a new period of transition for our ancestors and ultimately the beginning of Rama First Nation as we know it. As part of the Coldwater surrender, the Crown had promised 4,000 acres of new lands. In the late 1830s and early 1840s, Indian Affairs staff and Yellowhead sought out territory to purchase and re-locate to. Ultimately, Indian Affairs and Yellowhead settled on the abandoned farmland on the east side of Lake Couchiching. The majority of it was owned by War of 1812 veterans (obtained by land grants), and it had not been developed. The land was rocky and rough, with poor soils and as such, was left to sit idle by its owners.

Yellowhead directed Indian Affairs to allocate whatever they could to his community. In a rare occurrence, annuities and Yellowhead and other Rama men’s War of