NHBP Tribal History
Westward Migration of Anishinabe | Formation of The Council of Three Fires
0796
“The Council of Three Fires” forms circa 796 AD
Read moreThe Council of Three Fires Splits into Separate Groups
1500
In the early 1500’s, “The Council of Three Fires” split off into three separate groups
Read moreFirst Recorded Encounter with Europeans
1634
A small group of Potawatomi meet the first European
Read moreFrench and Iroquois Wars (a.k.a., “Beaver Wars”) | Potawatomi Relocate to Wisconsin
1652
French and Iroquois Wars (a.k.a., “Beaver Wars”) Force the Potawatomi to Relocate to Door County, Wisconsin
Read morePotawatomi Migration Back to Michigan
1687
Great Lakes Algonquin and French Drive Iroquois Back to New York | Potawatomi Migration Back to Michigan
Read moreBands of Potawatomi Settle at Fort Pontchartrain on the Detroit River
1712
The Potawatomi came to Detroit between the years of 1712 and 1714, temporarily settling between the Wyandot (Huron) and French forts.
Read moreDetroit Potawatomi Leave Detroit and Migrate South and West
1763
The Detroit Potawatomi left their villages on the Detroit River in October 1763 and spread their villages to the south and west, setting up various hunting camps.
Read more1795 Treaty of Greenville | First Recognition as Sovereign Entity
1795
Signed August 3rd, 1795, the Treaty of Greenville followed negotiations after the Native American loss at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794. This defeat ended the ten-year-long Northwest Indian War and established the Greenville Treaty Line, which for many years became a boundary between territory that was acknowledged as remaining under the sovereign authority of various Native American tribes and had been ceded by tribes to the United States government that was open to European-American settlers.
Read more1807 Treaty of Detroit | Southeast Michigan Ceded to US Government
1807
The Huron Potawatomi are involved in the signing of the 1807 Treaty of Detroit in which 8 million acres are ceded to the government for roughly 1.2 cents per acre.
Read more1821 Treaty of Chicago
1821
Signed August 29, 1821, the first Treaty of Chicago resulted in much of the remaining Potawatomi land being ceded to the U.S. Federal Government. Similar to the 1807 Treaty of Detroit, the band of Huron Potawatomi were directly impacted by this treaty; most of Huron Potawatomi settled on a 16 Section tract of land reserved under the Treaty that was known as the “Nottawaseppi Reservation” located on the banks of the St. Joseph River in what is now St. Joseph County’s Mendon area.
Read moreThe Indian Removal Act
1830
While the Huron Potawatomi, and other Potawatomi, generally maintained peaceful relations with their new non-Indian neighbors, the increased pressure from settlers, many of whom illegally entered Indian lands, often resulted in violent conflict between settlers and the resident Indian tribes. The solution championed by Andrew Jackson and others in the U.S. Government became the nineteenth-century policy referred to as “Indian Removal,” by which Indian tribes living east of the Mississippi River would be encouraged to sign treaties giving up the remainder of their lands and be relocated to lands west of the Mississippi.
Read more1833 Treaty of Chicago | 1838 Trail of Death
1833
Unfortunately, the Nottawaseppi Reservation was a momentary home in Michigan. In the 1833 Treaty of Chicago, signed September 26, 1833, the Potawatomi (including the Nottawaseppi Huron Band) ceded the Nottawaseppi Reservation and other lands located in Michigan to the United States. The treaty required the Potawatomi to remove west to new reservations in the Kansas Territory. U.S. Government ordered an involuntary removal of nearly every band of Potawatomi to Kansas by 1838.
Read moreJohn Moguago Becomes Chief
1839
“Young John” Moguago, son of “Old” Moguago and grandson of Mogoagon, emerged as the head chief of the band upon the death of Sau-au-quett.
Read moreForced Relocation
1840
On October 15th, 1840, the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi forcibly began their long trek to a reservation in Kansas.
Read morePurchase of Pine Creek Reservation (June 10, 1845)
1845
Between 1845-1848, a number of NHBP members, estimated to number between 40 to 60 persons, pooled 120 acres of land was purchased with annuity money owed to the “Potawatomi of Huron” from the 1807 Treaty of Detroit with the U.S. Government and used this money to purchase 120 acres of land.
Read moreMethodist Missionary Activity | Impact on the Pine Creek Settlement
1847
During the mid to later 1840’s, the Pine Creek settlement experienced the beginnings of Methodist missionary activity. The resulting founding of a church at Pine Creek would do much to shape the settlement for the next century.
Read moreChanges in Tribal Leadership | Phineas Pamptopee Becomes Chief
1864
John Moguago died in 1863. He was buried on the reservation cemetery with his grave marked in the traditional manner by an oak tree (still standing as of 2018). The position of Chief was transferred to his uncle, “Old” Pamptopee and then a year later, in 1864, to Phineas Pamptopee.
Read moreAnnuity Commutation | Establishment of East Indiantown
1889
In 1889, the $400 annual annuity which the Huron Potawatomi had been collecting since 1845 under the treaty of 1807 was compounded for a lump sum. Individual tracts of land were purchased, resulting in the establishment of East Indiantown.
Read moreStephen Pamptopee Becomes Chief
1914
Phineas Pamptopee, who had been chief for 50 years, died in 1914. The selected chief for the next ten years was his youngest son, Stephen Pamptopee.
Read moreSamuel Mandoka Becomes Chief
1924
The strong influential role of Samuel Mandoka within the Pine Creek settlement began during the lifetime of Steven Pamptopee. At Steven’s death in 1926, Samuel was not formally designated to the “office” as chief but was essentially appointed by consensus of the residents of the Pine Creek Reservation because of his good education and outgoing personality.
Read moreLeadership by Committee
1934
Albert Mackety and Levi Pamp provided the key political leadership of Pine Creek for the next 40 years.
Read moreIndian Reorganization Act Signed | NHBP Denied Federal Recognition
1934
The Indian Reorganization Act (“IRA”, “Wheeler-Howard Act”), signed June 18, 1934, was intended to encourage tribes to assume more control of their own governance and help change the aforementioned “fundamental impracticabilities [sic] of law,” which was resulting in so many problems in Indian Country.
This act was signaled by the press as an “Indian New Deal” program; it provided tribal participants assurances that their land would be held forever in Federal trust and that eligible tribes could develop their economies. Albert Mackety, Levi Pamp, and another NHBP member, Austin Mandoka, who was Chairman of the Athens Indian Committee, learned of the IRA and believed the legislation could benefit the community.
Read moreWorld War II | Population of Indiantown Doubles
1945
During World War II, some NHBP members joined the armed services, while others took jobs in urban industries. Several men worked in factories in Battle Creek or Detroit during these years; women also took industrial jobs.
Read moreNumber of Tribal Members Living on Pine Creek Dwindles
1961
A 1961 newspaper article concerning the reservation at Athens, Michigan, stated that the numbers and area were dwindling. The residents were described as living a life that was a mixture of the old and new.
Read moreFormation of Huron Potawatomi, Inc. | Development of Political Organization
1970
The decade of the 1970’s proved to be a pivotal period in the development of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi’s political organization.
Read moreSecond Attempt at Federal Reaffirmation | Difficulties with BIA Begin
1972
In the spring of 1972, the NHBP decided to make their first concerted effort since 1934 at seeking federal acknowledgment. This effort continued for several years with little progress despite considerable effort.
Read moreFederal Reaffirmation Achieved | A Major Turning Point in Tribal History
1995
On December 19, 1995, the United States government restored “federal recognition” to the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi. Federal reaffirmation was a defining point in the NHBP history and the Pine Creek Reservation. It acknowledged a unique and interconnected group of people, allowing access to needed government programs unavailable to non-recognized tribes. This access stimulated a period of home and infrastructure construction. Today the reservation is bustling with activity and is becoming a showcase community.
Read moreImprovements to the Pine Creek Reservation | Government Services Expand | New Land Purchased
1999
The NHBP has accomplished a great deal since federal reaffirmation in 1995. The Pine Creek Reservation has become a secure homeland that is quickly developing into a first-class Tribal community with a beautiful Government Center, Department of Public Works, Community & Health Center, energy-efficient homes, and Justice Center. Education, health, housing, and environmental programs continually strive to improve the Tribe’s quality of life. Despite these recent developments, the Reservation still retains its rural flavor, with unspoiled forests, fields, and Pine Creek as a backdrop.
Read moreFireKeepers Casino Opens
2009
After more than 10 years of planning, strategy, and vision, the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi opened the doors to FireKeepers Casino on August 5, 2009.
Read moreWaséyabek Development Company Formed
2011
Waséyabek Development Company, LLC (WDC) is a 100% Tribally-owned holding company formed by the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi to manage non-gaming economic diversification activities.
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