Who is it ? Michigan Chippewas Indian Chief

oldbattleaxe

Sr. Member
May 26, 2010
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Okay forum. I am a huge collector of old photography. I have had this one for a while. I cannot find any thing on this Native american Indian described as the chief of the Chippewas. I come up with Bebawissee for his name. I have spent a great deal of time on this one. I would like to put this to rest. This is the place for expertise on many topics. Thanks before hand. Bill
 

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thats an old photo,cant seem to find anymore on the Chief,ill look around more
sometimes the indian population and names are recorded in county gen sites
and native american indian census

Childs, B. F. (Brainard F.) (ca. 1841-1921) (Photographer)
more of his work
https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/search/index?&keywords=Childs,+B.+F.+(Brainard+F.)#

this poster says
Chippewa Chief Beebunesse of the L'Anse Michigan Tribe
https://www.ebay.com/itm/108-Year-O...ior-LAnse-Michigan-1870-AMAZING-/253326952910
 

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Thats a very interesting photo for sure. If you look at the shadows on their faces, such as the cheeks and the round eyes seen in the 1852 photo and the 2nd photo on the right there, there are some definite similarities. The man is also much younger and that would make sense for an 1852 photo. I wonder if someone could do one of those facial scan things to determine if these two men are a match.

If that's not the same guy, I'll eat my hat. We already know he is in the picture from historic descriptions and documents. No one else in the photo looks even remotely like the more recent pics. Eyes, cheek bones, lips... Younger, as would expect, but there is no doubt in my mind that's our man.
 

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I don't see how we know that he was part of the 1852 delegation...?

Here is another reference from 1875 indicating "Indian chief Bi-ba-misa, of the Chippewa tribe, also resides on Isle Marquette."

Also an image of the cabin that he and his father Shab-wa-way lived and died in on Marquette.
 

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I think you guys are right on. It sure looks like him in the top middle. Now I need to get his name straight. Did they spell their names differently? You guys make this site a lot of fun. Info keeps coming. I do appreciate your help. Thanks
 

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with the deaths info, im wondering if your pic is dad
for the son to be 100+ he would have to been born 1782

Shab-wa-way
born 1770-death 1872 was a 100+
Be-Ba-mis-se
born unkown-death about 1882

Pay-baw-me~say or "Be-Ba-mis-se" (Flying Bird)
his father
Shab-eh-nay
https://www.nps.gov/people/shabehnay.htm

a cache copy rootsweb is down for repairs
Chief Chabowaywa

http://www.wiki30.com/wa?s=Marquette_Island

Pay-baw-me-say son of Shabwaway
Pay-baw-me~say or "Be-Ba-mis-se" (Flying
Bird), son of Shabwaway, was later known and
called by his father's name, with the addition or
rather prefix of the plain Anglo-Saxon name of
"John," and his name so appears in a United
States patent and in a deed given by him.
https://ia800300.us.archive.org/15/items/briefhistoryofle00grove/briefhistoryofle00grove.pdf

Pay-baw-me-say the treaty he signed,
a cache copy as rootsweb is down for prob 4 or more months
Chippewa Treaty of 1854
People of the Three Fires Native Genealogy
 

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