this is what I have so far...he is my tenth great grandfather...I have more detailed stories but thought it would be too much to post here... Born around 1710 died in Autumn of 1760 Sons: Kinonchamec and Wenniway and possibly Musinigon Mineweweh, Minavavana, Le Grand Saulteur, Ninkaton, Grand Sautor, Grand Sauteur, Grand Chief Mivanon, Menehwehna, Finding no trading goods at St. Anthony Falls, as had been promised him by the governor of Mackinac, Carver determined to return to La Prairies les Chien and secure some from the traders there. En route he met a Chippewa band headed by the Grand Sautor who treated the Englishman with disdain, but offered him no violence. Having at last secured a stock of goods, our traveller returned to Chippewa River engaged an Indian pilot, and mounted the eastern branch to the falls. He there noted the great war road of the Sioux and Chippewa, and observed a tract of timber levelled by a hurricane. At the head of Chippewa River was a town of that tribe, with a hundred stout fine young warriors. Their customs, however, were very filthy. [Note 5: 5 For the Grand Sauteur (whose Indian name was Minavavana), chief of the Mackinac Island band of Chippewa, see Henry's Travels, index.--Ed.] died autumn 1770 at Michilimakinac, Minavavana killed two servants of a trading company; his camp was attacked by a British war party at Michilimakinac in the fall of 1770 and he was knifed in his tent. Menehwehna or Minavavana was called Le Grand Sauter or The Grand Ojibwa by the French. Lived at Thunder Bay. Chief of the Ojibwas in 1761. Mineweweh / Minavavana / Le Grand Saulteur / Ninkaton [born c.1710; died autumn 1770 at Michilimakinac], principal Ojibwa war chief of the area around Michilimakinac and Mackinac Island, father of northern Ojibwa Chief Kinonchamek, he was 6 feet tall; ally of the French; captured Michilimakinac with Chief Madjeckewiss on June 2, 1763; when Michilimakinac was reoccupied by the British he moved west through Illinois and Wisconsin; met Pontiac in the Illinois Country with the French in the fall of 1765; Grand Chief Mivanon was visited by 15 chiefs sent from the French in 1766; he arrived in Cahokia [East St. Louis] in April 1770 to avenge the murder of Pontiac; Minavavana killed two servants of a trading company; his camp was attacked by a British war party at Michilimakinac in the fall of 1770 and he was knifed in his tent (Peckham: 164, 265, 317; Petrone: 30; Quaife 1958: 141; DCB vol. III: 529-530, vol. III: 452; PSWJ vol. XII: 228). Mash-i-pi-nash-i-wish / Bad Bird / Machiquawish / Matchekewis / Muchicowiss / Michiguiss / Mitchikiweese / Mudjekewiss / Wachicouess / Mitchwass / Mitchewas / Kaigwiaidosa [born c.1735 in Northern Michigan; died 1805 or 1806 near Toledo, Ohio], principal Ojibwa chief of the Thunder Bay, Michigan community, descendant of an influential Ojibwa family from Lake Superior, father of Madjeckewiss; captured Fort Michilimakinac with Chief Minweweh, Minavavana "Although you have conquered the French, you have not yet conquered us!" In this address to an English trader named Alexander Henry, Minavavana, a Chippewa or Ojibwa chief, warns the English that France's defeats during the French and Indian War do not mean that England can assert sovereignty over Indian lands. 1761 Englishman!--You know that the French King is our father. He promised to be such; and we, in return, promised to be his children. This promise we have kept. Englishman!--It is you that have made war with this our father. You are his enemy; and how then could you have the boldness to venture among us, his children? You know that his enemies are ours.... Englishman!--Although you have conquered the French, you have not yet conquered us! We are not your slaves. These lakes, these woods and mountains were left to us by our ancestors. They are our inheritance, and we will part with them to none.... Englishman!--Our father, the king of France, employed our young men to make war upon your nation. In this warfare, many of them have been killed; and it is our custom to retaliate, until such time as the spirits of the slain are satisfied. Now the spirits of the slain are to be satisfied in either of two ways. The first is by the spilling of the blood of the nation by which they fell; the other, by covering the bodies of the dead, and thus allaying the resentment of their relations. This is done by making presents. Englishman!--Your king has never sent us any presents, nor entered into any treaty with us. Wherefore he and we are still at war; and, until he does these things, we must consider that we have no other father, nor friend, among the white men, then the king of France. But, for you, we have taken into consideration, that you have ventured your life among us, in the expectation that we should not molest you. You do not come armed, with an intention to make war. You come in peace, to trade with us, and supply us with necessities, of which we are much in want. We shall regard you, therefore, as a brother; and you may sleep tranquilly, without fear of the Chippewa. As a token of our friendship, we present you with this pipe to smoke. Source: B.B. Thatcher, Indian Biography (New York, 1841), Vol. II, 76-77. Skull Cave Below Fort Holmes on Garrison Road, Skull Cave is believed to have been the hiding place for English Fur Trader Alexander Henry. His close friend, Ojibwe chief Minavavana sent him to hide in the cave on a bed of human bones in order to save him from death during Pontiacs Rebellion in 1763. 70 Soldiers Massacred Henry had business interests at Mackinac, and he found it necessary to go there in the spring of 1763. He passed unscathed through the massacre there in June of the English by the Indians. This was in the mainland fort on the south shore of the straits, on the site of which a Michigan State Park is now located. Under the leadership of the Saulteur Chief Minavavana, who acted in concert with Pontiac to wipe out if possible the English in New France, the Chippewas surprised and killed seventy soldiers, among them Lieutenant Jemette, and took the rest prisoners. The casual dream of another Chippewa Chief, by name of Wawatam, was the means of saving Henry's life on this occasion. Wawatam had dreamed long before of adopting an Englishman as his brother. When he first beheld Henry, he knew the latter for the person whom the Great Spirit had been pleased to point out to him as his white kinsman. They had exchanged presents, and Henry had expressed pleasure and declared his willingness to have so good a man as Wawatam for his brother. It was a lucky dream for Henry. An Indian slave-woman secreted him in a garret on that terrible day, and his brother Wawatam spirited him away from the vicinity as soon as possible. When Henry fell into the hands of the vengeful Minevavana, Wawatam delivered him by an impassioned and eloquent speech in council Hope this helps... Cindy -------Original Message------- From: Thomas Cuthbert Date: 03/01/05 19:13:57 To: NISHNAWBE-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [NISHNAWBE] RE: Chief Minweweh ("The One With The Silver Tongue") circa 1710-1790 Has anyone come across any information on/about Chief Minweweh aka Le Grand Sauteux, of Mackinac Island? By 1760 he had established himself as War Chief of the Ojibwas in the northern Michigan territory. Tom Cuthbert