History of Saginaw county, Michigan; together with ... portraits ... and biographies ... History of Michigan ...

136

HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY.

ferred on him the title and privileges which belonged to Miz-co-bena-sa, who was content to lead as chieftain of a band. It is said
that both the hereditary and de-facto rulers were savages of most
noble parts, requiting justice with a lasting friendship for its dispenser, and punishing treachery with instant death.
MA-SAY —NOS,
the hermit Indian, was another of the strange beings inhabiting
'the country in pioneer times. Like the hart-broken gentleman
referred to in the marriage record, his girl "went back on him,"
and he ever afterward led a life of retirement, seldom speaking
to the Indians or the traders. There are very few Indians of that
class now-a-days.
NAW-QWA-CHIC-A-MING.
Naw-qwa-chic-a-ming was made one of the chiefs of his tribe on
the death of his father, since which time he was constituted head
chief of the Chippewas. He was well and favorably known to all
the early white settlers in the Saginaw Valley. His honesty and
friendship have been proven in numberless instances. Naw-qwaEhic-a-ming, Okemaw-ke-ke-to, Shaw-e-be-no-se, Wosso, To-na-dog-.a-naw and Mozhe-ga-shing, with Henry Connor, Gardner D.
Williams, Capt. J. F. Marsac, Charles H. Rodd and Benj. O.
Williams visited Washington in 1830 for the purpose of carrying
out the sale referred to in the treaty of that year. The subject of
this sketch departed this life for the "happy hunting grounds"
Oct. 26, 1874, at a remarkably advanced age.
SHAW-WE-NOS-SE-GA.
This Indian was known to the white settlers from his boyhood.
At a very early age he took a place among the warriors of his
tribe as a great hunter, and in after years, when the new settlers
offered a bounty for wolf scalps, Shaw-we-nos-se-ga was among the
principal holders of bounty certificates. As late as 1857 he produced 12 wolf certificates before the supervisors' board, when one
of the local law-makers wrote the following poetical tribute:
Shaw-we-nos-se-ga! is not thy name
Feared by the beasts that scour the plains?
Is not their fearful howling mute
When on the fleet, wild deer's pursuit?
Shaw-we-nos-se-ga, hath not thy care
Searched out the depth of the wild-woods lair,
And in the deep and wild recess
Dealt out the fearful blow of death?
Shaw-we-nos-se-ga, hath not thy hand
Laid low full twelve of the fearful clan
And scatt, red wide the wild woods through,
The remnant of the fearful crew?
Shaw-we-nos-se-ga has reverence past