twovultures
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The note about the Salish makes me wonder-is wild rice agriculture established in the Pacific Northwest? Or is the environment not right for it there?
The Good Berry: A Wild Rice Domestication TL
- Thread starter PeterEzgo
- Start date
Thank you.
Its extremely diverse. Siouan people dominate the further north you go. As you go south, its more and more of a patchwork.
Yes. There are lots of overland routes for trade but they are going to be slower and require smaller amounts because of the difficulty of carrying everything by hand. (No carts or animals to ride yet).
We will talk more about the Pacific Northwest next year. But yes, they are farming wild rice and the rest of the agricultural package. IOTL, there are people who use wild rice in the pacific northwest to attract ducks. And California accounts for the second most commercial wild rice production in the United States, after Minnesota.
Unfortunately not. Nomads without horse archers and nomadic pastoralism are outnumbered and less technologically advanced than settled agricultural people. I've decided that there will be no buffalo domestication and horses won't arrive until later. So for right now they are at a massive disadvantage to farmers.
Interlude: The Duel
Interlude: The Duel
Animikiing [Thunder Bay], Three Waters Confederacy 456 AD
Menakihikon of the Caribou Clan of Animikiing sat in the sweat lodge with his eyes closed, savoring the heat and humidity. Occasionally, he softly hit himself with birch branches, which was said to improve circulation. Whether that was true or not, it did feel nice.
A shock of cold air swept over the room. A slave had entered the sweat lodge.
Menakihikon scowled but did not open his eyes. “Why are you letting out all the warm air?” he demanded.
“There is urgent news,” the slave said.
Menakihikon waved his hand but kept his eyes closed. “Why do you always disturb me when I am most at peace? Whatever it is can wait.”
“It is about your brother.” The slave said.
At this, Menakihikon rubbed his eyes but did not open them. “What has he done now?”
“Kanonikus seduced Ozhaawashkodewekwe of the elk clan,” the slave said.
“And who is that?” Menakihikon said.
“She is the wife of Iyanoo of the Porcupine clan of Munising [Duluth].” The slave explained.
A distant memory of watching his brother play with a girl as children and watching her sail away sparked inside Menakihikon’s mind. “Ozhaa, yes, I remember her,” Menakihikon shrugged, his eyes still stubbornly closed. “My brother is a fool. That is well known. What of it?”
“Ozhaa bragged about the affair to her servants. She mocked her husband to his face,” the slave said nervously.
“Apparently she is a fool as well. This is likely the reason Kanonikus was able to seduce her.” Menakihikon said.
“Iyanoo did not take it well. In his rage Iyanoo took a rock and beat her until her head split open. She is dead,” the slave said.
Menakihikon’s eyes shot open. “Iyanoo of the Porcupine clan killed his wife, Ozhaa of the elk clan?” Menakihikon said.
The slave nodded. “Yes,”
“This will start a war,” Menakihikon said.
“Yes,”
Bowatinong[Sault St. Marie], Three Waters Confederacy 456 AD
Several Weeks Later
Menakihikon was making his way to the Great Council in Mackinaw. It was a regularly scheduled meeting but the murder of Ozhaa was likely to dominate discussion, despite the war with Miyamee.
Before reaching Mackinaw, Menakihikon stopped over in Bowatinong. It was on the way and it was convenient neutral ground where he could meet with Wendjimadub Mishi Gaag, the leader and Ogimaa of the Porcupine clan of Munising. Wendjimadub was also the father of Iyanoo.
Wendjimadub was nearly fifty. The muscle of his youth had turned to fat but his mind remained sharp. “There has been a great insult done to an agidajiw family,” he said.
Menakihikon nearly snorted. Their claim to being an agidajiw family was weak. They were hardly a family of great antiquity or ancient standing. The Porcupine clan was a clan of zhimaaganish warriors. They had served the Sachim of Munising for a hundred years. The war with Miyamee had brought them enough wealth to buy their way onto the wajiw of an impoverished clan.
They are adawa. Menakihikon thought. Little biting dogs that serve their master. I am a zhooniyaawaabik odawa, a silver merchant. My outhouse is better adorned than their sleeping quarters.
But there was no need to say such things to the old warrior’s face. “Two insults to two different families, by my count,” Menakihikon said.
“You consider your brother’s actions to have insulted the Caribou clan as well?” Wendjimadub said.
“If he did such a thing—” Menakihikon began.
“He did,” Wendjimadub interrupted.
“If he did, it would still not justify the murder of Ozhaa of the Elk clan.” Menakihikon said. “Kanonikus might have insulted the porcupine clan but Iyanoo certainly insulted and damaged the elk clan,”
“Do you speak for the elk clan then?” Wendjimadub asked.
Menakihikon shook his head.
“Then let them speak to me about insults and damage for the death of Ozhaawashkodewekwe.” Wendjimadub. “We have our own business to discuss.”
“What will it take for Kanonikus to be forgiven?” Manakihikon said.
“Your brother’s actions have cost Iyanoo a wife,” Wendjimadub said.
“Iyanoo’s own actions have cost him a wife. Kanonikus may have seduced her, but he didn’t kill her,” Menakihikon said.
Wendjimadub waved his hand. “No matter what happened, once Kanonikus touched her she became unworthy of marriage to Iyanoo. Even if she had lived, the marriage was at an end.”
“Is that all he seeks then, a bed mate?” Menakihikon said, mockingly. “I have several slaves that could fill the position. He can have one or several of them if that will resolve this issue.”
“Slaves will not fill the hole created by the wife,” Wendjimadub. “Iyanoo needs a new wife. A proper wife.”
Menakihikon knew what he was hinting at but opted to play dumb. “I have no woman in my possession who could be a proper wife for Iyanoo.” A proper wife for that bastard would be his own hunting dogs.
“Your sister—” Wendjimadub began.
“My sister is a member of the Caribou clan of Animikiing, an agidajiw clan since the time of the great flood. She is not a proper wife for a member of the porcupine clan. No mide would perform the ceremony. It is against the law,”
“A wise Mide would make an exception to ensure peace,” Wendjimadub said. “You know this. I know this. Stop making excuses,”
“I will not send my sister to be abused and raped by your beast of a son,” Menakihikon spat out.
“So it comes out at last,” Wendjimadub said. “We are beasts, unworthy of your great bloodline. A hundred years of service. A hundred years of bleeding for our Sachim and still we are unworthy. My father died for his sachim. My grandfather too. My brother drowned in your stupid pointless war in the east. Still you look down at us from your hill houses. Even when we live as high as or higher than you, you still look down,”
“Yes,” Menakihikon said.
“You are a fool.” Wendjimadub said. “Your brother is a fool.”
“He is my fool,” Menakihikon said.
“If he had not treated us so, perhaps we all could have pretended that service meant something.” Wendjimadub said. “If we are unworthy of marriage, another settlement must be made. You have many possessions. Part with enough of them and we may forget this matter.”
“My brother’s cock will not be the thing that brings you great wealth,” Menakihikon said.
Wendjimadub snorted, “Then it may be what kills him.”
“I’ve known that for a long time,” Menakihikon said. “So has he, for that matter,”
The meeting ended not long after.
Sacred Mackinaw, Three Waters Confederacy 456 AD
A Few Days Later
When Menakihikon arrived at the Temple of Asibikaashi in Mackinaw, he was clad head to toe in furs. The summer heat made him sweat more than his sweat lodge ever had. He had been in the damaged temple before, though never in such dire circumstances as this. His brother, Kanonikus strode in behind him, also heavily clad in furs. Kanonikus had never been to Mackinaw. He had never been important enough to bring along, until now.
The Sagamos of Animikiing was already seated in the temple. Though he wore winter clothing, his was lighter. Their furs signified their willingness to drag out negotiations into the winter.
When the Sagamos of Munising entered the hall, he too was wearing winter clothing. Behind him, the Porcupine clan was covered head to toe fur, not unlike Menakihikon and the Caribou clan.
They are willing to hold out for a settlement as long as we are. Menakihikon thought.
Most of the rest of the day was taken up with the formal ceremonies of the start of a Grand Council. The main speaker of the day was a priest by the name of Diindisi. He spoke much and said little. His mouth smiled but his eyes did not.
For many hours, Diindisi beseeched Manidoo and various ochijaag for protection and to guide negotiation. He plead forgiveness for violating Asibikaashi’s temple. He asked Manooa for a good harvest. He asked Mishipeshu to calm the waters for the confederate navy. So many promises and so many appeals.
In the center of the hall was a huge bonfire. The fire made more smoke than heat. Despite wearing thick furs, the fire did not bother Menakihikon. If this did drag out until winter, the hall would be bitterly cold.
Once the formal ceremonies were over, Menakihikon left the hall having said nothing all day. As they filed out, he was approached by Shingas, the Ogimaa of the Elk Clan of Animikiing and brother to the woman killed. They had met several times before but Menakihikon had not seen him since learning of the death of Ozhaa.
“Mishi Adik,” Shingas said, bowing his head. He was using Menakihikon’s formal title. He is trying to sweet talk me. Menakihikon thought.
“Mishi Omashkooz.” Menakihikon bowed his head to return the favor. “I was saddened to hear of your sister’s death.”
“It is precisely on her account that I have come to speak to you,” Shingas said. “I wish to hear the truth from you,”
“Then I shall tell you the truth,” Menakihikon said. “My brother seduced your sister. She bragged about it to her husband. Her husband killed her. That is all I know,”
“That is what your brother maintains, is it?” Shingas said. “That he seduced her?”
“What else could he say?” Menakihikon asked.
Shingas considered his words for a moment. “If it were to be known… if your brother confessed not to seducing a married woman but instead confessed to raping her, then Ozhaa’s honor would be preserved. If you were to… persuade your brother on the correctness of this action, then it would be in the interests of the elk clan to support the Caribou clan.”
For a moment, Menakihikon said nothing. Shingas stared at him, waiting his answer.
“You ask me to condemn my brother and betray him for a lie so that you can preserve a dead women’s honor?” Menakihikon asked, carefully keeping his voice calm.
“Your brother is condemned whether it was rape or it was seduction,” Shingas said. “One preserves the honor of my sister and my clan. The other doesn’t.”
“It would also lead to war,” Menakihikon said.
“War has already begun. All of this is but pageantry before the blood flows.” Shingas shook his head. “What is one lie or the other?”
“One is a lie,” Menakihikon said. “The other is truth. If truth leads to war, so be it. But it will still be truth. I yet have hope that war can be avoided.”
“Then you are a fool, just like your brother,” Shingas said. He left the hall in a huff.
The second day of the Grand Council was when the deliberations really started. Diindisi did not spend so long on invocations. Instead, the council started business almost right away.
“I know that there is much to be discussed here today. Everyone will have their turn to talk,” Diindisi said, looking from the Caribou clan to the Porcupine clan. “Let us start with the accusations. If you will Mishi Gaag…”
Wendjimadub stood up. “My son, Iyanoo, was lawfully married to the beautiful Ozhaawashkodewekwe of the Elk clan.”
“Whom he murdered!” shouted Shingas.
Wendjimadub ignored him. “One night, a thief took up residence in our wajiw. He ate our food. He slept in our beds. And he violated the marriage of Iyanoo and Ozhaawashkodewekwe.” He gestured grandly with his hands. “That thief, I barely can call him a man, was Kanonikus of the Caribou clan.”
Diindisi turned to the caribou clan. “Kanonikus, do you have an answer for this serious accusation?”
Kanonikus stood up. “I confess my guilt in this matter.” Iyanoo and several other members of the porcupine clan hissed at him. Of course, this was all planned and rehearsed. There was no point in denying the act. This was merely a dispute over the potential consequences. “Ozhaa and I grew up together. I used my childhood friendship with her to seduce her. I betrayed the trust of the Porcupine Clan. I violated the marriage of Iyanoo. I regret it now… more than you know.”
Besides a small deviation at the end, Kanonikus had done well. Menakihikon stood up and placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder. Kanonikus knew that this was the signal to sit down.
“Do you have something to say, Mishi Adik?” Diindisi asked.
“We have never disputed the nature of the crime. We only seek a fair settlement,” Menakihikon said.
“Such an insult and crime demands more than rice can buy.” Wendjimadub said. “Some men value things above owning things.”
Menakihikon smiled, remembering their conservation earlier. “Indeed. Some people value terrorizing and murdering women.”
Anger flashed across Wendjimadub’s face. But he was not the one most insulted. Iyanoo stood up and pointed his finger at Menakihikon’s chest. “That whore deserved everything I gave her and more. Your brother defiled her and her lying tongue.”
Menakihikon glanced over at Shingas. Iyanoo had all but admitted to the murder. Whatever happened with Kanonikus now, Iyanoo was a dead man. He would certainly be condemned for Ozhaa’s murder. “I don’t dispute anything you have said,” Menakihikon said, simply.
Even Iyanoo was not stupid enough to miss that he had made a mistake, even if he was unsure of what it was. “I have a right to my anger! I have a right to my vendetta! Aazhida gwayakochige!”
Menkihikon closed his eyes. He knew what was next.
“You are correct, Iyanoo.” Diindisi said. “What will make things right? What will bring things back as they were?”
“His death,” said Iyanoo, pointing at Kanonikus. “Or mine.”
“A duel, then,” Diindisi said.
Menakihikon looked over to his brother. Kanonikus looked like pale. He took a deep breath and stood.
“I accept.” Kanonikus said.
“So be it,” Diindisi said. “Tomorrow one of you shall die,”
The rest of the meeting was perfunctory. A time, place, and rules were agreed to. After that, other business was discussed. The war with Miyamee was finally brought to the fore. The western representatives argued fiercely against further conflict. The eastern representatives called them cowards. On and on it went. Menakihikon heard none of it.
That night, both the Caribou clan and the Porcupine clan held great feasts for their supporters in the upcoming duel. Shingas of the elk clan, despite all that had been said the previous day, attended the feast with the Caribou clan. He thanked Menakihikon for his verbal trickery, drank a single cup of wine, and left.
Kanonikus, meanwhile, seemed determined to drown himself in wine for most of the night. He had a prostitute on each arm and used a turkey leg as a prop when describing what he meant to do to Iyanoo in the morning. Menakihikon drank only a little and kept an eye on his brother.
As the feast wound down, Kanonikus grew quieter and quieter. His groping of the prostitutes became less frequent and more desperate. At last, when most of the party goers had gone to bed, Menakihikon gestured for the last remaining attendees to go as well. Kanonikus sat at the table, seemingly oblivious to their absence.
“It is time, Kanonikus. The feast is at its end,” Menakihikon said.
“You knew he would challenge me to a duel,” Kanonikus said. “How can I beat him, big brother? Tell me that?”
“It could not be avoided,” Menakihikon said.
“You didn’t even try,” Kanonikus said. He drained his cup. “You know what the funniest part is?”
“What?” Menakihikon said, helping his brother stand.
“She seduced me,” Kanonikus said. He laughed.
Menakihikon helped his brother back to his bed. The prostitutes were waiting for him. Menakihikon was sure they would improve his brother’s mood considerably.
That night, owls haunted Menakihikon’s dreams. They stared at him with their large, pale eyes. Saying nothing. He knew the meaning of the dream. He knew the message before the dream. Death was near and all around him.
The next morning, a grass field had been cleared for use as an arena. People gathered for the duel. Brothers, sisters, uncles, distant cousins, and more from the Caribou clan crowded one side to cheer for Kanonikus. Other people from Animikiing stood next to them, as well as many members of the elk clan. The porcupine clan and many people from Munising crowded on the other side to cheer for Iyanoo. By Menakihikon’s eye, the Caribou clan had more supporters but he supposed that could be his bias showing through. The unaffiliated that were looking for a bit of entertainment and blood outnumbered both sides.
Yet despite all the people, Kanonikus had yet to arrive. Members of the porcupine clan began jeering and hissing. “Where is he?” came a chant. “Coward!” cried a man in the crowd. Iyanoo sat waiting, staring at Menakihikon.
At last, Menakihikon stepped forward. “If he does not show soon, I will fight you myself.” That was assurance enough for the crowd that at least some blood would be spilt.
No sooner had the words passed his mouth then a cry went up from the Caribou clan side. “Ka-non-i-kus! Ka-non-i-kus!” He had arrived at last.
“Get him ready.” In a moment, half a dozen members of the Caribou clan began tying wooden armor onto Kanonikus. Menakihikon handed him a copper sword.
Kanonikus looked at his brother with blood shot eyes. “You know what the worst part id? I’m gonna die with a hangover”
“His weapon requires the strength of his shoulder. Yours requires a flick of your wrist. He will be slow. You will be fast.” Menakihikon reassured him.
“He is stronger than me,” said Kanonikus.
“Let him come at you and tire himself out, then” Menakihikon said.
“He has more stamina than I do,” Kanonikus said.
“He is blinded with rage. Be calm, let him make a mistake,” Menakihikon said.
“He is a trained zhimaaganish warrior. I am a silver merchant who has never fought before. Don’t pretend this is something it is not,” Kanonikus said as the last of his armor was fastened.
Menakihikon could say nothing. Kanonikus entered the arena. In contrast to Kanonikus’s wooden armor and copper sword, Iyanoo wore only a loincloth and carried a ball club.
Diindisi was at the center of the arena. Both warriors walked up to him and took his hand. Diindisi lifted their hands over his head. “The rules have been agreed to. Follow them. Let justice be done!” At that, Diindisi let go of their hands and walked out of the arena.
The two fighters began circling each other.
Iyanoo laughed. “This is who you have sent to fight me? The man who defiled my marriage? A girlish boy who wears the armor and carries the weapons of rich old men.” He lifted his club over his head. “I carry the weapon of heroes. It will be vengeance in my hands.”
Kanonikus took advantage of Iyanoo’s grandstanding to strike. Kanonikus’s sword went for Iyanoo’s exposed belly but he was barely able to get to him before Iyanoo’s club came down on his shoulder. Kanonikus was sent reeling. The crowd cheered.
Blood spilled over Iyanoo’s stomach. Menakihikon smiled. Whatever else happened, it was likely that Iyanoo would die of an infection.
Despite this early victory, it soon became clear who would win the fight. Iyanoo was larger, stronger, and faster. Kanonikus continuously retreated but Iyanoo kept raining blows down on his wooded armor. Though it provided some protection, the small pieces of wood soon splintered and shattered.
At last, Kanonikus was backed up to the edge of the crowd. Unable to retreat any further, he was forced to charge at Iyanoo. Being an inexperienced fighter, he did not use the sharpness of the copper sword to his advantage. He swung with his shoulder and did not flick his wrist. This nullified whatever advantage he might have had.
Iyanoo swung his club hard into Kanonikus’s now unarmored forearm. There was a sickening crunch. Bits of bone stuck out of Kanonikus’s arm. He dropped his sword. Another blow behind his ear dropped him to the ground. The end was coming now.
But rather than finish Kanonikus off, Iyanoo waited. After a moment’s hesitation, he picked up the copper sword and gave it to one of his relatives. Then he returned to Kanonikus, who was still groaning on the ground.
“I want to know, when you were in bed with my wife did you imagine this is how you would die?” Iyanoo laughed.
Kanonikus’s only reply was to spit at Iyanoo. Iyanoo responded not with his club but by beating Kanonikus with his fists. The crowd began to boo. They did not come for anything less than death.
Iyanoo ignored them. When he was done beating Kanonikus, he retreated again and began circling. “I have no intention in making this quick,”
Kanonikus began crawling along the ground. At first, Menakihikon thought Kanonikus was merely crawling away from Iyanoo but he soon realized that Kanonikus was crawling toward him.
His brother lifted his mangled arm in the direction of Menakihikon. “Brother,” he said weakly.
Menakihikon stepped forward. “Enough. Finish this, Iyanoo.”
Iyanoo turned to face Menakihikon. “A warrior does not take orders from a silver merchant,”
Menakihikon grabbed a club and ran into the arena. Though he did not know it yet, the Three Waters Confederacy, a political institution that had lasted nearly a thousand years, was dead before he reached Iyanoo.
Character List
Caribou Clan of Animikiing
- Kanonikus- foolish younger brother; slept with Ozhaa
- Menakihikon- Ogimaa of the Caribou clan of Animikiing; older brother; also called Mishi Adik or ‘Great Caribou’
- Slave- unnamed slave of Menakihikon
- Wendjimadub- Ogimaa of Porcupine Clan of Munising; father of the husband; also called Mishi Gaag or ‘Great Porcupine’
- Iyanoo- son of the Wendjimadub; easily angered; killed his wife in jealous rage;
- Ozhaawashkodewekwe- Wife of Iynaoo; often called Ozhaa; her name means “the woman of the Green Glade”; killed by Iyanoo after sleeping with Kanonikus
- Shingas- Ogimaa of the Elk Clan of Animikiing; brother to Ozhaa
Diindiisi of Poonchikit- priest from Poonchikit who is used as a mediator; name translates as “bluejay”
[1] Generated using Bing Image Creator
[2] Taken from: https://thesupernaturalfoxsisters.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/owl.jpg
Comments? Questions?
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Oh definitely. I've been hinting that the Three Waters Confederacy is weakening and falling apart for a couple of updates. (Or, at least, I've tried to)
And the final death blow was a woman and a man's honor I guess. That probably makes an interesting history class in the future.
I released this on September 25 as the tentative schedule for the rest of the year:
Well. There is a reason it was called the tentative schedule. I've tried to keep to it but at this point its simply impossible. The Duel ended up being both hugely long and difficult to get right. And The Dawnland has proven too tough to crack. We will discuss the martime/new england area but it will have to be done closer to when the vikings arrive.
Instead, the new schedule looks something like this:
12/4: The Winter and Summer Chronicles, Part 3 (Wrap up of Naawayi’ii War and the collapse of the 3 waters confederacy)
12/11: The Veiled Woman (narrative interlude to set up the origins of the Shawnee)
12/18: Title redacted (Origins of the Shawnee Empire)
So, I guess not that different. But there won't be an update for the next two weeks because I'm moving Dawnland until next year and taking a week off for Thanksgiving. Sorry guys. I'm planning a joke/surprise thing on Christmas as a make-up.
Next year, we will begin discussing the Shawnee Empire, which has 10 (!!!) planned updates so far. And that's if I gloss over a lot of the imperial politics. If all goes to plan (which it never has) Leif Erikson will finally make an appearance in an update in March or April of next year.
Well. There is a reason it was called the tentative schedule. I've tried to keep to it but at this point its simply impossible. The Duel ended up being both hugely long and difficult to get right. And The Dawnland has proven too tough to crack. We will discuss the martime/new england area but it will have to be done closer to when the vikings arrive.
Instead, the new schedule looks something like this:
12/4: The Winter and Summer Chronicles, Part 3 (Wrap up of Naawayi’ii War and the collapse of the 3 waters confederacy)
12/11: The Veiled Woman (narrative interlude to set up the origins of the Shawnee)
12/18: Title redacted (Origins of the Shawnee Empire)
So, I guess not that different. But there won't be an update for the next two weeks because I'm moving Dawnland until next year and taking a week off for Thanksgiving. Sorry guys. I'm planning a joke/surprise thing on Christmas as a make-up.
Next year, we will begin discussing the Shawnee Empire, which has 10 (!!!) planned updates so far. And that's if I gloss over a lot of the imperial politics. If all goes to plan (which it never has) Leif Erikson will finally make an appearance in an update in March or April of next year.
This duel looks like a Greek tragedy of three persons driven to their ruin simply because they followed their own fate, and like a good exemple of missing nail.
Hmmm.... do they end up minting coins there?
Also, I really wanted to see the attackers use lances. Peshawa Lancers.....
Just got caught up here. Excellent work. I’m interested to see how contact with Europeans goes. Great premise and great timeline.
Chapter 34: A Dream of Spring
Chapter 34: A Dream of Spring [1]
The conflict between the Caribou Clan of Animikiing and the Porcupine Clan of Munising soon escalated out of control. By the end of 456 AD, Animikiing [Thunder Bay, ON] and Munising [Duluth, Minnesota] were openly and illegally at war with each other. This severely reduced the military capacity of the Three Waters Confederacy, especially its naval power.
Miyamee took advantage of this in the spring of 457 AD. They raided Bowatinong [Sault St. Marie, MI/ON] and Mackinaw. They burned the sacred temple of Asibikaashi that had been used as the meeting place for the Grand Council of the Three Waters Confederacy for close to a thousand years. Priests from around the Mishigami condemned this action, calling it sacrilege. Both the Black Swamp Confederacy and the Kingdom of Minesing [Barrie, ON] sent delegations to Miyamee to protest the desecration of such sacred places. Dakwaa, the new Sagamos of Miyamee, refused to even see them.
The land campaign went just as well for Miyamee. They again raided the land around Sagong. This time they focused their attacks on their former ally Pewonigowink [Flint, MI]. With the Confederacy so clearly weakening, a noble from Pewonigowink named Lawokwa was bribed into poisoning the water supply of the city. With no clean water, the city was forced to surrender. Lawokwa expected to be made Sagamos of Pewonigowink for his actions. Instead he was killed by the Miyamee forces shortly after they entered the city. To this day, the phrase “to be rewarded as Lewokwa was” is used in Anishinaabe to describe similar situations.
With Pewonigowink taken, Sagong’s fall was all but inevitable. Recall that Maskawigwan had been put in charge of the defense of the city after his uncle’s death. Due to this, we have a lot of details regarding his defensive planning during the Fall of Sagong. For obvious reasons, many historians doubt some of Maskawigwan’s descriptions in the Winter and Summer Chronicles as slanted so as to avoid being blamed for the failure to defend the city. In any case, no one has ever offered a convincing alternative to the scenario as described by Maskawigwan so we will stick with it for now.
Sagong had been severely weakened by the siege and subsequent famines. The Confederate Civil War had removed even more military forces from the area, including most of the ships who were supposed to protect the harbor. There was no expectation this time that the city could hold out in a siege.
Instead, Awasis, the Sagamos of Sagong, ordered an evacuation of the city. Thousands of people crammed themselves onto boats and rafts. They paddled for friendly cities and villages to the west. Others decided to stay behind, hoping to survive the onslaught. As the evacuation began, rioting and looting rapidly became rampant. Fires broke out across the city. There was chaos everywhere even though the Miyamee forces were still days away.
Maskawigwan attempted to take control of the spiraling situation. He ordered his soldiers to abandon their defensive positions and instead arrest looters and disperse crowds to stop the rioting. Once that was done, they began to escort the residents to boats. Shortly thereafter, a group of his soldiers caught Sagamos Awasis attempting to flee with most of the city’s valuables and food storage. Rather than punish him, Maskawigwan simply deposed him and requisitioned the supplies to feed his army and the city. Maskawigwan unilaterally declared himself Sagamos of Sagong.
By that time, the Miyamee forces were on the outskirts of the city. The Sagong military forces fought a brief rear guard action to evacuate as many people as possible but it was too late. The final boat out of Sagong was commanded by Maskawigwan. As he watched from his commander’s chair, the city burned.
The inhabitants of Sagong spread out along the fishing villages of the northern Naawayi’ii Peninsula [Lower Peninsula of Michigan]. Many of those who evacuated were left homeless and starving. In the weeks after Sagong was taken, many of these small villages were taken as well. Those rich, lucky, or resourceful enough made it to the relative safety of Wiikwitong [Traverse City, MI].
Those who stayed behind were no better off. Many were killed as Miyamee soldiers sacked and burned whatever was left in the city. Anyone who survived the orgy of violence was enslaved. Miyamee would later refound the city and settle several thousand inhabitants but Sagong would not regain its former prominence until the Long Peace of Shawnee Imperial Period.
In 457 AD, for the first time in nearly a thousand years, the Grand Council of the Three Waters Confederacy would not meet in Mackinaw. Instead they gathered at Milliokee [Milwaukee, WI]. At this meeting, Maskawigwan was recognized as the rightful Sagamos of Sagong and would be granted the right to vote in the council.
Besides Sagong, the Sagamos of Animikiing, Bowatinong, Munising, and Mackinaw were absent. They had either been killed by Miyamee or were currently fighting each other in the Gichigami [Lake Superior]. These Sagamos were replaced by representatives backed by Asiginaak, the Sagamos of Milliokee. These votes, along with the votes of Maskawigwan and the Sagamos of Wiikwitong, gave Asiginaak almost complete control of the council. From this point forward, the Three Waters Confederacy would be little more than the Milliokee Empire.
This did not sit well with the members of the delegations from Poonchikit [Green Bay, WI] and Shikaakwe [Chicago, IL]. Diindiisi attempted to organize these members in order to oppose the power grab by Asiginaak. His personal unpopularity, having been involved in both starting the war with Miyamee and the duel which led to the civil war in the Gichigami, made this impossible. When Diindiisi attempted to interrupt Asiginaak during a council, Asiginaak is said to have replied “Stop quoting laws to men with clubs.”
It soon became clear to Diindiisi and the other delegates that opposition to Asiginaak would not be tolerated. Diindiisi fled to Taykopera [Madison WI] rather than face imprisonment in Milliokee. He would live there the rest of his life. At one point, Maskawigwan attempted to interview him for the Winter and Summer Chronicles but was refused.
This rapid takeover of the Three Waters Confederacy by Milliokee led to a brief rebellion in Poonchikit and Shikakwe but it too disorganized and unpopular and was swiftly put down. In a single year, almost every city in the Three Waters Confederacy had been damaged by war.
458 AD would be little better for the Three Waters Confederacy. With Sagong now secured, Miyamee turned its attention to Owashnong [Grand Rapids, MI]. The last major battle of the Naawayi’ii War took place at Owashnong, not far from where the first battle of the war had been fought. The Owashnong forces, without the element of surprise and with no confederate reinforcements, were quickly routed by the superior Miyamee forces. Owashnong was put to the sword and burned.
With nothing left to fight for, a peace treaty was signed in Wiikwitong that autumn. Asiginaak and Dakwaa dug a hole, placed war clubs in the hole and covered them over to ritually signal their desire for peace. Then they shared a pipe filled with tobacco as a sign of friendship. Asiginaak agreed to cede Sagong and Owashnong to Miyamee control. Wampum belts were made and exchanged which detailed the new borders between the kingdoms. With that, the Naawayi’ii War was officially over. This is also where the Winter and Summer Chronicles ends its story. But history went on.
The civil war in the Gichigami continued to rage. Eventually, both the Caribou clan of Animikiing and the Porcupine Clan of Munising were completely destroyed. Munising would be taken over by the Kingdom of Manoomingamiing [~Minnesota]. Animikiing would remain more or less independent for a time before being conquered by Milliokee in the 470s AD.
Over the next few years, Miyamee would begin wars with the Black Swamp Confederacy and the Munising Kingdom. Further large scale conflicts would erupt across the Mishigami. This period after the collapse the Three Waters Confederacy is called the Terminal Classic Period. It would only be ended by the rise of the Shawnee Empire and the start of the Imperial Period. But we will discuss that later. Next time, we will have a narrative interlude entitled “The Veiled Woman” which will bring us closer to the beginning of the Shawnee Empire.
Character List
- Asiginaak- Sagamos of Milliokee; name means “blackbird”
- Awasis- Sagamos of Sagong; name means “child”
- Dakwaa- Miyamee Naval Commander; name means “short”
- Diindiisi- priest from Poonchikit who advocates for war; name translates as “bluejay”
- Lawokwa- traitor from Poewonigowink [Flint, MI]
- Maskawigwan- author of the Winter and Summer Chronicles and commander in Sagong; name translates as “hard quill”
[1] With apologies to George RR Martin. I will gladly change the title when his book comes out. Whenever that is.
Comments? Questions?
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Since the events of these wars will apparently become part of local folklore, does that mean the peoples of the Miyamee, the Three Waters, etc will consider this period of their history as a cultural lodestone, much as the greeks and romans were (and often still are) for Europeans?
Is this a consequence of the formation of an empire ruled by a foreign ethnicity, leading to Anishinaabe writers, demagogues, philosophers etc looking back to the pre-imperial period for cultural identity?
Or am I reading too much into some offhand mentions ahaha.
Is this a consequence of the formation of an empire ruled by a foreign ethnicity, leading to Anishinaabe writers, demagogues, philosophers etc looking back to the pre-imperial period for cultural identity?
Or am I reading too much into some offhand mentions ahaha.
You aren't overthinking it at all. When I came up with this stuff, the idea was that the Classical Period would be kind of like an "Age of Heroes" with the Winter and Summer Chronicles being a kind of Odyssey mixed with the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
This time they focused their attacks on their former ally Pewonigowink [Flint, MI]. With the Confederacy so clearly weakening, a noble from Pewonigowink named Lawokwa was bribed into poisoning the water supply of the city. With no clean water, the city was forced to surrender.
Anyone catch this reference?
Anyone catch this reference?
Interlude: The Veiled Woman
Volume 2: Sacred History
Trigger Warning: I’m generally not one for trigger warnings but this story is about as intense as it gets. Rape, murder, torture, mutilation, the works. Be warned.
Interlude: The Veiled Woman
Trigger Warning: I’m generally not one for trigger warnings but this story is about as intense as it gets. Rape, murder, torture, mutilation, the works. Be warned.
Interlude: The Veiled Woman
Negushwa had been invited by the Sagamos of Wapeksippu [Indianapolis, IN] to attend a feast. As a babaa-ayaa zhimaaganish or wandering warrior, he was invited to many feasts. Most served poor food and promised hard work under harsh masters. Negushwa hoped this time was different.
Negushwa climbed up the stairs of the wajiw of the Sagamos. On every step there were carvings of monsters and aspects of Manidoo. A common theme in many of the carvings was the presence of a large red fox, which was the symbol of the ruling clan of Wapeksippu. When he reached the top the guards recognized him by his missing right eye. They let him in with a smile. The feast had already begun.
Negushwa was ushered in. Chiksika, the Sagamos of Wapeksippu, sat at the central table higher than anyone else. His wives sat to his left. Two young boys no older than ten, his heirs, sat to his left. Further away sat many zhimaaganish, both native to Wapeksippu and visiting mercenaries looking for work. Negushwa was granted a seat amongst the mercenaries, though he was nearer to the Sagamos than most.
“The tales of your bravery are legendary,” the fawning flunky who escorted him said, “When Munsee [Muncie, IN] was taken, all the warriors feared you most.”
That was a long time ago, thought Negushwa. He said nothing.
He had missed the beginning of the feast, but there were many courses to go. Young and pretty slaves served the Sagamos’s table. Further from the Sagamos the serving slave girls got uglier and older. The only one to break this trend was the veiled woman.
You could not tell how ugly or pretty she was because of the veil over her face. Negushwa could tell from her eyes and the way she carried herself that she was middle aged. She served the tables near the Sagamos but carefully stayed away from the Sagamos’s wives. When she came near, Negushwa raised his cup to ask for more wine. As she poured it, he looked into her eyes. There was something in her eyes that was familiar. Before he could remember what it was she moved on.
Negushwa ate little. The food was too rich and the wine too sweet for his liking. Besides, he knew what came at the end of the meal and he was not looking forward to it.
When the feast ended and the plates and utensils cleared away (Negushwa looked for the veiled woman but did not see her), the Sagamos went around the tables glad handing every wandering warrior there. Even from across the room, Negushwa could see how weak he was and how labored his breathing became. At last, he reached Negushwa.
“We have met before, you and I,” said Chiksika. “Though I was only a young warrior and you were a legend even then.”
“I remember,” said Negushwa, rubbing his eye patch. “It is a difficult day to forget.”
“Yes, I suppose so,” said Chiksika. “Recently I have quarreled with the Sagamos of Ishpadinaa [Terra Haute, IN]. I have need of your services. The price will be the same as the others, of course.”
A lie. Negushwa thought. You need extra muscle for the transition to your young sons. But outwardly, Negushwa only nodded. “I would expect nothing less and nothing more.”
With a quick flourish, Negushwa got on one knee. “I pledge on my honor to defend Wapeksippu and follow your orders.”
“Accepted,” Chiksika said instantly. “I suppose you never thought you would defend Wapeksippu, did you?”
Negushwa shook his head. “It pains me greatly to do so. But I have little choice.”
Chiksika laughed. “You are too dour. This is the start of something wonderful. Have some more wine,” Chiksika poured more wine into Negushwa’s cup. “Indulge in some revelry, old soldier. We have a bed set aside for you tonight. Do you see a woman who might warm it for you?”
Negushwa raised his eyebrow. “What about the woman who wears a veil?”
Chiksika’s face fell. “She is ugly. You do not want her. There are many women, pick another.”
Negushwa shook his head. “She is intriguing. I will have her or I will have no one.”
Chiksika paused for a moment and then with a great flourish. “Fine, old soldier. Don’t tell me that I didn’t warn you.”
The veiled woman was brought to him. Her eyes were narrow in skepticism. “You have requested me?”
“I have a bed for tonight. Let us retire and talk the night away.” Negushwa said.
The woman rolled her eyes. “Haven’t you heard? I am ugly. All the other men who have talked with me sent me away.”
“I am not like other men.” Negushwa said, standing up. “I am tired of this party, let us go.”
The woman raised an eyebrow but followed him. Negushwa took a lamp and was given directions to a bedchamber by a flunky.
“What is your name?” Negushwa asked as they began walking that way.
“Wapanacakos,” the woman said.
“The morning star,” said Negushwa. “Yes, that is what I thought.”
The sounds of the party faded as they made their way to the bedchamber. When they reached it, Negushwa saw that it was little more than a wooden bed frame and a door. It would do for now.
Negushwa sat on the bed. “Show me what you are hiding beneath that veil.”
Wapanacakos sighed. She lifted the veil. Beneath was the face of a beautiful woman. Full lips, dark eyebrows, high cheekbones, long eyelashes, and a great black hole in the center where her nose should be.
Beneath the veil[2]
“You are ugly,” said Negushwa.
“No uglier than you,” said Wapanacakos, pulling off his eye patch to reveal the empty socket underneath.
Negushwa laughed. “True. They have taken much from me. Not as much from me as you, I think.”
For a moment, Wapanacakos and Negushwa stared at each other. “Are you going to send me away then?”
“No,” said Negushwa. “I wish to hear your story.”
“No,” said Wapanacakos.
“I will tell you mine and then perhaps you will be more comfortable,” said Negushwa.
“Many years ago, I was a proud zhimaaganish warrior for the city of Munsee. I knew many other men like me. Including a proud warrior by the name of Beswewe who had a daughter named Wapanacakos.”
Negushwa paused for a moment. Wapanacakos said nothing but sat at the edge of the bed.
Negushwa continued. “One day the Sagamos of Wapeksippu, the father of Chiksika, attacked Munsee. Beswewe and I and many others fought bravely but they were too many and we were too few. I was wounded in the eye and infection took it later. Munsee was taken and sacked by Wapeksippu while I lay losing my eye. Afterward, I escaped and became a wandering warrior. I do not know what happened to my friend, Beswewe.”
“He lived for a time,” said Wapanacakos. “Too long.”
Negushwa’s eye filled with tears. “And his daughter? What happened to her?”
“She was left behind in Munsee. After the battle, the city was panicked. Madness everywhere. The army of Wapeksippu threw open the gates. They burned and stole all they could. My mother and I were taken prisoner and raped. We were all rounded up and taken to the market field. There, I saw my father for the last time.” Tears streamed down her face at the memory.
Negushwa carefully took a cloth from his pocket and wiped away the tears from her face. “I know it is difficult but please tell me.”
“He was brought in with the other prisoners. One by one the Wapeksippu zhimaaganish began torturing them. Peeling skin, cutting off fingers, burning them. Through it all my father never broke.”
Wapanacakos wiped more tears from her cheeks. “I did. I begged them to hurt him anymore. My mother tried to stop me but I did it anyway. It didn’t do any good. They tortured him anyway. But my cries brought me to the attention of Chiksika. He thought I was beautiful and lusted after me. And because he was the son of the Sagamos he got what he wanted. That was the last time I saw my mother as well.”
For a moment, there was silence between them. Then Wapanacakos said. “You asked me what happened to Beswewe. I have told you.”
“I still want to know what happened to you, girl,” Negushwa said. “You bounced on my knee as a child. You were as much family to me as my own children.”
Wapanacakos nodded. “At the time, Chiksika had only one wife, Kaniehtiio. They had married for love and without the permission of the Sagamos. But though they had shared a bed many years, her belly had never swollen with child.”
Wapanacakos’s face hardened. “When I arrived, I was made an awakaan, a house slave. I was given easy jobs and light work. But every night, my bed would be visited by Chiksika. Some of the girls hated that I was so favored. But one of the older awakaan put them in their place. She said my work was done at night when no one could see. She called it ‘the curse of the beautiful slave girl.’”
Not long after I arrived, my belly began to swell. My work was made even lighter. I was given many gifts of fine fabric and jewels. As awful as that time was, I miss it now. Not as much as I miss Munsee and my mother and father. But it was better than what came after.
Kaneihtiio disliked me from the moment I arrived. Once I became pregnant, she hated the sight of me. She did everything she could to denigrate and humiliate me. But as my belly swelled more and more, Chiksika favored me more and more and favored her less and less.
Finally the day came. My water broke. The labor was long and difficult. So much blood. But at the end, I gave birth. Not just to a child of Chiksika but to twin sons. My sons were strong. Their cries filled the room. Chiksika was overjoyed. He took my sons and paraded them in front of everyone in the longhouse.
While he was gone, she came. Kaniehtiio who had given him nothing but blood and death when I had given him two sons. ”
Wapanacakos touched the place where her nose once was. “I was young and beautiful and fertile. She was older and plainer and barren. And for this, I was punished.”
Negushwa spoke now, after being silent for so long. “The two boys at the Sagamos’s table.”
Wapanacakos nodded. “My sons, Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa. And, if all goes well, Tecumseh shall be Sagamos soon.”
Negushwa nodded. “Chiksika is dying. Even I could see that. But Kaniehtiio will surely try to stop him from taking his father’s place.”
“Without a doubt. All the time she is scheming to kill my boys.” Wapanacakos said. She grasped Negushwa’s hand. “We must stop her and soon. Manidoo delivered you to me tonight for a reason. If we do not act, Kaniehtiio will kill my boys. All this suffering will have been for nothing. Please I beg you, help me.”
Negushwa fell to one knee. “I promise that I shall help you in any way that I can. What do you want me to do?”
“Kill her. Kill her now. Tonight!”
Next time we will discuss the sons of Wapanacakos: Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa the Prophet, founders of Mozism and the Shawnee Empire.
Characters List
- Beswewe- father to Wapanacakos; name means “Echo-maker” a word for a sand hill crane.
- Chiksika- Sagamos of Wapeksippu
- Kaniehtiio- first wife to Chiksika
- Negushwa- mercenary hired by the Sagamos of Wapeksippu; name means “the Gatherer”
- Wapanacakos- the veiled woman; name means Venus or the Morning Star
[1] Taken from: https://www.maskmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/Middle-East-Yemen-Bedouin-Battoulah-1b.png
[2] Taken from: https://www.grossmanburnfoundation.org/bibi/ real name Bibi Aisha, an Afghani woman who was mutilated by her husband
[3] Generated using Bing Image Creator
Comments? Questions?
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