Treaty of Mississinwas
Encyclopedia
The Treaty of Mississiniwas or the Treaty of Mississinewa is an 1826 treaty
between the United States and the Miami tribe
.
through Indiana by James B. Ray
and Lewis Cass
on behalf of President John Quincy Adams
, Cass negotiated a two more treaties to purchase lands in Indiana and Michigan, including the Treaty of Mississinewa. By the treaty, the Miami leadership agreed to cede
to the United States the bulk of Miami reservation lands held in Indiana by previous treaties. In compensation, the families of Chief Richardville
and certain other Miami notables were given estates in Indiana
, with houses like the Richardville House
and livestock furnished at government expense. The federal government agreed to buy out some of the estates granted by the previous Treaty of St. Mary's
. Small reservations were to be carved out along the Eel and Maumee
rivers.
The tribe was also to be compensated with $31,040.53, $10,000 of this in silver, the first year; and $26,259.47 in goods the next. Promises were made of a $15,000 annuity thereafter, in addition to monies provided for by other treaties. $2,000 per annum was to be set aside for the "…poor infirm persons of the Miami tribe, and for the education of the youth of the said tribe…" as long as the Congress should "…think proper…" Hunting
rights would continue to be enjoyed "…so long as the same shall be the property of the United States."
While the promises to the Miami elite seem for the most part to have been honored, the provisions for the maintenance of the lower orders were later modified to their detriment or ignored. The "commoners" of the Miami tribe, as they might be called, were left helpless in the face of the Indian Removal Act
and were often at the mercy of agents from the Bureau of Indian Affairs
, for whom the best interests of natives were not always a priority.
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
between the United States and the Miami tribe
Miami tribe
The Miami are a Native American nation originally found in what is now Indiana, southwest Michigan, and western Ohio. The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma is the only federally recognized tribe of Miami Indians in the United States...
.
Terms
After negotiations with the Pottawatomie to build the Michigan RoadMichigan Road
The Michigan Road was one of the earliest roads in Indiana. Roads in early Indiana were often roads in name only. In actuality they were sometimes little more than crude paths following old animal and Native American trails and filled with sinkholes, stumps, and deep, entrapping ruts...
through Indiana by James B. Ray
James B. Ray
James Brown Ray was an Indiana politician and the only Senate President-Pro-Tempore to succeed to become Governor of the State of Indiana. He served during the period when the state transitioned from personal politics to political parties, but never joined a party himself. Elevated at age 31, he...
and Lewis Cass
Lewis Cass
Lewis Cass was an American military officer and politician. During his long political career, Cass served as a governor of the Michigan Territory, an American ambassador, a U.S. Senator representing Michigan, and co-founder as well as first Masonic Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Michigan...
on behalf of President John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...
, Cass negotiated a two more treaties to purchase lands in Indiana and Michigan, including the Treaty of Mississinewa. By the treaty, the Miami leadership agreed to cede
Cession
The act of Cession, or to cede, is the assignment of property to another entity. In international law it commonly refers to land transferred by treaty...
to the United States the bulk of Miami reservation lands held in Indiana by previous treaties. In compensation, the families of Chief Richardville
Chief Jean Baptiste de Richardville
Jean Baptiste de Richardville , also known as Peshewa and Joseph Richardville, was the last chief of a united Miami tribe.-Biography:...
and certain other Miami notables were given estates in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, with houses like the Richardville House
Richardville House
The Chief Jean Baptiste de Richardville House was built near Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1827. Subsidized by the U.S. federal government through the 1826 Treaty of Mississinwas, it is believed to be only one of three treaty houses built east of the Mississippi River.-History:Chief Richardville, the...
and livestock furnished at government expense. The federal government agreed to buy out some of the estates granted by the previous Treaty of St. Mary's
Treaty of St. Mary's
The Treaty of St. Mary's was signed on October 6, 1818 at Saint Mary's, Ohio between representatives of the United States and the Miami tribe and others living in their territory. The accord contained seven articles. Based on the terms of the accord, the Miami ceded to the United States...
. Small reservations were to be carved out along the Eel and Maumee
Maumee River
The Maumee River is a river in northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana in the United States. It is formed at Fort Wayne, Indiana by the confluence of the St. Joseph and St. Marys rivers, and meanders northeastwardly for through an agricultural region of glacial moraines before flowing into the...
rivers.
The tribe was also to be compensated with $31,040.53, $10,000 of this in silver, the first year; and $26,259.47 in goods the next. Promises were made of a $15,000 annuity thereafter, in addition to monies provided for by other treaties. $2,000 per annum was to be set aside for the "…poor infirm persons of the Miami tribe, and for the education of the youth of the said tribe…" as long as the Congress should "…think proper…" Hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
rights would continue to be enjoyed "…so long as the same shall be the property of the United States."
Problems
One problem with the treaty was language making fulfillment of several US obligations conditional on the will of Congress. No such language limits native obligations pursuant to "the will of the tribal council," thus, the Miami party is at a distinct disadvantage. The United States, after a vote in Congress, can walk away from some of its obligations without breaking the treaty; the Indians cannot. Since most of the land in Indiana was soon parceled out to settlers, the Miami could not long enjoy the privilege of hunting on open land that was "…the property of the United States." This seriously curtailed the ability of most Miami to supplement their diet with meat from the hunt.While the promises to the Miami elite seem for the most part to have been honored, the provisions for the maintenance of the lower orders were later modified to their detriment or ignored. The "commoners" of the Miami tribe, as they might be called, were left helpless in the face of the Indian Removal Act
Indian Removal Act
The Indian Removal Act was signed into law by President Andrew Jackson on May 28, 1830.The Removal Act was strongly supported in the South, where states were eager to gain access to lands inhabited by the Five Civilized Tribes. In particular, Georgia, the largest state at that time, was involved in...
and were often at the mercy of agents from the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
, for whom the best interests of natives were not always a priority.
See also
- Indian removals in IndianaIndian removals in IndianaIndian removals in Indiana began in the early 1830s and was mostly completed by 1846. The removals were preceded by several treaties, beginning in 1795, that gradually purchased most of the state from various tribes...