| The Maritime Wabanaki Confederacy Explained: There is a lot of
confusion about the Wabanaki (Wabenaki) Confederacy that must be addressed
here in order to make it very clear as to which one is legitimate and which
is not !
Firstly, when the original Wananaki Confederacy was formed in the mid 1600's, there was no Canada, no Indian Act, no reserves and no "status cards ", so, the Wabanaki Confederacy has nothing whatsoever to do with Status Indians in Canada ! The original Wabanaki Confederacy in the mid-1600's, included all the Algonquin tribes known collectively as the Eastern Indians except the ancestors of today's Passemaquoddy and Mi'kmaq. The Passamaquoddy were considered as Penobscots until around 1710, and the Mi'kmaqs were known as Tarratins by the British or Sourisqois (Canoe people) by the French until around 1686. There is no mention of Mi'kmaqs in the British-Wananaki wars until the start of the 1700's. No chiefs signed the treaties of 1678, 1693, 1698, 1699, 1701, 1713, 1714 & 1717 as Mi'kmaqs, and it is documented in colonial papers and church records that after 1710, there were no pure-blooded Indians left in Acadia. This is proven by the fact that no Passamaquoddy or Mi'kmaqs negotiated or signed treaties as Wabanaki chiefs until the 1725 Dummer's treaty, which was negotiated by three Etchimin chiefs as the main Wabanaki Confederacy delegates. Prior to 1725, the bulk of all the fighting in the preceeding Indian Wars going back to 1635, was done by the Kennebec, Penobscots and Maliseets warriors. The largest force of Indians to assemble for battle against the British in Acadia was 300 penobscot, Kennebec and Maliseet warriors who were led in attacks against Salem, Oyster Bay and Groton, led by chief Madockawando and Jean D'Abbadis de St. Castin. And all the treaties up to and including the 1749 treaties were negotiated by the chiefs of the Penobscots, Kennebecs and Maliseets (known as the St. John River Indians). The original Wabanaki confedracy was headed by several paramount chiefs over the decades up to the early 1700's, and the best known of these were Edgermeret, Moxus, Bomaseen and Madockawando, all four were related. (Bomaseen was Madockawando's and Moxus' father-in-law, and Edgermerit was Madockawando's cousin, while Moxus was Madockawando's brother-in-laws ) Of these four, all historical colonial records point to Madockawando as being the most influencial and powereful, and the only one who is recorded as a sage or spiritual leader . When the British signed a treaty in 1678 to end the King Phillip's war, it was Madockawando's brother Moxus (Toxus) who first signed it on behalf of Madockawando, and when it was made official by Madockawando himself, the first recorded deed for the sale of Indian land to the British was included and signed by Madockawando. When the British prevented the Wabanaki near St. George in Maine from accessing their winter hunting grounds, it was Madockawando, along with Bomaseen and Edgermerit who signed the 1693 treaty to prevent them from starving over the winter, but, even then, the 2nd deed for the sale of Indian lands was part of this treaty, and only Madockawando signed this deed, it being witnessed by hiis cousin Edgermerit, who also agreed to become a prisoner of the British to show their sincerity. When the war continued, being that Edgermerit was killed by the British while in captivity, Madockawando took up the warpath once again alongside his other chiefs. When Madockawando died in 1698, while the chief of the Maliseets on the St. John River, he was succeeded as a paramount Wabenaki chief by his son-in-law, Jean D'Abbadis De St. Castin, who pretty-well ran the Wabanaki Confederacy until he went to France in 1702. While the Baron De St. Castin was in France, the British attacked the Indian villages and settlements in Acadia until the baron's son, Bernard De St. Castin, a mixed breed, took over control of the Indian forces and prevented the British take-over of Port Royal in 1710. By now, the Wabanaki Confederacy had no paramont chief, although the major leader was obviously Bernard St. Castin, it had began to appoined delegates or deputies who formulated or negitiated the 1713, 1714 and 1717 treaties, which were ratifications of the 1693 treaty (on the 1713 treaty, it states on this treaty that they are a ratification or re-affirmation, of the 1693 treaty signed by Madockawando !) Bernard De St. Castin went to France in 1714, he died there in 1720, and the British again initiated military acts toward Acadia since the Wabanaki Confederacy had no main leader. In 1721, the British murdered the Jesuit priest Father Real, his scalp along with at of several Penobscot women and children were paraded in Boston as trophies. That same year, the British captured Bernard St Castin's brother Joseph Marie De St. Castin and accused him of being a spy, he was later released because the Indians retaliated with more attacks against the British . It should be pointed-out that in 1677, Madockawando's sister was killed by the British, then in 1686, his niece, daughter of his son in law Jean D'Abbadis de St. Castin was kidnapped and held for ranson, and that Modockawando's grandchildren were involved in the Wabanaki wars & treaties up to the mid 1750's. Joseph De St. Castin's brother Francis Xavier (who had signed the 1717 treaty as a Penobscot Chief) along with three other Penobscot chiefs, to restore peace, negotiated the 1725 treaty known as Dummer's treaty, which was ratified by many local chiels from Acadia, including, for the first time, several local Mi'kmaq chiefs. Joseph De St. Castin and his brother Francis Xavier de St. Castin were now the leading Wabanki leaders, and although peace lasted from 1728 to 1749, there is still mention of Francis Xavier, and Chief Loren (two of the negotiators of the 1725 treaty) as trying to organise Indian resitance toward the British as late as 1747, a year later Francis Xavior de De St. Castin was killed in a knife fight. In 1749, the last major Wabanaki treaty was signed for all the Wabanaki Indians, in 1752 the first local Wabanaki treaty was negotiated and signed by Chief Cope, an Irish-Indian mixed breed from around the Halifax area. At this time, there were less than 150 Mi'maq warriors left in all opf Acadia. In 1754, two more Wabanaki treaties were signed by chiefs of the allience, these treaties were unknown in Indian circles until this year when they were found by the Wabanaki confederacy. In 1758, Chief Loren and Chief Joseph De St. Castin were arrested by the British, and they were never heard of again, either they were executed or part of the deportation. Another local treaty was signed in 1760, this time by Chief Lawrence of the Le Heve Indians (Le Heve, near Halifax, is documented in both colonial and French documents as being a Metis village, or village of mixed breeds) By 1760, there was no longer a functional Wabanaki Confederacy, it's leaders, in particuar the St. Castins or descendants of Madockawando, Edgermerit, Moxus, and Bomaseen and the family of Loren were no longer active. After 1760, the natives were without any leaders. There was no longer an active resistance, and the British government occupied most of the native land and created the reserves. For the next 200 years, the Wabanaki people were assimilated or divided into small local groups under control by the church and state. A few years ago, some reserve natives created a modern version of the Wabanaki confederacy, but, it has no ties whatsoever to any of the original Wabanaki leaders or chiefs, to the grand chiefs, the treaty signers, even to the deputies who negotiated the treaties prior to 1760. Because of this lack of creditabilty, the Maritime (meaning eastern Canada & the USA) Wabanaki Confederacy was legally incorporated and a grand council was chosen from actual documented descendants of the original Wabanaki Confederacy grand chiefs and treaty signers. These hereditery Wabanaki Confederacy Chiefs then chose in the traditional Wabanaki native tradition, Dr. John J. Williams (aka Gray Wolf) as it's Grand Chief. Because there is no other Wabanaki Confederacy which can supply unbroken lineage to chiefs of the original Wabanaki Confederacy, except this one, it holds that this is the only legitimate modern Wabanaki Confederacy. This does not mean it will look out only for it's own members, for, in keeping with the traditions of the original Wabanaki Confederacy, it will represent all first nations peoples with ties to the Wabanaki nation, its tribes and communities. The Maritime Wabanaki Confederacy does not and will not discriminate toward anyone because of mixed race, religion, tribal affiliation, spiritual beliefs, age or sex. The Maritime Wabanaki Confederacy does not seek nor need approval of any tribe, council, oganization or group for it's right to exist. (It rights are based on direct unbroken family ties to the original Wabanaki Confederacy) The Wabanaki Confederacy is the paramount governing body for all the Wabanaki peoples. As such! It refuses to accept any indian act grand council as legitimate. Since the Maritime Wabanaki Confederacym is a legal corporation with letters patent, it has mandated that it will accept any first nation person with ancestral ties to the pre-deportation peace & friendswhip treaties as full members. As well! Since the Indian Act status Indians have demonstrated their native identity by refusing to be assimilated, and have preserve their language and some of their customs, it holds that the Wabanaki Confederacy will not refuse them full membership. authorized by Gray Wolf-Grand Chief Wabanaki Confederacy |