Nenaa'angebi (c. 1794–1855), known in English as Beautifying Bird or Dressing Bird, was a principal chief of the Prairie Rice Lake Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa, originally located near Rice Lake, Wisconsin. He served as the principal chief about the middle of the 19th century. He was noted chiefly as an orator, and as the father of Aazhawigiizhigokwe (Hanging Cloud), who was the only Ojibwe woman ever to earn full ''ogichidaakwe'' (warrior) status. The Wisconsin Historical Society claims that Nay-naw-ong-gay-be is described as having been of "less than medium height and size," and having "intelligent features."

Family

Chief ''Nenaa'angebi'' was of the ''Nibiinaabe-

doodem The Anishinaabe, like most Algonquian languages, Algonquian-speaking groups in North America, base their system of kinship on clans or totems. The Ojibwe language, Ojibwe word for clan () was borrowed into English as totem. The clans, based ma ...

'' (Merman Clan), according to the

Wisconsin Historical Society The Wisconsin Historical Society (officially the State Historical Society of Wisconsin) is simultaneously a state agency and a private membership organization whose purpose is to maintain, promote and spread knowledge relating to the history of ...

and the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. He was a twin son of Chief ''Ozaawindib'', sometimes recorded as being of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band. ''Ozaawindib'' gave away the twin brother of ''Nenaa'angebi'' to the community of the

Snake River The Snake River is a major river in the interior Pacific Northwest region of the United States. About long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, which is the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. Begin ...

sub-band of the ''Biitan-akiing-enabijig'' ("Border-sitters"), an Ojibwa-Dakota group, in order to make peace with them and to provide them with a hereditary chief. That son became known as Chief ''Shagobay''/''Zhaagobe''. Chief ''Nenaa'angebi'''s wife was ''Niigi'o'' (recorded as "Niguio"). They had two sons and four daughters.

Life

Chief ''Nenaa'angebi'' was a treaty signatory to the 1842 and 1854 Treaties of La Pointe. His Band was consolidated with Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians after the 1854 Treaty of La Pointe and assigned land to a common reservation. Before he could see the promises of the 1854 Treaty fulfilled, he died in 1855. Chief ''Nenaa'angebi'' was buried near the high hill at Prairie Farm. The

installed a historic marker nearby to memorialize this site. The Society also honored him with a portrait of Chief ''Nenaa'angebi'' in its library in

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the List of municipalities in Wisconsin by population, second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 269,840 at the 2020 Uni ...

, according to a 1933 letter from the Society to his grandson, Thomas Jefferson Bracklin.

Legacy

"Wabashish", the eldest son, succeeded his father as Chief of the Prairie Rice Lake community of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band. However, shortly afterward, ''Shák'pí'' lead an ambush on the band. Chief ''Nenaa'angebi'''s wife ''Niigi'o'' was seriously injured in this raid, and later died. ''Niigi'o'' was buried near the west bank of the Red Cedar River on the north end of Rice Lake, Wisconsin. Wisconsin Highway 48 was constructed a few feet away from the site. In defending her village during the ambush, ''Aazhawigiizhigokwe'' killed ''Shák'pí'''s son, her own cousin.

Quotation

:: — Nenaa'angebi, late summer of 1855, in reference to Treaty of La Pointe

Notes

References

* Morse, Richard E. "The Chippewas of Lake Superior" in ''Wisconsin Historical Society Collections'', v. III, pp. 338–344 {{DEFAULTSORT:Beautifying Bird 1790s births 1855 deaths People from Rice Lake, Wisconsin Native American leaders American Ojibwe people