Chief Shingwauk at Robinson Huron Treaty Signing in 1850

The Mica Bay Incident (also known as the Michipicoten War or the Mica Bay Uprising) was a land and resources dispute in along the shore of

Lake Superior Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. Lake Michigan–Huron has a larger combined surface area than Superior, but is normally considered tw ...

in November 1849. It is partially responsible for the signing of the 1850

Robinson-Huron Treaty The Robinson Treaties are two treaties signed between the Ojibwa chiefs and the Crown in 1850 in the Province of Canada. The first treaty involved Ojibwa chiefs along the north shore of Lake Superior, and is known as the Robinson Superior Treaty. ...

Background

The political tensions leading up to the incident reflect ongoing Indigenous concerns around land rights, mineral extraction, and corporate/crown encroachment on traditional territories.

Incident

In 1849 a group of

First Nations First nations are indigenous settlers or bands. First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to: Indigenous groups *List of Indigenous peoples *First Nations in Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Mé ...

and

Métis The Métis ( , , , ) are a mixed-race Indigenous people whose historical homelands include Canada's three Prairie Provinces extending into parts of Ontario, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and the northwest United States. They ha ...

people were displeased with ongoing mineral extraction by local mining companies. This mining was occurring outside of a negotiated treaty and contrary to the 1763 Royal Proclamation's statements on Indigenous land and resource rights. In November 1849 a group traveled from

Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Sault Ste. Marie ( ) is a city in northern Ontario, Canada, on the north shore of the St. Mary's River directly across from its "twin city," Sault Ste. Marie, in the state of Michigan. The city's population was 72,051 at the 2021 census, makin ...

to Mica Bay on the shore of Lake Superior. Upon arrival at Mica Bay the group attacked copper mining sites established by the Quebec Mining Company, with the goal of forcing the Company off the land. Over 100 soldiers were sent to put down the incident and in December a number of the leaders were arrested and detained in Toronto. Leaders of the incident included Chief Shingawukonse ( Garden River), Chief Nebenaigoching ( Batchewana), Chief Oshawana (

Walpole Island Walpole Island is an island and First Nation reserve in southwestern Ontario, Canada, on the border between Ontario and Michigan in the United States. It is located in the mouth of the Saint Clair River on Lake Saint Clair, about by road fr ...

), Allan Macdonell, Metcalfe, and others.

Aftermath

The Mica Bay incident is known as the tipping point which forced the government to negotiate treaty agreements with Indigenous communities in the

Lake Huron Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is shared on the north and east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south and west by the U.S. state of Michigan. The name of the lake is derived from early French ex ...

and Lake Superior region. The Mica Bay Incident occurred shortly before the signing of the

Robinson Treaties The Robinson Treaties are two treaties signed between the Ojibwa chiefs and the Crown in 1850 in the Province of Canada. The first treaty involved Ojibwa chiefs along the north shore of Lake Superior, and is known as the Robinson Superior Treaty. ...

Background

Incident

Aftermath

See also

References

Further reading