John Cameron (May 1764 – September 28, 1828), also known as Ogimauh-binaessih (from the

Anishinaabe language Ojibwe ( ), also known as Ojibwa ( ), Ojibway, Otchipwe,R. R. Bishop Baraga, 1878''A Theoretical and Practical Grammar of the Otchipwe Language''/ref> Ojibwemowin, or Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of North America of the Algon ...

: ''Ogimaa-binesiinh'', "chief little-bird") or Wageezhegome (from the

: ''Wegiizhigomi'', "Who Possesses the Day"), was one of two principal

Indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology) In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often populari ...

Mississauga Ojibwa chiefs, member of the eagle

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 ...

, and farmer. He was born at

Credit River The Credit River is a river in southern Ontario, which flows from headwaters above the Niagara Escarpment near Orangeville and Caledon East to empty into Lake Ontario at Port Credit, Mississauga. It drains an area of approximately . The total l ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, and died at the

Credit Mission The Credit Mission was an Indian Mission on the Credit River in Upper Canada. Funded with the proceeds from Purchase #22 or #23, building began in 1826 under the leadership of Peter Jones. When construction began, about 200 Indians lived at the ...

(Mississauga),

Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada () was a Province, part of The Canadas, British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the Province of Queb ...

Early life

Wageezhegome was born in May 1764 at

. During his youth, he witnessed significant changes in his people's lifestyle, marked by the arrival of thousands of white settlers after the 1776

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

into what is now southern Ontario. This quickly led to treaty negotiations in which the

Mississauga Mississauga is a Canadian city in the province of Ontario. Situated on the north-western shore of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, it borders Toronto (Etobicoke) to the east, Brampton to the north, Milton to the northwest, ...

surrendered of much of their hunting territory and fishing grounds. Close contact with the settlers also introduced a series of epidemics, such as the smallpox epidemics in the New World reaching them, against which the Indians had no immunity. As the Mississaugas’ society collapsed, many of the Mississaugas turned to

alcoholism Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World He ...

. However, Wageezhegome did not. Instead, Wageezhegome leaned some English and rudimentary farming skills. He attended a school and adopted the name of John Cameron. After the death of his tutor David Ramsay, Cameron settled on the flats of the

to farm.Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online - OGIMAUH-BINAESSIH
/ref>

Chief

In August 1805, Cameron succeed his father as one of the band's two chiefs. Presumably during this period, Wageezhegome then received the title Ogimauh-binaessih, and freely used all three of his names after this period. He was a signatory to several treaties, including Surrenders #3¾, #8, #13, #13a, #14, #22 and #23.
/ref> When Peter Jones arrived at the Credit in late 1824, John Cameron gave Jones his full support. Cameron converted to Christianity in 1824; he moved to Brantford in 1824 and back to the Credit River in 1826. Shortly before Jones's arrival the 60-year-old chief had married Wechikiwekapawiqua (baptized Catharine Cameron), the Jones's 17-year-old half-sister. At the Credit Mission, Cameron's daughter, Charlotte, was born on February 24, 1828. Later that year he suddenly became ill and he died on September 30, 1828. Peter Jones, who succeeded him as chief the next year, later recalled that he had said shortly before dying, "I thank the Lord that I have lived to see all my people serve the Great Spirit."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cameron, John 1764 births 1828 deaths Converts to Methodism Canadian Ojibwe people

Early life

Chief

See also

References