James Brakken’s ANNOTATED EARLY LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS, the 1892 Memoir of Benjamin G. Armstrong

Tales of Indian wars, animal encounters, treaty problems, Indian lore, & more. Penned by Ben Armstrong, an 1850s trader & trusted friend of the Ojibwe people who writes of his fascinating encounters. Includes: Tales of Chief Buffalo; Indian councils with Presidents Fillmore & Lincoln; Lost silver mines; Fur trade troubles; Indian laws & customs; Sioux & Ojibwe wars; The Battle of the Brule, & more. This is a first-hand account of life among the Ojibwe people in the mid- to late-1800s. Armstrong was so beloved by the people of the five Lake Superior bands of Ojibwe that they honored him with possession of a special peace pipe created for and used by President Fillmore in a special ceremony in the Oval Office. The pipe was never again used and is now on display at the Red Cliff Tribal Museum. For his generosity, the tribes gave Armstrong his choice of any one square mile of land in their territory. He chose Minnesota Point, vacant in 1854 when he chose it, but now called the City of Duluth. This book includes many wonderful tales told by Armstrong of his life in the north during the mid- to late 1800s. It’s an amazing look at life back then and the people who made the region what it is today. Illustrated. All ages. 222 pages.