Earliest Possible Known History of Mackinac Island--Its Historical
Definition--Who Resided at the Island--Massacre at the Island by
Senecas--Where the Ottawas were Living at That Time--Only Two Escape
the Massacre--What Became of Them--The Legends of the Two Who Escaped
--Occupants of the Island Afterwards--Who Killed Warrior Tecumseh?


Again, most every historian, or annalist so-called, who writes about
the Island of Mackinac and the Straits and vicinity, tells us that the
definition or the meaning of the word "Michilimackinac" in the Ottawa
and Chippewa language, is "large turtle," derived from the word Mi-she-
mi-ki-nock in the Chippewa language. That is, "Mi-she" as one of the
adnominals or adjectives in the Ottawa and Chippewa languages, which
would signify tremendous in size; and "Mikinock" is the name of mud
turtle--meaning, therefore, "monstrous large turtle," as the historians
would have it. But we consider this to be a clear error. Whereever
those annalists, or those who write about the Island of Mackinac,
obtain their information as to the definition of the word
Michilimackinac, I don't know, when our tradition is so direct and so
clear with regard to the historical definition of that word, and is far
from being derived from the word "Michimikinock," as the historians
have told us. Our tradition says that when the Island was first
discovered by the Ottawas, which was some time before America was known
as an existing country by the white man, there was a small independent
tribe, a remnant race of Indians who occupied this island, who became
confederated with the Ottawas when the Ottawas were living at
Manitoulin, formerly called Ottawa Island, which is situated north of
Lake Huron. The Ottawas thought a good deal of this unfortunate race of
people, as they were kind of interesting sort of people; but,
unfortunately, they had most powerful enemies, who every now and then