Ottawas, although everybody supposes that some white people or
missionary societies brought the Christian religion among the Ottawa
tribes of Indians at Arbor Croche.

My uncle, Au-se-go-nock, had before this joined the Catholic religion.
He was living at that time at Drummond's Island with the British
people, where all the Ottawas and Chippewas used to go every summer to
receive presents from the British Government. And when he learned that
his people had joined the Catholic faith, he left his home at
Drummond's Island and came to Arbor Croche expressly to act as
missionary in the absence of the priest. Every Sunday he preached to
his people and taught them how to pray to God and to the Virgin Mary
and all the saints and angels in heaven. At that time printed books
containing prayers and hymns in the Stockbridge Indian language, which
is a dialect of the Ottawa and Chippewa languages, were brought from
Montreal, and could be quite intelligently understood by the Ottawas.
By this time many Indians began to be stationary; they did not go
south, as heretofore, but remained and made their winter quarters at
Arbor Croche.

About 1827, after several councils, it was determined to remove the
Mission from Seven Mile Point to Little Traverse, and a French priest
whose name was Dejan arrived expressly to remain there and carry on the
new mission established at Little Traverse. A log church was built at
the new mission, which stood very near where the present church is now
standing, and a log school house was built just where the Star Hotel
now stands, and also a log house for the priest to live in, which is
standing to this day nearest the church, but it has been covered with
siding boards since. In the fall of 1827, my father left his subjects
at Arbor Croche proper, now Middle Village, in charge of his brother,