Andrew J. Blackbird / Mack-e-te-be-nesey

Educated first in Odawa (Ottawa) skills and traditions, Andrew J. Blackbird struggled to find the resources to attend Euro-American schools and eventually studied at Ypsilanti State Normal School. His command of English enabled him to work as an interpreter for the Mackinac Indian Agency. He helped gain Michigan citizenship for Native Americans under the 1850 Constitution and became Postmaster of Harbor Springs in the 1860's. Blackbird also helped widows and children of Civil War soldiers obtain benefits. His History of the Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of Michigan, published in 1867, includes a grammar of the Odawa language and his autobiography, one of the first written by a Native American.

Harbor Springs, Michigan · United States