- Beautifying Bird
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Chief Beautifying Bird or Dressing Bird (Nay-naw-ong-gay-be, Na-naw-ong-ga-be or Ne-na-nang-eb (Nenaa'angebi in the Fiero orthography), meaning "[Bird that] Fixes-up Its Wing-feathers"), (1794-1855) was a principal chief of the Prairie Rice Lake Band of Lake Superior Chippewas, originally located near Rice Lake, Wisconsin. He served as the principal chief about the middle of the 19th century. He was noted chiefly as an orator, and as the father of Ah-shah-way-gee-she-go-qua, the so-called "Chippewa Princess". Nay-naw-ong-gay-be is described as having been of "less than medium height and size," and as having "intelligent features."
Contents
Family
Chief Nenaa'angebi, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society and the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, was of the Nibiinaabe-doodem (Merman Clan). He was a twin son of Chief Ozaawindib, sometimes recorded as being a Lac Courte Oreilles Band. Nenaa'angebi's twin brother —whom Ozaawindib gave away to the community of Snake River sub-band of the Biitan-akiing-enabijig ("Border-sitters") who were equally Ojibwa as they were Dakota in order to make peace with them and so that they would have a Chief — became Chief Shagobay/Shák'pí.
Chief Nenaa'angebi's wife was Niigi'o (recorded as "Niguio"). They had sons "Wabashish", John White and "Gishkitawag", Joe White, and daughters Maggie White, "Chingway", "Poskin" (Mary Goose - Mrs. Andrew Tainter), "Minotagas", "Wabikwe", Aazhawigiizhigokwe (Mrs. Edward Dingley) and "Ashaweia" (Montanice (Montanis) Couvillion/Bracklin/Barker).
Life
He was a treaty signatory to the 1842 and 1854 Treaties of La Pointe. His Band was consolidated with Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians after the 1854 Treaty of La Pointe. Before he could see the promises of the 1854 Treaty fulfilled, he died in 1855.
Chief Nenaa'angebi was buried near the high hill at Prairie Farm and there is a Wisconsin Historical Society marker nearby. A portrait of Chief Nenaa'angebi hung in the Wisconsin Historical Society Library in Madison, Wisconsin according to a letter to his grandson, Thomas Jefferson Bracklin from the society in 1933.
Legacy
"Wabashish", the eldest son, succeeded his father as Chief of the Prairie Rice Lake community of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band. However, shortly afterwards, Shák'pí lead an ambush to which Chief Nenaa'angebi’s wife was seriously injured, and later died. Niigi'o was buried near the west bank of the Red Cedar River on the north end of Rice Lake, Wisconsin within a few feet of the edge of Wisconsin Highway 48. In defending her village during the ambush Aazhawigiizhigokwe killed Shák'pí’s son, her own cousin.
Quotation
“ My father, I was here last year, when the treaty was made, and I swallowed the words of the treaty down my throat, and they have not yet had time to blister on my breast. ” -
- — Nay-naw-ong-gay-be, late summer of 1855, in reference to Treaty of La Pointe
References
- Morse, Richard E. "The Chippewas of Lake Superior" in Wisconsin Historical Society Collections, v. III, pp. 338-344
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