The Mica Bay Incident (also known as the Michipicoten War or the Mica Bay Uprising) was a land and resources dispute in along the shore of

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

in November 1849. It is partially responsible for the signing of the 1850

Robinson-Huron Treaty The Robinson Treaties are two treaties signed between the Ojibwa chiefs and The Crown in 1850 in the Province of Canada. The first treaty involved Ojibwa chiefs along the north shore of Lake Superior, and is known as the Robinson Superior Treat ...

Background

The political tensions leading up to the incident reflect ongoing Indigenous concerns around land rights, mineral extraction, and corporate/crown encroachment on traditional territories.

Incident

In 1849 a group of

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...

and

Métis The Métis ( ; Canadian ) are Indigenous peoples who inhabit Canada's three Prairie Provinces, as well as parts of British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and the Northern United States. They have a shared history and culture which derives ...

people were displeased with ongoing mineral extraction by local mining companies. This mining was occurring outside of a negotiated treaty and contrary to the 1763 Royal Proclamation's statements on Indigenous land and resource rights. In November 1849 a group traveled from

Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Sault Ste. Marie ( ) is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is at the St. Mary's River on the Canada–US border. It is the third largest city in Northern Ontario, after Sudbury and Thunder Bay. The Ojibwe, the indigenous Anishinaabe inhabitants of ...

to Mica Bay on the shore of Lake Superior. Upon arrival at Mica Bay the group attacked copper mining sites established by the Quebec Mining Company, with the goal of forcing the Company off the land. Over 100 soldiers were sent to put down the incident and in December a number of the leaders were arrested and detained in Toronto. Leaders of the incident included Chief Shingawukonse (

Garden River First Nation Garden River First Nation, also known as Ketegaunseebee (''Gitigaan-ziibi Anishinaabe'' in the Ojibwe language), is an Ojibwa band located at Garden River 14 near Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. The Garden River reserve consists of two non-co ...

), Chief Nebenaigoching ( Batchewana First Nation), Chief Oshawana, Allan Macdonell, Metcalfe, and others.

Aftermath

The Mica Bay incident is known as the tipping point which forced the government to negotiate treaty agreements with Indigenous communities in the

Lake Huron Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrology, Hydrologically, it comprises the easterly portion of Lake Michigan–Huron, having the same surface elevation as Lake Michigan, to which it is connected by the , Strait ...

and Lake Superior region. The Mica Bay Incident occurred shortly before the signing of the

Robinson Treaties The Robinson Treaties are two Treaty, treaties signed between the Ojibwa chiefs and The Crown in 1850 in the Province of Canada. The first treaty involved Ojibwa chiefs along the north shore of Lake Superior, and is known as the Robinson Superior ...

Background

Incident

Aftermath

See also

References

Further reading