Wabbicommicot (died 1768) was a

Mississauga Mississauga ( ), historically known as Toronto Township, is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, adjoining the western border of Toronto. With a popul ...

chief instrumental in maintaining friendly relations between his Mississauga tribe and the British. Throughout his chiefship, Wabbicommicot had about 150 warriors under his control.Schmalz, 281

Biography

Although it is not known when Wabbicommicot was born, his name first appears on some British documents detailing a meeting between him and Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet, the British superintendent of northern

Indians Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

at Fort Niagara in July 1761. Rumours had spread that a number of key Seneca figures had been attempting to provoke rebellion against the British among western tribes, so Sir Johnson had been travelling to Detroit for an initial meeting with those tribes allied with the French. Wabbicommicot accompanied Johnson on this trip and thanked Johnson for bringing peace to "our Country which was in a treamor". However, no amount of negotiation on the part of Johnson could make up for years of the British policy of severing the Indians' supply of rum and ammunition. During the winter of 1762–3, Wabbicommicot reported to a Toronto-based trader that the First Nations in the region had been put on alert that a French contingent would be arriving shortly to retake the area, and that war would break out between the Indians and the British in spring. Wabbicommicot insisted that he was against a plan such as this, but said that he could not warn his people against it.Schmalz, 71 In May 1763, Wabbicommicot arrived at Fort Niagara to demand rum for his people, warning that he would not be able to guarantee friendly outcomes should his demand be refused.Schmalz, 72 Despite Wabbicommicot's alliance with the British, the personnel at Fort Niagara soon received word that some traders were attacked by Mississaugas at the mouth of the Grand River. In October 1763, Wabbicommicot travelled to Detroit to make a peace offering to the commandant there. He claimed that not only his own tribe but also the

Ottawas The Odawa (also Ottawa or Odaawaa ), said to mean "traders", are an Indigenous American ethnic group who primarily inhabit land in the Eastern Woodlands region, commonly known as the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. They ha ...

and the Ojibwas wanted peace in the region. This statement was given weight by the Ojibwa's subsequent release of six prisoners as proof that they wanted to end the war.Schmalz, 75 By 1764, the fighting had ceased, and in September Wabbicommicot was present at the signing of a major treaty in Detroit. In the following years, Wabbicommicot continued his friendship with Johnson at Fort Niagara, feeding him news on occasion. In 1767, Wabbicommicot was asked by the British to put an end to the illicit trading occurring at Toronto. In August 1768, Mississaugas appeared at Fort Niagara and informed Johnson of Wabbicommicot's death.

Notes

References

*{{cite book , title=The Ojibwa of southern Ontario , last=Schmalz , first=Peter , year=1991 , publisher=University of Toronto Press , location=Toronto , isbn=0-8020-6778-6 , url=https://archive.org/details/ojibwaofsouthern0000schm , url-access=registration , accessdate=January 25, 2011 1768 deaths Mississauga people History of Detroit People from Ontario History of New York (state) Year of birth unknown