Agatha de LaVigne Biddle (1797–1873) was a woman of

Odawa 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 h ...

and French heritage, who primarily identified with her Odawa kin. She resided on

Mackinac Island Mackinac Island ( ; french: Île Mackinac; oj, Mishimikinaak ᒥᔑᒥᑭᓈᒃ; otw, Michilimackinac) is an island and resort area, covering in land area, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The name of the island in Odawa is Michilimackinac an ...

during the

fur trade The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the mo ...

era and after. She acted as a partner with her husband in running their fur trade business, and Biddle was known as a shrewd businesswoman and her kinship connections were an integral part of the Biddle business. She was pivotal in the negotiations of the 1855

Treaty of Detroit The Treaty of Detroit was a treaty between the United States and the Ottawa, Chippewa, Wyandot and Potawatomi Native American nations. The treaty was signed in Detroit, Michigan on November 17, 1807, with William Hull, governor of the Mich ...

where she used her relationships with local Indigenous peoples and settlers to negotiate on behalf of the Odawa peoples. Biddle was also renowned for her charity, and the aid she provided to her community, including needy children. The home she shared with her husband, independent fur trader Edward Biddle, known as Biddle House, still stands on Mackinac Island and was the site of many local gatherings."Agatha Biddle To Be Inducted Into Michigan Women's Hall of Fame." ''Mackinac Island Town Crier'', http://www.mackinacislandnews.com/news/2018-10-06/News/Agatha_Biddle_To_Be_Inducted_Into_Michigan_Womens_.html . Accessed 9 Oct. 2018. Agatha Biddle will be inducted into the

Michigan Women's Hall of Fame The Michigan Women's Hall of Fame (MWHOF) honors distinguished women, both historical and contemporary, who have been associated with the U.S. state of Michigan. The hall of fame was founded in 1983 by Gladys Beckwith and is sponsored by the Mic ...

on October 18, 2018.

Early life

Biddle was born Agatha de LaVigne. Her mother was Marie Lefevre de La Vigne and her father was Kougowma (or Kiogima), also called La Vigne of the Odawa people. After the death of Agatha's father, her mother married

Joseph Bailly Joseph Bailly (7 April 1774 – 21 December 1835) was a fur trader and a member of an important French Canadian family that included his uncle, Charles-François Bailly de Messein. Bailly was one of several Canadian from prominent families ...

, a fur trader of French descent originally from Nova Scotia who came to some prominence. They lived in the Mackinac area and Agatha continued to have a close relationship with her mother after her marriage.

Marriage and family

Edward Biddle arrived on Mackinac Island shortly after the conclusion of the War of 1812 and it is after this date that Agatha and Edward married. By marrying Agatha, Biddle made a connection to the prominent Bailly fur trading family. Details of their wedding were recorded, and guests included many prominent members of Mackinac society, including

Madeline La Framboise Magdelaine La Framboise (1780–1846), born Marguerite-Magdelaine Marcot,David A. Armour, "MARCOT, MARGUERITE-MAGDELAINE," in ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography,'' vol. 7, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed September 11, 2 ...

. Agatha and her mother were recorded by contemporary Elisabeth Baird as wearing the traditional dress of the Métis women of the area at the wedding. This included layers of broadcloth, leggings, moccasins, ribbons and beads, all elaborately embroidered. Biddle continued to wear traditional clothing through her life. Fleming notes the marriage of Edward and Agatha was not unusual for the time. However, while it was typical for Métis women to marry outside their home community, Edward Biddle was an English-speaking, Protestant American in a community that was primarily Indigenous and French Canadian. Together Agatha and Edward Biddle had seven children: Sophia, John, Sarah and Mary and together they built their business.Billock, Jennifer. ''Ghosts of Michigan's Upper Peninsula''. Arcadia Publishing, 2018. Their youngest daughter Mary died at the age of eight after falling through the ice while travelling between Mackinac Island and St. Ignace and her grave is the oldest in the St. Ann cemetery.

Fur trade and later life on Mackinac

During the early period of the fur trade the Mackinac and surrounded area were primarily inhabited by First Nations people, but by the middle of the nineteenth century their numbers were greatly reduced due to war, including the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It ...

, and treaties which saw many of the local Odawa and

Anishinaabe The Anishinaabeg (adjectival: Anishinaabe) are a group of culturally related Indigenous peoples present in the Great Lakes region of Canada and the United States. They include the Ojibwe (including Saulteaux and Oji-Cree), Odawa, Potawato ...

people relocated to tiny parcels of land. Biddle was made chief of the Mackinac band in the mid-1800s. Biddle took on a number of community roles, including taking in sick or orphaned Anishnaabe children and offering food and other charity. She is recorded as serving as undertaker on the island. She supplied coffins and carried out burial services. Biddle is cited as an example of the way Metis women used their connections between local First Nations communities as well as settler communities to advantage in the fur trade society of the Great Lakes. Fleming notes that there is archeological evidence to support the fact that Biddle worked with birch bark, as well as engaging in quill work and basketry.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Biddle, Agatha 1797 births 1873 deaths Fur traders People from Mackinac Island, Michigan American Métis people American women in business 19th-century American women Native American people from Michigan