Peter Marksman (c. 1817–1892) was a Native American

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

minister, active in

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

among the Potawatomi Indians. He was member of the L'Anse Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. His Indian name was Ma-dwa-gwun-a-yaush, from the

Ojibwe The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...

''Madwegwaneyaash'', meaning " rrowFeathers Are Heard in the Breeze," which is an indicator of an expert

archer Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...

marksman A marksman is a person who is skilled in precision shooting using projectile weapons (in modern days most commonly an accurized scoped long gun such as designated marksman rifle or a sniper rifle) to shoot at high-value targets at longer-than- ...

. Consequently, when he converted to Christianity, he chose "Marksman" as his surname. As a chief, he was a signatory to the 1847

Treaty of Fond du Lac The Treaty of Fond du Lac may refer to either of two treaties made and signed in Duluth, Minnesota between the United States and the Ojibwe (Chippewa) Native American peoples. 1826 Treaty of Fond du Lac The first treaty of Fond du Lac was signe ...

and the 1854

Treaty of La Pointe The Treaty of La Pointe may refer to either of two treaties made and signed in La Pointe, Wisconsin between the United States and the Ojibwe (Chippewa) Native American peoples. In addition, the Isle Royale Agreement, an adhesion to the first Trea ...

. His wife's name was "Hannah", to which the

Hannahville Indian Community The Hannahville Indian Community is a federally recognized Potawatomi tribe residing in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, approximately west of Escanaba on a reservation. The reservation, at , lies mostly in Harris Township in eastern Menominee Cou ...

chose to be named after her in honor of both Marksman and his wife. He died March 28, 1892, aged about 75 years.

External links

Brief biography of Peter Marksman

The Indian Convert
a letter from Peter Marksman to Bishop Morris.

The Ladies' Repository ''The Ladies' Repository'' was a monthly periodical based in Cincinnati and produced by members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. From 1841 to 1876, the magazine devoted itself to literature, arts and doctrines of Methodism, containing articles, ...

. Cincinnati: December, 1842. P. 361. Converts to Christianity Ojibwe people Native American leaders 1810s births 1892 deaths Year of birth uncertain 19th-century American clergy Native American people from Michigan {{Michigan-stub