Indigenous History & Culture of Cross Village

Waw-go-naw-ki-sa; the Land of the Crooked Tree; Old Arbre Croche
Cross Village and its surrounding areas on the northeastern shore of Lake Michigan have known several names and played many roles for their inhabitants. Cross Village, which celebrated its tri-centennial several years ago, is thought to be the oldest settlement of continuous habitation in Michigan. It was originally a three-season home for the Ottawa (Odawa) and Ojibwa (Chippewa). The indigenous residents fished and made bark baskets and beautiful quill work for practical uses, decoration and trade. Cross Village's strategic location helped it serve as a meeting place for regional Native American tribes; the Old Council Tree outside town was the site for the chiefs of the Menominee, Chippewa and Ottawa to meet after the July 1763 Fort Michilimackinac massacre and, as late as 1787, up to twenty tribes were hosted around council fires in the Cross Village region.

Preparations for Weaving

One hundred plus years later, Cross Village was still a gathering place and staging ground. It served as a port for Beaver Islanders, with mail going out to the Island via dog sled in the winter, and the Coast Guard used it as a base for three of its lighthouses that still stand off the coast today.

Aleck, Wabunosa Ojibwa Brave Detroit Photography 1903 Cross Village Women

The arrival of Father Weikamp, a German-born Franciscan Father, in 1855 brought changes to the region. Father Weikamp entered the Land of the Crooked Tree with the goal of creating an independent settlement where Native Americans could live, work and learn in peace, away from the influence of Anglo-European civilization, and stayed until his death in 1889. During his time in 'the Village,' Father Weikamp enlisted the Odawa to help him build a convent, complete with a Catholic school for reading and writing. Farming, rather than fishing, became the primary work in the region as the convent lands were tilled for production of food for people and animals.

The lumber industry, so prevalent in northern Michigan, thrived in the Cross Village region from the late 1800s to 1911. During that time, the town grew to accommodate the needs of the industry with stores, hotels and more housing. When the lumber industry pulled out in 1911, the town of Cross Village began to decline.

The decline was fairly slow until a huge fire in 1918 destroyed the Atwood Hotel, several stores and twenty-five homes. Not many were rebuilt, and Cross Village entered a more rapid period of decline. A successful program was implemented in the 1930s by local missionaries to help the ailing economy: braided rugs and quill artwork were hand crafted in the basement of the old town hall by native residents and sold to the newly burgeoning tourist industry, but the program did not continue. Unfortunately, the economic decline did. Cross Village, Pierce St. looking north, Atwood Hotel & Loomis Store

Cross Village is home to about 235 year-around inhabitants today, some of whom are descendents of the Odawa who lived there centuries ago. Hoping to address the difficulties their community has been facing, the residents performed a community survey in 2003 and formulated a "Master Plan" in 2004. The results stress the necessity for saving their resources and open spaces, preserving the historical significance, beauty and serenity of the natural surroundings, yet move the sleepy community forward towards economic stability.