U.P. Reader -- Volume #4

The Many Lives of Pierre LeBlanc
(Based upon an old U.P. legend)

by Tyler R. Tichelaar

Life 1

Chief Shob-wa-wa watched the canoe approach the shore. The old Ojibwa had seen it from high atop the ridge overlooking the bay where he had his wigwam. The rest of his tribe preferred to live closer to the shore and thought it odd he would live up on the ridge, but he knew his view of the lake would keep his people safe from being surprised should the Sioux seek to attack them.

However, this canoe did not bear Sioux warriors. Despite his advanced age, Shob-wa-wa's eyesight was as keen as an eagle's, and he soon saw that his sister's son was paddling the canoe. His sister had married into the Crane clan at Bahweting, the place the white men called Sault Saint Marie, and each spring Chief Shob-wa-wa traveled there with his clan to see her and fish the rapids. He recognized the other Ojibwa in the canoe also as men he had met at the rapids, but not the pale face in the middle of the canoe in a long black robe. He had seen other Black Robes at Bahweting, but never had one come to his bay. He had never spoken to a Black Robe, but he had heard good things of them from his relatives. More importantly, last night Nanabozho had sent him a dream, telling him a Black Robe would come, bearing great tidings of importance, so Shob-wa-wa knew this visit was a momentous event for his band.

As the canoe reached the shore, Shob-wa-wa rushed down the hill. By the time he arrived at the beach, the members of his band were gathered about the stranger. They were asking a great many questions of their cousins from Bahweting who had come with the Black Robe, but when they saw Shob-wa-wa coming, they quickly stepped aside and closed their lips out of respect for the old chief.

"Welcome," said Shob-wa-wa in Ojibwa, expecting the men from Bahweting to translate it into the white man's tongue for the stranger. Instead, Shob-wa-wa was surprised when the pale-faced Black Robe replied in Shob-wa-wa's native tongue.

"Thank you. I am Pere Marquette, and I have come to bring your people good news of the Savior of mankind so that they might believe in him, be baptized, and gain eternal life."

Shob-wa-wa bowed in acknowledgment of this kindness and then replied, "I am Shob-wa-wa, chief of these people, and your words make my heart glad for we have heard from our cousins of this savior and wish to learn more of him. You, his servant, are most welcome here."

"And I," continued Pere Marquette, "have likewise heard stories from your cousins of you, mighty Shob-wa-wa. You are a legend among your people for your intelligence and foresight. Even the white men have heard of you and are surprised you are not French like us because you are so wise."

Shob-wa-wa did not know how to reply to this, for despite knowing that these French white men had great ships and guns and the firewater, he was not always sure how wise they were. But he knew Pere Marquette's words were meant in kindness, so he said, "Let us be friends then and share our wisdom with one another."

To this proposal, Pere Marquette readily agreed, and that night, he feasted with Shob-wa-wa's people.

It is said that Pere Marquette stayed three weeks with Shob-wa-wa and his band. The Jesuit and the old chief spoke day and night about everything of any importance there was to know. Shob-wa-wa told Pere Marquette how his people had been led to the rapids, which the white men called Sault Sainte Marie, by a crane, and since then they had branched out all across this great peninsula between Anishinaabewi-gichigami and Ininwewi-gichigami. Shob-wa-wa also told Pere Marquette of the lore of his people, of Nanabozho and the creation of the world, and many another of their ancient stories. Then Pere Marquette told Shob-wa-wa of the Christian God who had created the world in seven days, and of how when man had fallen into sin, God had become a man, being born as his own son Jesus and dying so man's sins would be forgiven. Shob-wa-wa was so taken with this story that he believed Jesus set a very good example for his people and he agreed to be baptized, and when Shob-wa-wa's people saw how their leader loved the Black Robe and trusted in his teachings, they followed his example and were also baptized.

And then came the day when Pere Marquette said he must leave. "But remember, Shob-wa-wa," he said upon parting, "you are now Pierre LeBlanc, for I have baptized you as such, causing your sins to be washed clean like the snow, and you are the rock upon which I have built the Ojibwa church here beside Anishinaabewi-gichigami."

"I will remember," Shob-wa-wa replied. "In fact, I will build a great city here named after you so that what you have taught us will be remembered long after we are both gone, and Nanabozho shall help me."

Then Pere Marquette and Shob-wa-wa smoked the peace pipe together. The next morning, they hugged one another goodbye and promised to meet again, if not in this world, in the next. Then Pere Marquette climbed back into his canoe and the men from Bahweting paddled across Anishinaabewi-gichigami until they were but a speck on the horizon.

Shob-wa-wa did not forget his promise. He built a church on a rock in the bay, and all his people built their wigwams around it. And for many years after, they met there and spoke of how the great Pere Marquette had brought them the story of Jesus, and they recited the stories he had told them from his holy magical book. It is said that Shob-wa-wa's church remained many years after he had gone to his rest; French fur traders often passed by it and told stories of how Pere Marquette had once visited that spot, and those memories did not fade, even after Anishinaabewi-gichigami had reclaimed the stones the church had been built from.

And that is how Christianity first came to the Ojibwa who resided along what would one day be called Iron Bay. But it is not the end of Shob-wa-wa's story.

Life 2

Pierre LeBlanc had been born in France, but he had come to Quebec as a young man. He had found service in the employ of Antoine Laumet de La Mothe Cadillac, the sieur de Cadillac. The sieur's name was a fancy one, not at all like Pierre's simple one, but he and Cadillac got along nevertheless. Cadillac made Pierre the bowstroke in his canoe, and although history has forgotten it, they and their voyageur companions once made a long journey together along Lake Superior's shore.

One day Cadillac and his men passed a bay just east of the peninsula known as Presque Isle. Pierre LeBlanc was so struck by this bay's beauty that he said to Cadillac, "We should build a city here."

"It is too far from New France," Cadillac replied. "Who would live here?"

"I would," said Pierre, "and I would name it Marquette, after the great Jesuit missionary and explorer."

Pierre had grown up in France hearing stories of Marquette and Joliet and their famous journey down the Mississippi River. The story of their adventures had been what had inspired him to come to New France and travel beyond it to the Great Lakes. Ever since he was a boy, he had wanted nothing more than to explore these waters and to rub elbows with the Ojibwa whom Pere Marquette had known and loved, and now in Cadillac's canoe, he was doing so.

However, Cadillac just laughed at Pierre's dream of a city in such a remote wilderness.

And the laughter caused Pierre to smile at his own fantasy-it was a funny idea to build a city way out here. It would doubtless be centuries before any white people settled this land, and the Ojibwa were migratory, so they would not want to live in houses of wood or stone if he did build them.

Within a few days, Pierre and Cadillac had returned to Michilimackinac. It was there that Cadillac got in trouble for selling liquor to the Ojibwa. Pierre had warned him not to do it. "It is like poison to them for it drives them mad," he had said. But the Ojibwa dearly loved the brandy and whiskey the French often traded to them, and Cadillac wished to make money in beaver furs, and so Pierre's words fell on deaf ears.

Then one day, an already drunken Ojibwa got angry when Cadillac would not sell him more firewater.

Pierre tried to make peace between the men. He reminded the Ojibwa that Pere Marquette would have been against his drinking the firewater, but the Ojibwa was already too intoxicated to heed his words-he only knew he wanted more. When Cadillac continued to refuse to sell him more, the Ojibwa pulled out a knife. A scuffle ensued, in which Pierre, trying to protect Cadillac, was stabbed.

Statue of Father Marquette

And then everything started to go black for Pierre.

I guess I'll never get to build that city for Pere Marquette now, was his last thought.

But Pierre did not know that Nanabozho had other plans.

Life 3

It had been nearly fifty years since Peter White had come to Marquette. That first year of 1849, he'd been just a boy of eighteen when he'd sailed into Iron Bay with Robert Graveraet. On that day, he'd met his lifelong friend Charley Kawbawgam. Charley, in time, had become Chief of the local Ojibwa. And Peter, in time, had helped to found the town. Then Peter had served as mailman for Marquette, delivering mail by dogsled from as far away as Green Bay. It wasn't as prominent a position as being an Ojibwa chief, but...