Three Fires, Council of

The Council of Three Fires, also known as the People of the Three Fires, the Three Fires Confederacy, the United Nations of Chippewa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi Indians, or Niswi-mishkodewin in the Anishinaabe language, is a long-standing Anishinaabe alliance of the Ojibwe (or Chippewa), Ottawa (or Odawa), and Potawatomi Native American tribes and First Nations.Originally one people, or a collection of closely related bands, the identities of Ojibwa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi develop after the Anishinaabeg reached Michilimackinac on their journey westward from the Atlantic coast.

Using the Midewiwin scrolls, Potawatomi elder Shup-Shewana dated the formation of the Council of Three Fires to 796 CE at Michilimackinac.

In this Council, the Ojibwe are addressed as the "Older Brother," the Odawa as the "Middle Brother," and the Potawatomi as the "Younger Brother."

Consequently, whenever the three Anishinaabe nations are mentioned in this specific and consecutive order of Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi, it is an indicator implying Council of Three Fires as well.

In addition, the Ojibwa are the "keepers of the faith," the Odawa are the "keepers of trade," and the Potawatomi are the designated "keepers/maintainers of/for the fire" (boodawaadam), which became the basis for their name Boodewaadamii (Ojibwe spelling) or Bodéwadmi (Potawatomi spelling).Though the Three Fires have several meeting places, Michilimackinac becomes the preferred meeting place due to its central location.

From this place, the Council meets for military and political purposes.

From this site, the Council maintainsrelations with fellow Anishinaabeg nations, the Ozaagii (Sac), Odagaamii (Meskwaki), Omanoominii (Menominee), Wiinibiigoo (Ho-Chunk), Naadawe (Iroquois Confederacy), Nii'inaawi-Naadawe (Wyandot), Naadawensiw (Sioux), Wemitigoozhi (France), Zhaaganaashi (England) and the Gichi-mookomaan (the United States).Through the totem-system and promotion of trade, the Council generally has a peaceful existence with its neighbours.

However, occasional unresolved disputes erupt into wars.

Under these conditions, the Council notably fight against the Iroquois Confederacy and the Sioux.

During the Seven Years' War, the Council fights against England; and during the Northwest Indian War and the War of 1812, they fight against the United States.

After the formation of the United States of America in 1776, the Council becomes a core member of the Western Lakes Confederacy (also known as "Great Lakes Confederacy"), joined together with the Wyandots, Algonquins, Nipissing, Sacs, Meskwaki and others.

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