Piché Wampum
"Having heard of the richness of the Saugeen country in furs he [Piché] went there to establish a trading post.”
- History of Bruce County by Norman Robertson. First published in 1906
Piché Wampum History
“about 1816 when the voyageurs and adventurers from Lower Canada began to be attracted to the upper country (les Pays d’ en haut) to engage in the fur trade with the Indians, one M. Piche took himself to Sauging, (Saugeen). About 1818 Piche married a woman of the Chippewas (Ojibwas) of Sauging. They had no family, and when he died his widow was taken care of by Mrs. Augustine Gonneville, (more frequently called Grandeville), who was the daughter of Joseph Lange and a Cree woman. She married Gonneville, or Grandeville in the Red River country, and two removed to Goderich, and Sauging. Mrs. Grandeville cared for her till she (Mrs. Piche) died. Mrs. Piche ingratitude for all the care bestowed on her, presented Mrs. Grandeville with these strings of wampum, saying that they would entitle Mrs. Grandeville to her (Mrs. Piche’s) portion of land in the Sauging country. Augustine Grandeville died after raising a very large family, and his youngest daughter got married to Francis Benoit, who died near Sarnia. Mrs. Benoit took charge of her mother until she (Mrs. Grandeville) died, having bequeathed to Mrs. Benoit the strings of beads, repeating the words of Mrs. Piche, that the wampum would entitle her to one share of land in Sauging territory.”Mrs. Benoit became Mrs. F. Rocher de Lamorandiere. “The land claim was never acted on, as there was no need of doing so, because land was then cheap. “It may be well to remark, however, that the gift of these beads from one tribe to another, or an individual to another, was regarded as very solemn and binding, and a compact made that way was never broken. “Having no use for the beads except in remembrance of my late wife, and as a memento of the old times, I freely donate them to the Department of Education to be placed in the Provincial Museum, or any other place, as the Curator may think fit.
F. Lamorandiere.”
Annual Archaeological Report 1904. Being Part of Appendix to the report of the Minister of Education, Ontario. 1905. Printed by Order of the legislative assembly.
"Twelve strings of cylindrical wampum, European make, presented by F. Lamorandiere, of Cape Croker., Ojibwa Reserve, per H. G. Tucker, Barrister, Owen Sound, Ont. Two of the strings consist wholly of white beads, the others of purple and white, arranged four and five of the former from two to three of the latter. Mrs. Lamorandiere formerly Mrs. Benoit, received these from her mother, Mrs. Gonneville, to whom they were given by Mrs. Piche, an Ojibwa woman of Saugeen or Sauging. The beads were regarded by the family as entitling the holder to a’ portion’ of land, in what is now the County of Bruce. The strings are twelve inches long, but were probably much longer at one time.”
Annual Archaeological Report 1904. Being Part of Appendix to the report of the Minister of Education, Ontario. 1905. Printed by Order of the legislative assembly. Toronto.
Mr. Tucker spent many years trying to convince Mr. Lamorandier to donate the wampum strings.
Tucker and Cameron
Barristers, Solicitors, Notaries, Inc.
Owen Sound Canada
Sept, 20/04.
Thomas Boyle, Esq.,
(Curator, Normal School)
Toronto, ONT.
Dear Mr. Boyle,
After many years I have succeeded in getting from Hr. Lamorandier the string of Wampum beads about which I spoke to you and wrote you once before. I enclose you a letter together with a written history sent to me by Mr. Lamorandier, the Interpreter of the Cape Croker band of Indians. For fear these beads might be lost in transit or injured, I will keep them until I go to the city the next time, which I expect will be (second page of letter) within a couple of weeks. Mr. Lamorandier is a French Indian half-bred and a very intelligent man. His description is somewhat amusing, and possibly you might find it expedient to write him for further information.
I am endeavoring to get some other articles from Mr. Lamorandier and the Indians at Cape Croker, and if I succeed I shall forward them to you.
Yours truly,
H. Tucker”
Although Mr Tucker had intended to delivered the wampum in person, he appears to have mailed them instead.
Tucker and Cameron
Barristers, Solicitors, Notaries, Inc.
Owen Sound Canada
Oct, 6/04.
Thomas Boyle, Esq.,
(Curator, Normal School)
Toronto, ONT.
Dear Mr. Boyle,
As I am not certain when I shall be down to the city, perhaps next Monday and perhaps not for a couple of weeks, I thought I would send you the string of wampum beads which I received from Mr. Lamorandier, and I beg to enclose you the same by concurrent post. When acknowledging receipt will please tell me what these beads are made of? I imagine them to be coral. It is certainly interesting to know that in the early days there was communication between our Indians and the tribes of the North West or prairie Indians. Note in Mr. Lamorandier’s letter the word “Sauging” now Saugeen.
Yours truly,
H. Tucker