Chippewa Indian Legend of a Former White Race That Mined the Wisconsin Copper
Prehistoric
Copper Mining in the Lake Superior Region, 1923
Indian
Legends make no mention of these mining operations which were of
a magnificence and magnitude
worthy of being included in the history of any race.
The
legends do mention that a white race was driven out far back
in the Indians history. The fact that Indian legends indicate that
pieces of copper were reserved as Manitous or Gods would seem
to prove that they were not the people who mined and
used copper "industrially"
These
prehistoric miners left no records that we can translate to tell
who they were. Apparently they did not winter in the region
and apparently, too, none but the hardy and strong made the
trip. No graves have been found which can be definitely ascribed to
them. They made no drawings, no carvings, and left nothing in the way
of mounds,
ceremonials
or otherwise, to indicate their lineage. The pits and the
tools are all and they are not enough.
Father
Allouez said that the Indian legends contained no reference to
mining or the miners. In fact the Indians did not know
where the mines were. A report of a Chippewa legend says that
the old one states that their forefathers, drove out a
white race who might have been the miners.
