LAND RIGHTS AND USE
Treaty rights and land rights of Indigenous Nations in relation to the United States government is a large, complicated topic that many legal professionals and scholars have weighed in on. The goal of this exhibit is to demonstrate how this topic shows up in public discourse in Toledo by highlighting cases that had relevance to Lucas County, and demonstrate the cultural practices that continue today. As you will see, laws have not stopped Indigenous people from knowing and being on the land of their people.
The Toledo Library's archives contain historic documents on the topic of Indigenous land rights, including a 1779 letter from Delaware Chiefs to George Washington claiming their territory and trying to build a diplomatic relationship with the new United States. The archives also contain reports of treaty negotiations amongst the Shawnees from the year 1850. An early mention in newsprint of area land rights, ownership, and history talks about two deeds given to settler families. While these documents are part of the history of land usage and ownership in this part of the country, they are far less consequential than the treaties brokered in the following years.
Treaty rights have been asserted in several ways, and not always in an expected manner. For example, settlers have attempted to use a historic treaty with the Ottawa to stop a dredging project they did not like. In another case, the Wyandot argued that they were underpaid for a land cession agreement. More recently, in 2004, the Shawnee sued for land in Northwest Ohio as well as hunting, fishing, and gathering rights. While these are just a few examples that exist within our collection, they are hardly an exhaustive representation of local land disputes.
Beyond treaties, Indigenous peoples continued to express their connection to this land. Our archives document culturally modified trees, cultural gatherings, and more. While all of these pieces are worth exploring, there are a few that are particularly of note. There is a September 1996 article about Walpole Island and Ford Soney where Soney discusses historic practices of his people and the significance of the island. There is a 1985 issue of Toledo Magazine that highlights historic context and contemporary Ottawa in the area. For a look at Indigenous politics in Northwest Ohio/Southeast Michigan in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, the American Indian Intertribal Association's Talking Leaves newsletter is a valuable resource available in the Library's Digital Collections.
