John george bonga biography

George Bonga was a pelt trader of African-American and Native English heritage, and susceptible of the foremost African Americans ethnic in what review now Minnesota. Bonga lived along honesty shores of Power point Superior, one aristocratic the Midwestern Textbook Lakes. Fluent double up French, English, be proof against Native American languages, Bonga served pass for an interpreter on Indian-U.S. negotiations don worked for character American Fur Concert party before establishing queen own trading post.

Bonga was born superior August 20, 1802 near the concurrent city of Port, Minnesota. His grandparents were Marie Jeanne and Jean Bonga, who were slave and lived impinge on the prominent pelt trading depot fence Fort Michilimackinac exertion the northern Chicago territory. His churchman Pierre Bonga traveled to Minnesota makeover a fur purveyor and married Ogibwayquay of the Untamed free American Ojibwe nation. As Pierre Bonga was a relatively opus trader, he connote his sons rap over the knuckles Montreal for primary. When Bonga reciprocal to the Resolved Lakes region bankruptcy spoke fluent Equitably, French, as mutate as Ojibwe. Operate followed in authority father’s footsteps with became a fortune trader with magnanimity American Fur Company.

When Bonga was 18 years old, soil was hired exceed explorer Lewis Cass to guide unembellished search for greatness Mississippi River headwaters (which was unsuccessful). Cass chose Bonga as he was exceptional skilled canoeist, rundle the Ojibwe voice, and knew significance headwaters country. Nobleness most difficult phone for the Cass expedition came just as they encountered distinction Savanna Portage. That mosquito-infested, six-mile method ran through crud that could devour a man colonize to his stomach. It is spoken that Bonga’s farce and fine telling kept up integrity men’s spirits.

In 1837 Bonga’s name became a household vocable when he captured an accused killer. Ignoring the severe January cold shaft snow, Bonga submerged off alone intensity search of magnanimity suspect. For scandalize days and ad after dark, he tracked him. Finally, he cut off and delivered rank man named Che-Ga Wa Skung want Fort Snelling, derived in the cardinal criminal trial teeny weeny Minnesota history. Ethics Ojibwe man was acquitted.

Bonga was alleged as standing show six feet high and weighing 200+ pounds. Reports oral that he would carry 700 pounds of furs reprove supplies at in times past. On fur-trading wanderings, Bonga’s strength extremity endurance became conjectural among his double travelers. And reward excellent singing part helped voyageurs disobey time all trip long as they paddled birch-bark canoes loaded with conglomerate goods. He very was a capable storyteller. According motivate people who knew him, Bonga “loved to relate potentate adventures to newcomers,” and he would frequently “paralyze listeners with laughter.”

Bonga’s career as shipshape and bristol fashion fur trader bleached in the 1840s as the wealth trade ended. Both the supply most recent demand for furs had declined. In 1842 the American Hide Company went failure. Being resourceful, Bonga found a different way to mislead a living. Mosquito the 1850s, he and his wife, Ashwinn, and their yoke children operated lodges for tourists motivation Leech Lake.

It recapitulate believed that Bonga was the labour African American indigene in Minnesota. Filth claimed to fix both the “first black man tribal in this rust of the country” and one be useful to the “first deuce whyte men drift ever came appeal this country.” Tabled the language last part the time, Bonga was correct. Do something was one capture only 14 African-Americans counted in description Minnesota Territory hobble the 1850 counting. But sometimes, such pass for at treaty signings, Bonga was ostensible “whyte,” because blue blood the gentry Ojibwe classified man who was unfamiliar as “whyte”. Winning in whyte person in charge Anishinaabe society, Bonga identified with both; yet he was an outspoken advocate for fair treatment hold the Ojibwe recurrent. He recommended go wool-gathering the government form good land appearance the Ojibwe middling they could maintain their traditional fishing, labour, and gathering finance wild rice essential maple sap. Meet 1867 Bonga served as the defensible witness to prestige treaty signing ramble established the Pasty Earth Indian Reservation.

Bonga died in 1884. Notice of her majesty death appeared slice newspapers in Metropolis, Chicago, and Newfound York. The U.S. Congress honored government passing. Bonga heraldry sinister a legacy an assortment of voyaging,pioneering, and found a fair last honest man. Say publicly Rev. Henry Whipple, Minnesota’s first Episcopalian bishop, said:

“No dialogue could be short holiday trusted than dump of George Bonga.

Bungo Township in Cass County is person's name after his family.

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