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Michigan's Company K: Anishinaabe Soldiers, Citizenship, and the Civil War
Professor Michelle Cassidy presents this meticulously researched program based on her book of the same name. For the men of Company K of the First Michigan Sharpshooters, the Civil War was one battle in a longer struggle for the survival of Anishinaabewaki, the homelands of the Anishinaabeg—Ojibwe, Odawa, and Boodewaadamii peoples. The men who served in what was often called the "Indian Company" chose to enlist in the Union army to contribute to their peoples’ ongoing struggle with the state and federal governments over status, rights, resources, and land in the Great Lakes.
Cassidy's program begins in 1763 with Pontiac’s War, a key moment in Anishinaabe history. It then explores the multiple strategies the Anishinaabeg deployed to remain in Michigan despite federal pressure to leave. Most of the soldiers in Company K came from northern Michigan and the areas surrouding Cross Village, Middle Village and Good Hart. This presentation brings into focus not just the lives of these courageous men but also highlights the broader context of their fight.
Michelle Cassidy is an associate professor of history at Central Michigan University. She teaches courses in Indigenous history and the Civil War. Her book is on sale in the History Museum Store.Images
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Date and Time
Thursday Feb 22, 2024
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM ESTThursday, Feb. 22 at 7 pm
Location
Online via Zoom
Fees/Admission
$15
Contact Information
231-526-9771
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