Underdog

The story of Isadore Nantais/Nantoit
Oxford dictionary definitions:
Underdog 1. A competitor thought to have little chance of winning. 2. A person who has little status in society.
Indomitable - Impossible to subdue or defeat
Tenacious - 1. Tending to keep a firm hold of something. 2. Not readily relinquishing a position, principle, or course of action; determined. 

Native people overall definitely could be defined as the underdogs in the competition with American settlers over land. Michigan’s native people were facing removal from their land due to the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and subsequent treaties. The Odawa people living in the Lowell area were indomitable and tenacious. They found ways to stay in their villages for an extra twenty years. Though unknown to the Odawa at the time, twenty years later the Odawa no longer faced western removal. Though the forced removal to northern locations was wrong, by gaining this time, the situation was significantly less severe than it would have been twenty years earlier.

One who made this possible was Isadore Nantais. Though his name is spelled multiple ways throughout his life, Isadore Nantais left his name throughout West Michigan’s early land records.

Michigan became a state in 1837, and the American pioneers began settling here. With the native land claimed by the United States through treaties, it was difficult for native people to stay on the land they had always lived on. Between 1837 and 1855, native people could not buy land in the same way American settlers could Nantais was born in 1804 in Canada to a native woman and her French-Canadian husband. The advantage Isadore had was that he was not full native and he had a French last name. It is documented that some native families used their Métis (mixed Native–French) relatives, often bearing French surnames, to purchase or transfer land.

By 1830, Nantais and his wife Josette and family lived in what would be Ada Township. While living there, Nantais made at least six land purchases from the government. Those included his land on section one of Ada Township, two parcels on section 35 of Vergennes Township, and a large piece of land that was spread over sections 24, 25 and 26 of Grand Rapids Township.

The Vergennes Township land was the home of the Lowell Odawa Village, referred to as Cobmoosa’s Village. Settler Philander Tracy, who had already purchased a parcel of land, began making “improvements” to the Odawa Village land. He cleared the native cornfields and planted wheat instead. He erected a small hut on the land. He received the land patent, but the Odawa were able to successfully dispute the claim by having Nantais enter a patent on their behalf. The government cancelled Tracy’s patent and granted the land patent to Nantais. The Lowell Odawa were able to stay on their land until 1855, because of Nantais’ land purchase. Nantais later transferred this land to Cobmoosa, as shown in the 1855 plat map.
In an interview with early settler Harmon Nash at the end of his life in 1915, he speaks of Nantais, stating that he ran the first ferry across the Grand River at Ada. Nash points out that Nantais was half native and that his wife was Odawa. He also states that an Odawa village was located on Nantais’ Ada property while he owned it.

Not much is known regarding the land in Grand Rapids Township. There is no documented Odawa Village there, but the original survey shows a native trail running through the land.

Nantais’ standing in the native community can be seen in the marriage of his daughter Sophia. She married William Cobmoosay, relative of Lowell’s Odawa Headman, Cobmoosa. William and Sophia built a house in Lowell, originally at N. Washington Street and Avery Street, but has since been moved to 803 N. Washington Street. By 1859 they had sold their house and left Lowell for Grand Haven. After 1850 Nantais and Josette sold their Ada land and moved to the Grand Haven area, where they are buried in the Robinson Township Cemetery. 

Nantais was a champion for his family and people. He purchased land where Odawa villages were located and opened his land for Odawa villages. He was born to defend his people, as many sources believe that his grandmother was the daughter of Chief Pontiac.

Image:

Map courtesy of Kevin Finney showing Cobmoosa’s village on Section 35 of Vergennes Township.

1855 Plat Map with Nantais parcels highlighted.