During my three month garage sale six years ago, I had the opportunity to meet some of the nicest people in Chippewa County. One such person was Justin Carrick of Bay Mills. As he walked around my garage and picked out a few shovels, we got to talking. If you know anything about the Irish, you know we love nothing better than a good visit. My sale lasted so long, repeat customers soon seemed like old friends. As they looked at new items I had hauled from my wellhouse, we talked. Whether it was a young person or one more advanced in years, it didn’t matter. I was interested in what they had been up to during the previous week.
So it was only natural for me to ask Justin a few questions. One in particular was about his first name. He explained he was named in memory of his great-uncle, Alfred Justin LeBlanc, who died in World War I. As the story unfolded, I became more intrigued by Justin’s responses. He suggested I contact his sisters, Wanda Perron and Paula Carrick both of Bay Mills, who could give me more information. The women are active in collecting and archiving the history of their ancestors who lived along the shores of Lake Superior many years prior to the coming of Jesuit missionaries, Fathers Isaac Jogues and Charles Raymbault in 1641.
Alfred, brother Arthur, and mother Adele LeBlanc
As descendants of the Crane clan of the Ojibwe Tribe, Agnes Miron, was Alfred’s mother. His father, Arthur LeBlanc, was a French Canadian. For readers unfamiliar with traditional Indigenous hierarchy, clans are integrated groups that exist within the band. They have closer bonds and each clan has a different name. The Ojibwe Tribe clans are Loon, Crane, Fish, Bear, Marten, and Deer.
The Ojibwe people, also known as the “Anishinabe,” were divided into “doodems” which translated means clans. Members of the Crane clan are considered the most vocal and are thought to possess superior oratory and leadership skills. Traditionally, if a crane was seen while an Anishinabe was fishing it was considered a good omen. In some Indian folklore, cranes also take the role of peacemaker.
Many tribes were not recognized as U.S. citizens and therefore tribal members were not allowed to vote at the time of the First World War. However, brave young men felt duty bound to defend their homeland as their ancestors had and to help bring peace to warring countries. Two thousand Indians from various Michigan tribes enlisted in the Army. Many traveled to Canada and enlisted there because they were not on U.S. draft rolls. Volunteerism from tribal communities was the highest of any ethnic group in WWI.
“Alfred was the third oldest of eight siblings,” Wanda told me. “He and his brother, William, who was my grandfather, were the only family members to serve during the war. Great-Uncle Alfred was sent to Battle Creek for Basic Training at Camp Custer. His regiment was the Army’s 56th Infantry. On August 3, 1918, the regiment arrived in France. This was only three months before the Armistice was signed. Of course, he had no way of knowing the war would soon end and so would his life at the age of 25.
“Alfred’s mother, Agnes Miron, was told his commanding officer received word on the 10th of November that the war was over. Not all units were aware of this news because President Woodrow Wilson wanted to wait until the 11th day at the 11th hour of the 11th month before signing the Armistice. We know this because these words were written on correspondence received by Alfred’s mother. When his commanding officer called for a runner to leave the trench and carry the message to other units, my uncle volunteered. He knew the mission was an important one, but a dangerous one as well because it meant he would be running through battlefields. Without any protective cover, he knew he was on his own, but he didn’t hesitate.
“My uncle’s body was found in a shell hole just a short distance from his targeted destination. He was buried in an unknown cemetery in France. We don’t know the exact one as there are many throughout the countryside. Our grandfather, William LeBlanc, was serving in France at the same time. When he received word his brother had been killed he asked permission to visit his grave, but his request was denied and no reason was given.
LeBlanc’s grave marker in France
“My great-grandmother Agnes was told that our government considered American Indian soldiers some of the bravest and courageous men on the battlefield. They were often chosen for the most dangerous missions. Government officials even contacted her and requested that Alfred be buried in Arlington National Cemetery. For white people, this was a significant honor, but for my great-grandmother, home was the only acceptable final resting place for her son, and home was far from Arlington, VA.
“In an old newspaper archived in the Bay Mills History building, there is an article about the body of Pvt. Alfred LeBlanc being escorted home by another soldier from his regiment. Once back on U.S. soil, he traveled by train from New York to Sault Ste. Marie. He is buried in Mission Hill Cemetery in the family plot. His parents were told he was the last Native American to die in World War I, just one day before the signing of the Armistice that officially ended the war.”
While interviewing Wanda and Paula, I was reminded of the way European settlers who came to the new continent treated Indigenous tribes. We all know Indians experienced heartache and displacement as they were driven from their homeland. It’s impossible for us to imagine what it must have been like as they watched shiploads of strangers disembark. For a moment, let’s try to step back in time and think how we would have reacted if we had seen ships with huge masts and sails coming at us, and people speaking unknown languages and invading our land as if it was their birthright.
It’s difficult for us white folks to put our feet in the moccasins of others. It’s also hard to imagine what it must have been like to be snatched from our family and placed in missionary boarding schools run by Catholic priests and nuns or federal boarding schools. But for some folks who lived in Bay Mills, the experience was all too real and is easily recalled because the memories haven’t dimmed with the passing of time. Paula told me her grandmother, Lucy Smith LeBlanc, was stolen from her home when she was five years old and placed in a Mount Pleasant Boarding School. Because the child was fluent in the Ojibwe language and not in English, she was beaten, starved, and locked in a closet as a means of discipline.
One way or another, the people who ran the missionary boarding schools were determined to cleanse Native Americans of their heritage, culture, language, and traditions. There are many stories that have not been told about this chapter in American history. Because I live in close proximity to the Bay Mills Indian Reserve, I hope to share some of these stories with readers who, like me, were not directly affected by what can only be called ethnic cleansing of the Upper Peninsula Ojibwe Tribe. Ironically, Chippewa was the name given to the Ojibwe people because that’s how the white men thought the name was pronounced.
Photos were contributed courtesy of Paula Carrick, Coordinator of the Bay Mills Ojibwe History Department. Photo of LeBlanc by Doris Reykers.
