The Ottawa tribe is a North American indigenous group, part of the Anishinaabe, with populations in Canada and the US. The capital of Canada is named after them. The Ottawas historically lived in the Lake Huron region, and there are also Ottawa tribes in Oklahoma. The Council of Three Fires was an alliance with the Ojibwe and Potawatomi. The Ottawas were known for their trading network and many tribes are commonly known by Ottawa names.
The Ottawa, or Odawa, tribe is an indigenous North American group that lives in parts of Canada and the United States. The Ottawa are one of the Anishinaabe, a group that also includes the Ojibwe and Algonquin. The capital of Canada, located in the historic territory of Ottawa, is named after the Ottawa tribe.
The Ottawa Tribe historically lived in the Lake Huron region of parts of present-day Ontario and Michigan, where most Ottawas still live today. There is also an Ottawa tribe of Oklahoma, descended from a group of Ottawas who relinquished their lands for lands in Iowa, and later Kansas, following the Indian Removal Act of 1830. In 1867, the Ottawa tribe in Kansas sold their land and moved to Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma, where the tribe was granted federal recognition in 1936. The city of Ottawa, Kansas is located around the former site of the Ottawa Settlement and the University of Ottawa in Kansas, founded by the Ottawa Tribe in 1865, still offers free college tuition to enrolled members of the Ottawa Tribe.
There are many Ottawa tribal groups throughout Ontario and Michigan, and many other Indian and First Nations governments in these areas with significant Ottawa populations. There are about 15,000 Ottawa people in total and about 500 who are fluent in the Ottawa language. Language revitalization programs are currently underway for Ottawa, including language classes for K-12 schools.
The Ottawas were part of the Council of Three Fires, an alliance with the Ojibwe and Potawatomi, established well before the Europeans arrived. The Ojibwe were referred to as the Elder Brother and Keeper of Faith, while the Ottawa were the Middle Brother and Keeper of Trade, and the Potawatomi were the Younger Brother and Keeper of Fire. The Council of Three Fires has coexisted peacefully with its neighbors for most of its history, even as it has been involved in wars with the Iroquois and the Sioux. The Council also fought against England during the Seven Years War and against the United States during the Northwest Indian War and the War of 1812.
The tribe’s name comes from an Anishinaabe term meaning “to trade”, as the Ottawas had a reputation as intertribal traders. Due to the extensive trading network of the Ottawas, many tribes are commonly known by Ottawa names. For example, Sioux is an Ottawa name for people who call themselves Dakota.
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