Ozaawindib’s world: Ojibwe family, gender, warfare, and politics 1748-1826

This dissertation explores Ojibwe history from the mid eighteenth to early nineteenth century with Ozaawindib a naagokwe (or Two-Spirit person) and her family and home on the Red River as the focal point. This Ojibwe centric discussion of gender and sexuality, politics, war and the Atlantic world shows Anishinaabe values of individual action and mobility in her lifetime.

The key components of an Ojibwe community were individual family households. Wiishkoobag, Ozaawindib’s father, was a war chief of the Pillager band of Ojibwe. Examining Wiishkoobag and the Pillagers sheds light on Ozaawindib’s life. As the child of a war chief, Ozaawindib participated in war parties and entered into marriages with strong military allies of her community and father.

Ozaawindib, as a naagokwe was accepted by her community. She engaged in marriages, home management roles, negotiations and warfare. Anishinaabe people referred to Ozaawindib and other naagokwe as women in the historic literature. While Ozaawindib was an oddity to outsiders, her fellow Anishinaabeg embraced her as a woman. Ozaawindib lived as a woman, her peers called her a woman, and she thought of herself as a woman.

The Anishinaabe value of Ozaawindib in her lifetime was a stark contrast to the experience of John Fubbister, who also called the Red River home for a brief period. When Fubbister’s sex was found to be different than their gender they were forced to live as a woman and returned to Scotland where they were governed and punished by various institutions.