Our Foundation
“Grumpy Rock” is located on the Lower French River.
The history of Dokis First Nation is complex and intriguing. One might even say mysterious. There are founding members whose backgrounds have yet to be discovered. Some genealogies are almost completely unknown, but their existence is unquestioned as recorded in various sources like Ancestry, Family Search and in archives from the National Library and Archives of Canada. There are also multiple archival newspaper sources, books, videos and research papers that entice us with snippets of information about our past. Those snippets are the building blocks. They are the puzzle pieces that the Ganawandaagwad Institute is working toward piecing together. Eventually, a bigger picture will materialize that can be interpreted through our collective knowledge, shared stories and different perspectives.
Discovering Dokis First Nation’s History
We recognize that you, like ourselves, would like to know the entire story right now. We have found that it’s a slow process that keeps building and can have many false starts and loops combined with interesting discoveries along the way.
Below you will find an excerpt of the history of Dokis as reported by James T. Angus (1928-2010). Mr. Angus was appointed dean of the province’s first faculty of education at Lakehead University where he added a masters degree program and an Indigenous education degree to prepare teachers for work in native communities. Mr. Angus’ illustrious career in education and writing was extensive. A biographical article in the Globe & Mail states that his historical expertise won him an appointment to the board of the Heritage Trust of Ontario that he held for eight years until he resigned in 2008.
We chose to quote Mr. Angus’ findings as a starting point regarding our founding members because they capture much of what we strive to expand upon. The Restoule and Dokis families are founders of our community. As information gathering continues, we hope to create a more detailed and meaningful collective conversation about the story. Dokis First Nation thrives because of an insightful, intelligent man who refused to let governments tell him what to do with our lands. He “had our backs” as they say, long ago. Chief Michel D’Aigle Migisi Dokis’ tenacious spirit guides us as we search for truth and knowledge. We are currently investigating every possible lead about someone who is mentioned in the Angus findings and who we think is key to our story – Louise Obtagashio.
Some Excerpts of Mr. Angus' Findings
Regarding Chief Michel D’Aigle Dokis:
“MIGISI (meaning “eagle”; his letters were usually signed Michel d’Aigle Dokis), Ojibwa chief; b. c. 1818 in the vicinity of Lake Nipissing, Upper Canada; had a number of sons and daughters; d. 25 April 1906 on the Dokis Indian Reserve, Ont.
An account of Migisi’s background given to the Department of Indian Affairs by an English-speaking employee states that he was the son of a French Canadian fur trader “Michel d’Aigle”, and an Ojibwa woman, Louise Obtagashio. Shortly after he was born his mother left his father and joined another French Canadian, Michel Restoul, sometimes called Washusk, with whom she had two more sons. The three boys would become the founders of the Dokis Indian Band, and Migisi would be its first chief.
Migisi was raised as an Ojibwa. He received no formal education and, being minimally proficient in English, would require a translator when later in his life he had to communicate with officials of the Department of Indian Affairs. According to band tradition, he acquired the sobriquet Dokis, by which he was usually called, from his tendency as a child to pronounce the plural of “duck” as “duckies.” An enterprising young man, he established a trading post on the north shore of Lake Nipissing with his half-brothers Francis and Joseph Washusk. The three also traded for a time on Lake Temagami in opposition to the Hudson’s Bay Company, bringing their trade goods up from Lake Nipissing by canoe.”
On Treaty Negotiation
Mr. Angus further notes: “When in 1850 William Benjamin Robinson met at Sault Ste. Marie with Ojibwa groups from the Lake Huron area to negotiate a treaty, he recognized Dokis as a band chief. In return for the surrender of a large block of territory extending from Penetanguishene to Batchawana Bay, each Ojibwa band was granted a reserve and other considerations. Dokis selected an island in the French River known as Okikendawt and an adjacent island-like peninsula. Consisting of about 61 square miles, the reserve was confirmed and registered in 1853 after a survey conducted under his watchful eye. His choice of land proved fortunate. The tract had one of the finest stands of red and white pine, hemlock, and assorted hardwoods in the north. The ground was level and no point was more than a mile and a half from the French River or its tributary the Memesagamesing.”
“On 25 April 1906 Dokis died. His last act as chief was to exact an oath from his son and heir Michael that he ‘would hand down the timber to his children the same way as he himself had done’”.
“Dokis’s qualities had not gone unappreciated, even among Indian department employees. Writing in 1898 George L. Chitty, a timber inspector, called him ‘thoroughly upright and candid in his statements, and [appreciative of] these qualities in others.’ He described the 80-year-old Dokis as “straight, active and well preserved, of benign and refined aspect” and found him “a sensible man of large experience among Indians and White people.” The legacy of thrift and independent-mindedness the chief passed on to his descendants ensured that the Dokis Indians, who husband their resources well, remain a proud and prosperous people.”
A Note on Surnames
Many archival records come from handwritten records – often centuries old. Some were written by church officials, others by various government representatives. Some valuable information about our families never made it to paper and are lost forever. Often, depending on the record, the people recording the information wrote names as they heard them. As a result, throughout this site, you will find the Restoule name spelled these ways – Rastool, Rastoul, Restaule – to name just a few variations. Dokis has been spelled these ways – Dukes, Duckis, Dokes – again, to name a few. Migisi has been found to be spelled these ways – Migizi, Mckisi. This makes for some interesting and sometimes challenging reading and searches. The Restoules were often known as “Washusk”, and you will also find variations in that spelling too.