Person Record
Metadata
Name |
Sutton, Catharine |
Othernames |
C. B. Sunegoo / Sunego Nahneebahweequa C. B. Sutton Nahneebahweequay |
Born |
Oct. 1823 |
Birthplace |
Credit River area |
Places of residence |
Credit River area, Upper Canada Sarawak Township, Grey County (Lot 33,Concession 3 had their second home on it) Garden River Reserve (briefly in the 1850s) New York (briefly) Stoke-Newington, England (1860) Returned to Sarawak Township, Lot 33 |
Titles & honors |
"Sutton's Point" is a landmark reminder of Mr. & Mrs. Sutton and their family. |
Father |
Chief Bunch Sunego / Sunegoo d. 1842 |
Mother |
Mary Polly Crane Sunego (later m. Joseph |
Nationality |
Anishnaabe / Ojibwa / Ojibwe / Canadian |
Education |
Credit River Indian Mission [Home District] Also some education when she was taken overseas to England by Rev. and Mrs. Peter Jones |
Notes |
Catharine Sutton was elected at a General Council of Chiefs held at Rama in July, 1859, to be an envoy for her people and to go to see Queen Victoria in person to address injustices faced by the aboriginal people in Canada West. Her audience with the Queen took place on June 19, 1860, at Buckingham Palace. Her Ojibwa (Anishnaabe) name translates as "Upright Woman" or black squirrel. Her Christian middle name of "Brown" was given to her by her uncle, Peter Jones, in honour of an American Cherokee woman who he had learned about and admired. Nahneebahweequay was a member of the Eagle clan and was a Mississauga Ojibwa woman. Her drawn doodem (totem) was of an eagle. (Thunder birds are represented by eagles. Eagle feathers are also used in all sacred Ojibwe ceremonies). She was educated in English, so she was able to read and write, and could help as an interpreter. Her personality tended to help her make friends along her travels, although some of the Anishnabek men were likely not comfortable with her forthrightness, as women in their culture traditionally had a very subservient role. However, very few Anishnabek people could read and write English, and needed help as treaty documents, etc. were in English. The Suttons had moved their family northwards to join the Newash Band in hopes to secure deeded land for their children. The Newash Band gave her and her heirs 200 acres of land. The Suttons moved to join the Newash in ______, 184__. Other families from the Credit were invited to move up there as well, but most declined, due to the rocky nature of the land (which did not seem good for agricultural purposes). The Suttons cleared a farm in what would later be called Sarawak Township. They were enumerated there in the 1851-1852 census. When Mr. and Mrs. Sutton were temporarily away working at another mission, Mrs. Sutton's land was part of the land involved in the 1857 Peter Jones Treaty. When she returned, she tried to purchase her land back at the auction sale in Owen Sound, but was refused, because she was an Indian. She was also upset that she was discriminated against annuity-wise because she was married to a non-native. On her return to Canada West, some people felt that she was an "imposter", and disbelieved that she had achieved an audience with the Queen. However, the Queen had noted the audience in her personal journal, and Mrs. Sutton's visit to England was also reported in the Court Circular and other publications of the time. Her biographer, Donald B. Smith, mentions that in 1864, Nahneebahweequay was sending some money she received from the Quakers to the Cape Croker people. "Old James Nawash remained most grateful and said in 1864, "If Nahneebahweequay dies, there is not another left in the world to care for us". Her health was in decline for about two and a half years, and on September 26, 1865, she became acutely ill during a rowboat crossing to Leith and was brought home, where she passed away later that evening. A neighbour, Charles Julyan, who had attended her funeral, later wrote an account of her funeral in 1871. He reported that she was buried in her garden, at her own request. Her gravestone had the following on it: CATHARINE SUTTON / NAHNEEBAHWEEQUA / Born October 1823 / Died Sept. 1865." There also was two lines below this "Proclaiming in her Language Jesus I want to know thee better". Her husband was later able to get a deed to her land. There is a facsimile of the deed document's cover in the book SARAWAK SAGA. For many years, the former Sutton farm was used as a cattle pasture. There was an enclosure added to protect the gravestone. Local organizations including the Kemble Women's Institute, the Sarawak Women's Institute, the Earl Grey I.O.D.E., and the Grey County Historical Society contributed to the preservation of the site. Eventually a golf course and resort called "Cobble Beach" was built on the former Sutton homestead areas. William R. (Bill) Fitzgerald's archaeological assessment of the homesteads is archived at the Grey County Archives. Mrs. Sutton's mother's house was about a 100 yards away from the Sutton dwelling (Nahnee notes this in a letter draft in one of her husband's ledgers). Her mother Mary was 42 years of age in the 1851-1852 census, and Nahnee's sister was 9 years old. Nahnee's half-sister Martha was 4 and her half-brother Moses was 1. There also was a Joseph Finger (age 8, b. at Credit River) living with the Kakake family. |
Occupation |
Elected as an envoy of the Ojibwa at a Council at Rama to go overseas to England and discuss injustices faced by aboriginal people with Queen Victoria Wesleyan Methodist lay Missionary & Interpreter Lecturer Housewife & Mother |
Publications |
THE OWEN SOUND DAILY SUN-TIMES, Oct. 29, 1938 has an article about the Suttons -Smith, Donald B., SACRED FEATHERS, has information about her and has her signature and doodem shown, on the page opposite page 91. -Smith, Donald B., MISSISSAUGA PORTRAITS (chapter about her life) -Steckley, John.... -Vandusan, THE INDIAN CHIEF, 1867, has a transcript of Mrs. Sutton's petition and mention of her -The H. Belden Illustrated Historical Atlas, 1880,had a posthumous image of Mrs.Sutton engraved, as well as a portrait of Mr. Sutton. Mr. Sutton's house is labelled on the Sarawak Twp. map in this book as well. -Fitzgerald,William R., "An Overview of the Heritage Potential of Lots 28-34 Concession 3 Sarawak Township Grey County Including the Kaikake / Sutton Homestead and the Grave of Nahneebahweequay", January, 1999. |
Relationships |
The Reverend Peter Jones, an Ojibwa leader, and his English-born wife, Eliza Field Jones, helped educate Nahnee when she was a girl, and took her with them on an 1830s trip to Britain. Peter's name, Kahkewaquonaby, meant "Sacred Waving Feathers". Paternal grandfather was Osunego (Asanagoo, "Black squirrel"), a Mississauga Tribal Chief from the Eagle doodem, and her maternal grandfather was (Otesoo), a War Chief from the Otter Clan Catharine was of the Eagle doodem of the Mississauga Ojibwa. Sister: Mary Sunego Half-Sister: Martha Kakake Half-Brother: Moses Kakake (various spellings) |
Role |
Social Leader |
Spouse |
William Sutton), an Englishman, m. Jan. 9, 1839 |
Children |
Joseph Sutton (d. in 1870s) Catherine Brown Sutton (never married) b. 18__-.d 1917 Sophia Ann Sutton (two children, she died in childbirth, was married to Joseph Staves) Susannah Sutton (about 3 in 1851-1852 census, died before 1861 census) William (b. September, 1851, died winter of 1851-1852) Maggie Sutton Wesley Sutton Ainslie Sutton (William Ainslie Sutton) Alsop Albert Edward Sutton (known as Albert), d. 1882 Josephine Sutton (d. young) Christine Sutton |
