Honoring Native Ancestors: Oskaboose / Oshkahboos

Monday, September 9, 2024

Oskaboose / Oshkahboos

Peter Oskaboose/Oshhahboos was born c1869 in Ontario. It is unclear if he had one or several wives named Mary.

In her 2015 dissertation,"News From School, Language, Time, and Place in the 1890s Indian Boarding Schools in Canada", Jane Griffith tells of children lodged with different families while on tour

"Another form of past coupled with present found in newspapers included Shingwauk Home’s tableau performances, which displayed students past and then present. Tableaux typically exhibit actors frozen in action, sometimes imitating a famous painting or scene. In the nineteenth century, tableaux (often historical, allegorical, or patriotic) were sometimes featured at the end of a play and also served as a popular parlour game (Durham, 1998, p. 76; Glassberg, 1990, pp. 16–20; Pavis, 1998, p. 377). Normally in a tableau, actors delivered a presentation and then remained frozen at the end, attempting to embody the stillness of a painting. In Shingwauk Home’s renditions students moved silently and sometimes spoke and sang. Wilson toured tableaux of students on several occasions and wrote about them in Our Forest Children."

"One tableau routine Wilson described in the school newspaper toured in late 1887 through Western Ontario, with stops in Sarnia, Walpole Island, St. Thomas, Kingston, London, and Montreal. The show at Carleton Place (near Ottawa) attracted an audience of 500 and required an unexpected second show (Our Forest Children 1.9:4)."

"Each [billeter] take one Indian to their homes for the night. One could have great tall Snayamani from North West, another can have Charlie Baker from St. Joe’s, another little Gracie from Walpole Island for the other. Peter Oshkahboos, the boy who draws so well from Serpent River. The other, Smart, the bootmaker, and little Negaunewenah . . . another, Jane Samproon, the clever tailoress"

Peter Oshkahboos would have been about 18 in 1887.

Daughter Florance was born in 1892

Son Frank was born in 1894

In 1894 Peter signed the following treaty

Son Johnson was born 1 Mar 1896 in Cutler, Ontario

1901 Census

Oshkahboos, Peter, head, born 13 Sep 1868, age 32, fisherman, the family is Roman Catholic

Mary, wife, born 30 May 1876, age 24

Flosey, daughter, born 2 Nov 1891, age 9

Frank, son, born 18 Nov 1893, age 7

Johnson, son, born 1 Mar 1896, age 5

Sylvester, son, 1 Aug 1897, age 3

Daughter Sarah was said to be born about Jun 1899 (died 1916 age 7 years 4 months), but is not in the 1901 census.

Daughter Seraphine was born 20 Jul 1903 in Sault Sainte Marie, Algoma, Ontario. Her mother's name is given as Mary Pagmakwosin.

Daughter Sarah died 14 Oct 1916. Her mother's name was given as Mary Seaman.

Son Johnson married Anne Shigawaga, year currently unknown

Son Sylvester married Hazel McFadden, year currently unknown

1921 Census - Spragge Township, Algoma, Ontario

Oskobose, Johnson age 25, born Ontario, tribe Chippeway

Annie, age 21, born Ontario, tribe Chippeway

Louis, age 4 months, born Ontario, tribe Chippeway

Son Russell was born 23 Dec 1922.

The Sault Star, 27 Dec 1922.

Johnson died 12 Feb 1928 in Spragge, Algoma, Ontario. Mother's name given as Mary Fineday.

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The Sault Star 16 Jul 1943

Russell worked on the vessel Emperor, arriving at Superior [Wisconsin] on 17 Aug 1943, having left the port of S.S. Marie, Ontario. He worked on the fire crew, was hired on 8 Jul 1943. His age was given as 19, race as Indian. He was 5 foot 7 inches tall, 145 pounds.