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Who was Shingibis?
Submitted by Pat Zankman
Shingibis, born about 1825, died April 1907. The newspaper reporting his death stated “We know there’s not a man, woman, or child in this community – and all of them know this good old Indian – who will not be saddened by this news. Word was brought to town this morning by Nesbota that “Shin” died suddenly last night at his sugar bush on Good Harbor Hill, where he and his wife, with other Indians, were gathering maple sugar. Sober, industrious, and honest, with a smile and a kindly greeting for everyone, Shingibbis was honored by all. May peace and happiness as the reward of upright living, attend him in his long sleep”. April 26, 1907.
His obituary appeared May 9, 1907. Further information was available including the fact he was born in Canada in the swampy area near Lake of the Woods. By 1853, however, he was living “up the hill near the burying ground” with other Indians. Around this time, he married the daughter of Kenoshewaboo, named Margaret. Margaret, his first wife, died but left him with two sons: Blue Sky and Jim O. Gesick. Shingibis remained a widower for a while but eventually married a second time. He married the widow of the father of John Beargrease of Beaver Bay, who had three wives. Shingibis was also related to Blackstone, an Indian Chief of Canada. Unlike many others, he did not convert to Catholicism but kept his Indian religion.
It was 1853 when Samuel Howenstine arrived in Grand Marais. Shingibis worked with Howenstine for a number of years. By this time, apparently, Shingibis had given up alcohol in all forms and never returned to it. With Howenstine, he walked 11 days along the Mesaba ranges to Vermillion Lake where there was a post. They had run out of food the last three days, only finding a martin starved to death in a trap just before arriving at the post.
Bill Raff in his Pioneers in the Wilderness book, mentions an interview with Ella Mayhew, daughter of Joseph and Carrie Mayhew. Joseph was the first lighthouse keeper and brother of Hazel (Henry) and Thomas Mayhew. Carrie was very sick, and Joseph attempted to buy a chicken from a neighbor to make broth but was unsuccessful. “But that night after dark there came a knock on the door, and father went and there was Shin-gib-is holding two suspiciously familiar chickens, and my father just looked at him and said ‘Mi-givets, Shin-gib-is’!’…Father very happily made mother some chicken broth”.
Sources: Cook County News Herald – April 26, 1907, May 9, 1907, Feb 1, 1962; Raff, Willis H., Pioneers in the Wilderness
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