Michel Cadotte
Michel Cadotte | |
|---|---|
Historical marker commemorating Cadotte at Winston-Cadotte Site, Old Fort, Wisconsin | |
| Born | July 22, 1764 |
| Died | July 8, 1837 (aged 72) |
| Spouse | Ikwesewe |
| Parents |
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| Family | Cadotte Family |
Michel Cadotte (July 22, 1764 – July 8, 1837), Kechemeshane in Ojibwe, was a Métis fur trader of Ojibwe, Wendat and French-Canadian descent. He dominated the business in the area of the south shore of Lake Superior.
He gained a strategic alliance through marriage to Ikwesewe (also spelled Equawasay), the daughter of the head of the White Crane clan; men from this clan were the hereditary chiefs of the Lake Superior Ojibwe. Cadotte's trading post at La Pointe on Madeline Island was a critical center for the trade between the Lake Superior band and the British and United States trading companies.