Boundless K-12 Curriculum: CONTINUANCE

Margaret Blackbird Boyd

The front and back covers of a birch bark covered book decorated with colorful quillwork.

Andrew Blackbird (Makadebinesi) Odawa, American, 1814-1908
Margaret Blackbird Boyd, Odawa, American, 1817-1892
History of the Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of Michigan: A Grammar of their Language/ Personal and Family History,
The Ypsilantian Job Printing House, Ypsilanti, Michigan, 1887
Amherst College Archives and Special Collections
Collection of Native American Literature
E99.O9 B6 1887 c.2

Detail of the quillwork by Margaret Blackbird Boyd
Detail of the quillwork by Margaret Blackbird Boyd

ABOUT THE MAKER

Born in Harbor Springs, Michigan, around 1817, Margaret Blackbird Boyd was a member of the Ottawa (or Odawa) Tribe, and she was very well known for her artistry with quillwork and basketmaking. Margaret was also a teacher and an activist. When she was a young girl, her parents sent her to school in Ohio, and when she returned home to Michigan, she began working as a teacher. She taught many children from her community how to read and write. But Margaret also strongly advocated for ensuring that Ottawa people were treated fairly. In 1876, she traveled to Washington, DC, to speak with President Ulysses Grant about land rights and resources of her people. She sold her baskets and quillwork art to help pay for her trip. 

Margaret’s brother, Andrew Blackbird (also known as Blackhawk), wrote this book about the history of their tribe. As a tribal leader and historian, Andrew played an important role as a liaison between his people and the United States government.

Additional Resources

Margaret BLACKBIRD BOYD Biography compiled by Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Youth Services

Learn about other objects in CONTINUANCE:

An oil painting of an older woman with dark hair wearing a white bonnet and dark dress.

How can portraits help us understand the past?

Quillwork on a birch bark book cover.

Why does continuing the use of traditional knowledge matter?

A basket with a photo of a woman selling baskets on the inside of it.

What can we learn by keeping traditional practices alive?

Two wooden carved canoe paddles hanging on a wall.

How can art tell the story of resilience and survival?

overlapping concentric circles made by ripples in water.

Boundless K-12 Curriculum

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