In this highly emotive petition, Bemigonefhkong recites the promises made by the British to his forefathers, and states that all of the promises (largely articulated through metaphors) have been broken. He begins by saying he knows that when the British first asked the Indians to go to war on their behalf, they promised in return that the Indians would possess their land and that the British would "chase anyone who comes near your lake." The British governor said, "Here is the place that will be yours," which according to the cover sheet, is a reference to Manitoulin Island. The speaker also notes that 26 years prior, the governor assured the Indians that the island was theirs, that they should be the "absolute masters" of it. The petition concludes with Bemigonefhkong expressing his polite abhorrence at hearing "the Queen's son" say, to his shock, "We English, we are the masters of the Island of Ottawas; your chiefs have ceded it said he." Bemigonefhkong insists the island has never been ceded and that while his people have reflected on many "fine promises" made to them, they entirely reject the notion of ceding title to the island outright. ; Much in this speech seems to invoke the Covenant Chain and 24 Nations belts. The discourse begins with discussion of a military alliance. One of the metaphors invoked is of the fire that is representative of the British-Indian relationship, and thought to be represented in the Covenant Chain belt by the hexagonal shapes. The vessel itself and its assurance of material wellness appear to connect directly to the 24 Nations Belt, which depicts a vessel as representation of the British, and stood as a physical manifestation of the British promise to provide annual presents. It is also interesting that In this document, the speaker twice refers to the 12 (not 24) Nations to whom the British promises were given. Could it be significant that 24 is twice twelve?

In Document: Ottawas