CACHE: There's a parking space near GZ, parallel to road is probably best. Cache is log only, park and grab.
Mas-Qua-Wa Ne-Pis-Sing, meaning Cedar Lake, is the Chippewa name for Lake Nepessing. Settlers and surveyors misunderstood and inadvertently named this popular lake literally "Lake Lake".
Just 180 years ago, this area was still the home of a very powerful tribe of Chippewa, called the Nipissings. This area was not covered by the Treaty of 1807, so when the Native Americans were chased out of the Detroit area, the Chippewa who were here were able to stay, and numbers multiplied. The rights of the natives to the lands here in what became Elba Township and the City of Lapeer, remained intact until the Treaty of Saginaw in 1819, in which they ceded to the Michigan governor and US president. Another treaty in 1837 divided their lands even more. This brought upon a forced sale in which lands were sold at a minimum of $2.50 an acre, minus surveying costs and fees, profits went to the Nipissing Tribe, to which it seemed they had no choice but to agree to. Most of the Lapeer County Chippewa moved north of Saginaw, but several chose not to leave the county. They did move away from their home on Mas-Qua-Wa Ne-Pis-Sing, joining others who didn't relocate, to what is now known today as Potters Lake and Pleasant Lake. This movement was joined by the family of Peter Chatfield, the Gray Hawk, otherwise known as Chief Wau-Be-Ka-Kuk. Chatfield temporarily moved to Mount Pleasant as an adult, but returned to Lapeer County. Gray Hawk held no bitterness towards the white settlers, mentioning the message from missionaries living peacefully together was something his tribe embraced, however it was the indifference towards their sacred burials that did upset him. As settlers developed the lands, farmers plowed closer and closer to the burial site on the high banks of the Flint River slowly opening and destroying the graves. This also allowed for scavengers to take souvenirs to sell. That burial site included the grave of Chatfield's grandmother. The Chippewa believe in a hereafter. The graves were filled with trinkets for loved ones to use on their journey to their next destination. These items may be their ceremonial dress, weapons, spiritual jewelry and pottery. In his lifetime, the site was obliterated as he and his tribe watched without being able to do anything to prevent it. According to the last treaty, the land was no longer theirs.
Congrats to nomer4 for [FTF] and syfun for [STF]