Odawa

The Odawa, also known as Ottawa, are an Indigenous people of the Anishinaabe family who have lived in the Great Lakes region of North America for centuries. Traditionally they inhabited areas along the western shores of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, the Georgian Bay region, and the Ottawa River valley, extending into parts of present-day Michigan, Ontario, and Quebec.

The name Odawa is commonly translated as "traders" or "people who trade," reflecting their historical role in extensive fur and goods exchange networks with neighboring Indigenous nations and European traders. The Odawa language is a dialect of Ojibwe, and together with the Potawatomi and Ojibwe, the Odawa are part of the Three Fires Confederacy, a alliance system among related Anishinaabe peoples.

Culturally, the Odawa practiced hunting, fishing, gathering, agriculture, and long-distance trade. They lived in movable or semi-permanent villages and participated actively in diplomacy and alliance-building with French, British, and later American authorities during colonial and post-colonial periods. The name Ottawa, used for the city and river in Canada, derives from the Odawa through historical trade routes and contact with European settlers.

In contemporary times, Odawa communities are present in both the United States and Canada. In the U.S., federally recognized groups include bands such as the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, and the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians. In Canada, Odawa communities are linked to the broader Anishinabek Nation in Ontario and remain active in language and cultural revitalization efforts.