Native American History

This page provides a brief overview of the Native American history related to the National City and Iosco County area.

Historic postcard view of Sand Lake, Iosco County, National City Michigan

Indigenous Peoples

The primary tribe historically associated with this region of Michigan, including the Tawas area, are the Chippewa (Ojibwe), specifically bands connected to the Saginaw Chippewa.

According to the Iosco County Historical Museum, a small group of Chippewa split off from the main Saginaw tribe and made this area home around 500 years ago.

County Name Origin

The name "Iosco" is believed to be a pseudo-Native American word meaning "water of light," coined by ethnologist Henry Rowe Schoolcraft.
The name "Tawas" is often mistakenly thought to derive from "Ottawa," but historical sources suggest it relates to the local Chippewa presence.

Further Research

For more detailed information, consider exploring resources from:

Iosco County Historical Museum
Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan
FamilySearch Wiki for Iosco County
Michigan State University NAGPRA records for Iosco County

Information gathered from web searches (Iosco County Historical Museum, Wikipedia, FamilySearch). This is a starting point; further research is recommended for a comprehensive history.