Battle Point Site, archaeological site in Crockery Township, Michigan, USA
Battle Point Site is an archaeological place along a bend of the Grand River in Crockery Township, Michigan, where an Odawa village existed from roughly 1815 to 1835. The two-acre area contains a burial ground with approximately 20 graves and artifacts from trade goods including knives, axes, silver bracelets, and glass beads from Europe and America.
The village formed around 1815 under Chief Onamontapay and was abandoned in 1836 following a treaty that transferred land north of the Grand River to the United States. After removal, Chief Shiawassee of the Potawatomi attempted to organize resistance at the site but was peacefully prevented by community leaders, leading the Odawa to eventually leave the region.
The site was a center for the Odawa people who lived here and buried their dead while adopting some European burial practices such as orienting graves westward. The community maintained close relationships with early settlers who relied on their knowledge of food gathering and farming.
The site sits along the Grand River bank in Crockery Township and is largely invisible today due to erosion that has changed the shoreline over decades. Visitors should wear sturdy shoes and prepare for a location with minimal infrastructure.
The graves went hidden for decades until river erosion exposed them in the 1950s, prompting archaeologists to excavate the site in the 1970s. This accidental discovery through natural forces brought the Odawa burial legacy back to public attention.
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