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Early in the spring of 1916, as soon as the ice broke up on Lake Nipigon, Paul Michel
decided to enlist. He had a wife and six children, and his wife objected to him entering
the army. Early one morning he arose unknown to his family, secured a canoe and two
paddlers, and the same evening at eight o'clock he was across the lake (sixty miles) and
boarded the train for Port Arthur. The next afternoon he was in uniform. This man had been
twice wounded but he was with this battalion when it marched into Germany.He had thus
made the trip from Lake Nipigon to the Rhine. He wrote home in one of his letters, "I
feel sorry for the poor fellows who could not get this far (Germany). The towns and cities
are fine. I go to Cologne tomorrow. The people look sour but who cares".
Pte. Paul Michel of Lake Nipigon served with the 8th battalion of the Canadian
Expeditionary Force in World War I. |
Paul Michel was featured in a journal called The Queen's Quarterly. The article is
entitled, "Three Ojibway Folk Tales". The titles of the tales are, "How the
Fisher Lost his Tail", and "Waydoasaum Whaseegany, The Young Fellow", and
"The Boy and the Little Fox". It is not certain when the tales were collected
but Arthur Lower (author) said Paul was a flushing young and attractive Ojibway Indian.The
stories were told by Paul to Arthur Lower who wrote in the preface; "The following
folk tales were told to me years ago by Paul Michel, a young Ojibway of the Nipigon House
band. As Ontario Fire Rangers, my partner, Bob Harris, and myself, were camped on Grand
Island, Lake Nipigon. Paul was employed at a neighbouring lumber camp. He used to come
over after work, and when he had got into an appropriate state of excitement, and after
much urging, the stories would come. The gleaming lake, the dark forest, the tent and the
canoe drawn up near it, the bright campfire and the flushed, attractive young Indian
sitting there telling tales of his people made a picture that will always remain bright in
my mind".
Ted Morriseau, Native Veteran from Rocky Bay, knows the story behind the "Little
Black Devil". To pursue the story further a talk with Ted would be worthwhile.
Paul received two medals. One was buried with him and the other was buried with one of
his daughters.
He is buried in Gull Bay. Many of his family members still live in this area. |
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