Zhaagobe

Jack-O-Pa ("The Six"), described as "a Chippewa chief" in History of the Indian Tribes of North America by Thomas L. McKenney and illustrated by Charles Bird King Zhaagobe (c.1794), also known as Jack-O-Pa or Shagobai, was a St. Croix Ojibwe chief of the Snake River band. He signed several Chippewa treaties with the United States, including the 1825 Treaty of Prairie du Chien, the 1826 Treaty of Fond du Lac, the 1837 Treaty of St. Peters, and the 1842 Treaty of La Pointe. In 1836, geographer Joseph Nicollet had an Ojibwe guide he called Chagobay (or "Little Six"), but historians are uncertain as to whether they were the same person.

Chief Zhaagobe's portrait, painted by Charles Bird King, appears in History of the Indian Tribes of North America under the name "Jack-O-Pa – The Six".

Joseph Nicollet's guide An Ojibwe man called Chagobay served as a guide to French geographer Joseph Nicollet during his expedition to the upper Mississippi River in 1836. However, historian Martha Coleman Bray states that there is no clear evidence that the Snake River chief and Nicollet's guide are the same person.

Zhaagobe was the Ojibwe translation of the name "Six." In his journal, explorer Joseph Nicollet refers to his guide as "Chagobay," "Shago-bai," or "Little Six."

The Dakota chief Shakopee made his mark on the treaty in the section under "Sioux," where he is listed as "Sha-co-pe (the Sixth)." Under the section for "Chippewa," there is a separate listing for a signatory named simply as "The-sees" which suggests the French pronunciation for "Six."

Treaty of Fond du Lac, 1826 The 1826 Treaty of Fond du Lac attempted to bring all Ojibwe bands into agreement with the United States, as some had not been present at the signing of the 1825 Treaty of Prairie du Chien. The previous treaty had established boundary lines between tribes and promised intertribal peace.

The 1826 Treaty of Fond du Lac affirmed that all Ojibwe bands would adhere to the terms of the 1825 Treaty of Prairie du Chien. In addition, the Fond du Lac treaty granted the United States the right to search for minerals and mine in Ojibwe lands near Lake Superior. One of the Ojibwe signatories from the River St. Croix was recorded as "Chaucopee."

White Pine Treaty, 1837 In the 1837 Treaty of St. Peters, also known as the White Pine Treaty, the Ojibwe traded most of their lands in present-day Wisconsin to the United States for a twenty-year annuity plus other compensation. Evidence suggests that the Ojibwe negotiators believed that they were merely leasing use of the pine forests to the U.S. to cut timber. One of the treaty signatories from the Snake River band was listed as "Sha-go-bai" or "the Little Six."

Treaty of La Pointe, 1842 The 1842 Treaty of La Pointe was negotiated between the United States and the Ojibwe of Wisconsin on Madeline Island. The treaty ceded the last of the Ojibwe lands in northern Wisconsin and part of the Upper Peninsula to the United States, in return for cash, goods and other compensation every year for 25 years.

Refusal to part with son Superintendent of Indian Affairs Thomas L. McKenney described Chippewa chief "Jack-O-Pa" as "an exceedingly active, sprightly fellow quick in his movements, ardent, and fond of his family."

In the History of the Indian Tribes of North America, the authors note that at the signing of the 1826 Treaty of Fond du Lac, McKenney had offered to take Jack-O-Pa's fourteen-year-old son back to Washington to educate him, but that the chief had declined: Jack-O-Pa looked awhile and shaking his head, run his finger from his forehead downwards indicating that to part from his boy, would be like cutting him in two.