1845 PETER JONES - KAHKEWAQUONABY. Rare Ojibwe Missionary Meeting with Thomas Chalmers for Support

Peter Jones, also known by his Ojibwe name Kahkewaquonaby ("Sacred Feathers," 1802–1856), was an Ojibwe (Mississauga) chief, Methodist minister, author, translator, and Indigenous rights advocate. Born to a Welsh-Canadian surveyor and an Ojibwe mother, Jones served as a bridge between Indigenous communities and British-Canadian society during a period of intense pressure on Indigenous lands. He translated religious texts into the Ojibwe language, traveled extensively across Britain and North America on fundraising and lecturing tours, and consistently petitioned the British Crown and colonial government for Indigenous land titles and educational opportunities.

Written during Jones' critical period of Indigenous political advocacy in Upper Canada, around the time of the landmark Bagot Commission report on Indian Affairs. During the mid-1840s, Jones was actively campaigning for secure legal land deeds for his people to prevent forced displacement, fundraising for manual labor schools, and navigating the complex intersection of evangelical Christian missionary work and Indigenous sovereignty. Thomas Chalmers, the recipient, would have been especially open to support educational efforts; long a priority for him as a pastor.

73 George Street
Edinburgh Augt 2nd
1845

Rev. and dear Sir,

In compliance with your kind invitation, I beg to inform you that it will afford Mrs. Jones and myself great pleasure in breakfasting with you on Tuesday morning next.

I am,
Rev & dear Sir,
yours very respectfully
Peter Jones
Kahkewaquonaby

To the
Rev. Dr. Chalmers.