The 19th century was a hard time of fast and hard change for the Odawa. Federal policies aimed to “civilize” them were in full effect, as they rapidly became minorities in their homelands. The Odawa, along with all Michigan tribes, were living with the repercussions of earlier treaties. As the Odawa changed in their appearance, language and way of life, these changes were also reflected in the landscape of their homelands at Waganakising.

The logging industry altered the land permanently and drew attention to the wealth that could be obtained from it. While logging provided work for Odawa as loggers, it also drastically altered the habitat for wildlife and plants. Logging was not the only change to the Waganakising landscape as wetlands were drained for European farming methods. Despite these radical alterations to the land, the Odawa maintained their place at home.

Many Odawa continued to live from the land as their ancestors did. Maple sugar was still being produced, fishing for commercial and personal use fed families, and the Odawa maintained family gardens. Gathering wild berries and hunting supplemented the people’s needs. The land still took care of the Odawa, and, by the end of the 19th century, Waganakising had one of the largest native populations in the state.