Reverend Henry B. Steinhauer

    Henry B. Steinhauer was converted to Methodism during a mass baptism conducted by William Case and Peter Jones on June 17, 1828. 

He adopted the name Henry Steinhauer, as the Methodist missions received funding from various people and organizations, and were sometimes asked to give a native child the name of a sponsor to a native child. (Mabindisa 81) Yet he continued to use his Ojibwa name, Shauwanegezhick, from time to time. (Mabindisa 75)

He attended a local mission school for a little while, and then a school on Grape Island for three years. Grape island was one of the islands on Lake Simcoe. Besides religion, reading and writing, the mission taught such things as shoe-making, basket-weaving, carpentry, and blacksmithing. (Mabindisa 79)

   From there Steinhauer went to Cazenovia Seminary, in New York. When he was about fourteen years old he was appointed school teacher at the Credit Mission. From there he could easily return to visit his mother. After two years there he went to Upper Canada College and for five years alternated between college and teaching. In Upper Canada, among other things, he studied Greek and Latin, and likely Hebrew. (Mabindisa 105 - 106)

    In 1840 he became assistant to Rev. James Evans, a missionary among the natives, and served various positions for him. In 1854 Henry Steinhauer accompanied Rev. James Evans to London, and then returned to Canada where he was ordained. He set out in mid-June with Rev. Woolsey to Alberta.

    At Whitefish Lake Rev. Steinhauer led the only mission run entirely by native leaders. (An account of his beginnings there can be read here.) It was started in 1857.

    Mr. Sam Bull, of Whitefish lake, wrote the following about Rev. Steinhauer and his relationship with Chief Pakan:

"The Rev. H. B. Steinhauer, an ordained preacher and formerly an Ojibway Indian, and Ben Sinclair, a local preacher of the Swampy Cree tribe were the first missionaries of this settlement. It is impossible to try to put into words the wonderful work these two men did for the welfare of their people, both materially and spiritually. We owe them a bountiful degree of thanks which it would be impossible to try to repay. The benefits are derived from their doctrine. They treated their people as a father would treat his children. Much credit also goes to our late chief Pakan (James Seenum), a very forceful and highly respected figure amongst his band. He co-operated very fully with the missionaries in their work. His advise was carried out to a point without an argument which simplified matters for the ministers.

In legal affairs Rev. Steinhauer acted as an advisor to the said chief and his suggestions were carried out accordingly. They well knew there was to be a treaty. The matter was given considerable thought which enabled the Chief to transact his business in a very far-sighted manner.

It was only four months after the deaths of these old gentlemen (Steinhauer and Sinclair) that a report came in that there was an uprising of the natives at Duck Lake. On hearing this Chief Pakan gave notice for an assembly among his people advising them not to have any part in the oncoming trouble and not to participate in the rebellion no matter what happened. He tried to live up to the advise of his missionaries not to have any trouble with his fellowmen. This he handed down to his Band both by example and by precept."

Rev. Henry B. Steinhauer died on the 30 of December, 1884.

The above picture of Rev. Henry B. Steinhauer shows him with two of his sons, Rev. Robert B. Steinhauer and Rev. Egerton R. Steinhauer.

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