TECUMSEH



"The Panther Passing Across"



Shawnee Warrior


It is believed that Tecumseh was born in 1768 in central Ohio. He was the
second son of Pucksinwah, the Shawnee warrior who was killed at the Battle of Point
Pleasant. In his dying breaths, Pucksinwah had commanded his eldest son
Cheesuaka, to train the six-year-old Tecumseh as a warrior and to never make peace
with the whites.

Cheesuaka was as good as his word and excelled as both a warrior and a
teacher, becoming quite close with his younger brother, and after their mother
(Methoataske - "Turtle Laying its Eggs") moved to Missouri in 1779, acting as a
surrogate parent as well. By all accounts, Tecumseh was a model child, and although
it is claimed that he ran in terror from his first battle, his courage never
faltered from then on. Tall, muscular, intelligent, and highly charismatic,
Tecumseh proved to be a master tactician and an exceptional orator.

When Tecumseh was in his twenties, he and Cheesuaka made a number of lengthy
expeditions, visiting other tribes and viewing the territory to the north and
west of the Shawnees'. These voyages, considered a final rite of passage into the
adult world by the Shawnee, introduced Tecumseh to other tribes and other
traditions. One evening during their final journey together, Cheesauka serenenly
predicted his own death the next day. That noon, he was fatally shot while
storming a fort with a Cherokee war party. Tecumseh returned from this sad trip in
1790 and joined up with his adoptive brother BlueJacket in the fight to preserve
Shawnee territory from the white settlers. In battle, Tecumseh demonstrated his
strength, skill, and leadership ability, while in council, he demonstrated his
firm opposition to any concessions to the whites. He soon developed a circle
of equally militant followers, including his younger brother, Tenskwatawa. (The
Shawnee Prophet)



Tecumseh's boycott of the treaty conference at Greenville resulted in a
serious break with Black Fish's replacement as the principal chief of the Shawnees,
Catahecassa, or Black Hoof. Tecumseh and his followers went to Deer Creek in
western Ohio and in 1795 founded a village made up of Native American warriors
linked by their militancy, not by their tribal affiliation.

Although Tecumseh is generally revered by Shawnee today, many of his followers
were not Shawnees, and many Shawnees at the time viewed him as a troublemaker
and an upsurger of tribal authority. Techumseh's unique achievements sometimes
blind students of Shawnee history to the fact that at the time there were three
main groups of Shawnees: the Shawnees in Missouri, the Shawnees under Black
Foot in Ohio, and the relatively small group of Shawnees that followed Tecumseh.

By 1805 military and legal means against the whites had failed the Shawnee.
Techumseh had begun to make a name for himself among the whites as well as the
Native Americas as a pragmatic, eloquent, and intelligent leader. His practical
leadership soon became necessary as followers of Tenskwatawa (Shawnee Prophet,
Tecumseh's younger brother) flocked to his village.

While Tenskwatawa was instigating a spiritual revival, Tecumseh began to
instigate a political movement that was no less revolutionary. The basis of
Tecumseh's political philosophy was the recognition of the dire threat the whites posed
to all Native Americans. He believed that no treaty or border or land
agreement would successfully protect the land and the native peoples against the
consuming greed of the whites.

The only way to combat this threat was for all Indian tribes to unite - not in
a loose temporary confederation with each tribe under their own governance as
was the norm, but in a single political body with unified leadership. This way
if the whites wanted to purchase land or draw up a treaty, they would not be
able to play one tribe against the other as they had in the past but instead
would have to deal with a political body that represented the interests of all the
tribes.

If the whites wished to make war, they would have to face an enormous army
comprising all the warriors of all the Indian tribes. This felt Tecumseh, was the
only way for the Native Americans to successfully protect what land and
resources they still had.

On October 5, 1813, Tecumseh and his forces, along side the British forces
commanded by General Henry Proctor met with American invaders under the command of
William Henry Harrison (future president). Harrison directed his forces to
charge the British flank first,and the British lines instantly crumpled and
retreated.

Proctor leading the way. In contrast, the Native Americans fought doggedly,
but they were forced to retreat, leaving their casualties on the battlefield to
be retrieved later and buried during the long jourmey back to their villages.
Among those casualties - as he had predicted the night before to his followers -
was the 44-year-old Tecumseh.

No one knows who fired the fatal bullet. Many took credit. With the great
Shawnee chief gone ( his body never found, was said to have been removed and buried
in a secret location by his men), the dream of a grand alliance was shattered.

Tecumseh's warnings about the threat the whites posed proved truer than even
he could imagine.

His portrait hangs in many Shawnee homes today, not so much for his
predictions as for his willingness to stand up to the whites and defend his culture, his
land, and his people. Numerous legends have cropped up around Tecumseh's life,
describing a veritable god among men with superhuman strength, amazing magical
powers, and saintlike compassion.

But while some of the stories are no doubt exaggerated, it cannot be denied
that Tecumseh was, in the words of Bill Gilbert, " a hero, a noble man of nature,
and one who was right."
~~

Tecumseh's Family


Paternal Grandfather-----Wawwaythi also known as Lawpkaway and Loyparcowah


Father-----Pucksinwah


Mother-----Methoataske


Eldest Brother----Cheesauka sometimes spelled Chiksika or Chiksekau


Second Eldest----Tecumseh


Sister-----Tecumpease


(Triplets)First born of the triplets, Sauwaseekau (was killed at the Battle of
Fallen Timbers)


Second born triplet Kumskaukau---is believed to have died in the first year


Third born of the triplets,Lalawethika or Tenskwatawa----the Prophet


Sister----Nehaaeemo


Adopted Brother----Wehyahpihreshnwah (Blue Jacket adopted 1771)


It is believed that there was one other sister and another brother


Mohnetohse----First wife of Tecumseh whom he sent back to her parents for
neglecting their infant son


Mahyawwekawpawe---First son of Tecumseh


Mamate----Second wife of Tecumseh, who died after childbirth


Naythawaynah (A Panther Seizing Its Prey)----Second son of Tecumseh







We are determined to defend our lands and, if it be the "Great Spirit's" will,
we wish to leave our bones upon them."

Tecumseh, Shawnee Chief 1813