Tecumseh Tribe

Tecumseh

“No tribe has the right to sell land, even to each other, much less to strangers. Sell a country! Why not sell the air, the great sea, as well as the earth? Didn’t the Great Spirit make them all for the use of his children?”

-Tecumseh

Methoataaskee gave birth to Tecumseh in 1768 in the Shawnee settlement on the Ohio River, they named him Tecumethe meaning “shooting star” or “blazing comet”. The English people called him Tecumseh. Tecumseh’s father was Pukeshinwau, he belonged to the Kispoko division of the tribe (they were leaders in war) and a member of the panther clan. His mother, Methoataaskee belonged to the Pekowi division who were people responsible for for keeping traditions. She was a member of the turtle clan and in the settlement where Tecumseh was born the women had to build houses made from bark fastened around wooden posts. They also made clothes, worked on the fields, and cooked most of the food. The men had to hunt the food for the tribe and had to be trained to become warriors to protect the Shawnee settlement. The children

normally played in the fields where the woman would work.
Tecumseh lived as a child during war and revolution. The americans want to expand west and colonize but the British Proclamation didn’t allow them (which was one of the causes of the revolution). People in the Shawnee lived in fear of the Americans attacking their settlements. Militiamen from Virginia attacked one night and outnumbered the warriors, Tecumseh’s father was killed during the battle. Tecumseh often had to move with his family due to the militia men returning and destroying their homes.
When Tecumseh was twelve years old he met a white boy named Stephen Ruddell. Stephen had been captured by the warriors and came to Tecumseh’s village to be raised as a member of the Shawnee family. The two boys became best friends and spent days together playing and hunting. Stephen described Tecumseh as being “athletic, attractive, friendly, and a warm hearted teenager”.
After the revolution, war broke out again between the Shawnees and the United States. 18 year-old Tecumseh was among the warriors. Cheeseekau and the other warriors wanted to seek a new life away from the wars with the Americans. Tecumseh and his family joined the expedition. One day, when Tecumseh was hunting for buffalo with a party he fell off his horse and broke his thighbone. The group decided they would to wait for the bone to heal because Tecumseh could not walk. His eventually did heal but he was left with a limp for the rest of his life.
Cheeseekau’s party crossed the Mississippi River where they encountered white merchants, the did not get the freedom they wanted. The party joined up with another tribe, the Chickamauga Cherokees. They were also at war with the Americans and the party helped out and participated in many battles. One thing that Tecumseh always hated was the entorturement of prisoners they had captured during battles. Tecumseh learned how to influence and persuade others which are skills a good chief should have.
In September 1792, Tecumseh joined a raiding party at night led by Cheeseekau. The Americans were alerted when their cattle were startled by the rustling in the woods. A soldiers pointed his musket at a figure through a porthole and then shot the figure dead. That figure was Cheeseekau, Tecumseh’s brother. By 1795, Tecumseh had enough followers to set up his own village in Shawnee land in Ohio. He became the chief of about 250 people. Tecumseh was very smart and he thought about Shawnees and other natives losing their to Americans. He realized that unless the natives came together to form a confederacy, they could never stop the Americans from stealing their land.
Tecumseh had gained a large reputation as a famous warrior and chief. In August 1810, William Henry Harrison, the governor of the Indiana Territory met with Tecumseh at Vincennes, which is in present day Knox County, Indiana. They had a long discussion and a t one point the natives raised their tomahawks and the Americans raised their muskets. They resumed the meeting the next day when people were more calm. Tecumseh said that the treaties towards individual leaders and tribes are wrong and should be ripped up. Harrison said that the treaties will remain in effect and Tecumseh got upset and warned the Americans that if their land was not returned, then their will be war.
On September 20, 1811 Tecumseh rode into Tuckabatchee, the capital of the Muscogee people. He came to talk to the head chief about the fact that war is coming. Many people came to see Tecumseh talk. He was doing this the convince people to fight with them during the war. The people wanted to fight with him but the chief shook his head in disagreement. Tecumseh got upset and said when he reaches Detroit, he will stamp the ground with his foot and shake down every house in Tuckabatchee. On December 16, the day the Muscogees predicted he would reach Detroit, the earth trembled with the first waves of an earthquake and every house was shakened to the ground. There were chiefs in support of the confederacy from the Chippewa, Winnebago, Muscogee, Cherokee, Sac, Potawatomi and Ottawa tribes
William Henry Harrison led a force of soldiers against Prophetstown. Prophetstown was burned to the ground and the Prophet lost the support of many of his followers as a consequence.
When the war of 1812 broke out Tecumseh already had many followers for his confederacy. However, Tecumseh still fought as an ally for the British because he thought that if they won the British would help him regain native territories from the Americans. Tecumseh met with British General Isaac Brock they immediately became friends and Tecumseh fought side by side with Brock and was a respected native towards Britain.
Tecumseh and Brock planned the attack at fort Detroit together. Brock was impressed when he saw Tecumseh lay a long strip of birch bark out and draw a map of the roads, hills, and valleys using the tip of his knife. Brock stated that there would be no peace with the Americans until the native’s land was restored. The British, Natives and Canadian Militia men camped out together on the day before the battle. On August 1812 before they were about the launch a full-out attack on fort Detroit. General Hull (American General) surrendered fort Detroit to General Brock. In celebration Tecumseh gave Brock a traditional native coloured scarf.
Two months later, the Americans set boat along the Niagara River to invade Upper Canada, the Americans had won the first attack. General Brock then lead a counter attack and they charged up Queenston Heights. A scout from Ohio fired his musket, killing General Brock. British soldiers began to yell “Revenge the General”. The British and Natives went on to win the battle. Three days later they had General Brock's funeral.
The summer Tecumseh had captured Detroit, American ships defeated a British squadron of ships on Lake Erie. New British General, Major General Henry Procter said that since the Americans were in control of Lake Erie, the British could no longer support Fort Malden. He gave up the Fort and retreated inland up the Thames River. Tecumseh was upset at the General for giving up so easy because they had defended that fort for a year.
Tecumseh knew that he had to continue fighting with the British.

He and the other natives that remained loyal to him joined General Procter near Moraviantown (which is not far from present day London, Ontario). They prepared for an all-out attack against the Americans. On October 5, 1813,Tecumseh dressed in deerskin and painted his face, ready for battle. Early in the battle, the American soldiers broke through the British line and forced General Procter to retreat from the battle. Tecumseh and his men continued to fight, but they were alone in the woods with no one to help them. The natives leader was fighting with all his strength, firing his musket and this gave the natives courage. However, an American soldier aimed and fired striking Tecumseh in the chest, killing Tecumseh,. The word spread quickly that their leader had died and the natives got scared and retreated from the battle into the

woods.

During Tecumseh’s amazing life, he not only fought to save his own Shawnee from defeat but for natives everywhere as well. His courage fascinates people all around the world to this day and he will remain as a symbol of justice for native tribes throughout Canada.