Tecumseh
"He Walks Across"
"The Panther Passing Across"
"Shooting Star"
(Part I)
Tecumseh was born on March 9, 1768 in Old Piqua, a Shawnee Village on the Mad River, Ohio near the present day site of Springfield.
"Shawnee" comes from an Algonquin word "Shawan-Zhawan" meaning South.
His father was Pucksinwah and his mother Methotasa. On the night of his birth a meteor, greenish-white in color, streaked across the sky, thus giving him his name. A child of the Shawnee nation was not usually named for ten days allowing this time for the name to come to the family. He, however, was named immediately since the meteor presented itself at the time of his birth. (There are several versions of his name but "He Walks Across" may be the most correct.) This appearance of the meteor to a great many people assured the Shawnee that this boy was destined for great things.
Three years after his birth the Shawnee were once again shocked when Methotasa gave birth to triplets. This was almost unheard of among the Shawnee. One of these boys was named Lalawethika (The Noisemaker) who one day would become a very powerful Medicine Man.
Tecumseh and his younger siblings were put into the care of their older sister, Tecumpease, and brother, Chiksika, after their mother returned to live with her own people. By the time Tecumseh was six years old he was already a skilled hunter and had gained warrior status by the age of 12 years. No small feat for anyone that age.
Tecumseh was later described as being about 5'9" tall with a light copper complexion and hazel eyes. He always wore a deerskin jacket and deerskin trousers fringed at the seams. On his feet he wore moccasins ornamented with dyed porcupine quills and in his hair a single feather.
By 1805, and at the age of 34, Tecumseh's younger brother Lalawethika, had become known as a drunkard and a loudmouth. After having an experience in which he believed that he had died and during that time had received a spiritual vision he changed his name to Tenskwatawa or "Open Door". He began to preach that they must all return to their traditional values and abstain from using trade goods as well as the whiskey that was available.
Unable to pronounce his name Americans began to call him "The Prophet".
After he predicted correctly an eclipse of the sun his following began to grow. Their growing population caused alarm among the settlers in the area and so the group relocated to the mouth of the Tippecanoe River and called this new village "Prophetstown". There they devoted themselves to peace, industry and sobriety. Their plan was to unite all Natives from Canada to Florida in a great democratic confederacy to resist all advancement of whites onto their land.
General William Henry Harrison met with both Tecumseh and The Prophet. At one of these meetings Harrison told Tecumseh through an interpreter that "your father requests that you sit beside him."
Tecumseh responded, "My Father! The Great Spirit is my Father and the Earth is my Mother and on her bosom I will repose." He then sat on the ground.
The brothers reiterated their desire for peace with the United States if they would leave them unmolested and give back the land taken from them.
(To be continued.)
You ask; "What does this Great Shawnee Warrior "Tecumseh" have to do with us here at Bay Mills"? Stay tuned, and read the next addition of the Bay Mills News.
