On Nov. 15, 1861, eight designated “chiefs” and more than seventy other members of the Potawatomi Nation met with federal agents to sign a treaty that would forever alter their community’s relationship with other Potawatomi and the U.S. government. The 1861 treaty initiated the process for acquiring fee-simple land allotments and U.S. citizenship for almost two-thirds of its members. This …
On February 27, 1861, the Citizen Potawatomi entered into a treaty with the United States that established a new reservation for the Tribe in Indian Territory. Drafted to alleviate pressures the Citizen Potawatomi were facing following the Treaty of 1861 and subsequent allotment of reservation lands in Kansas, the new 1867 treaty stipulated that those who would move south were …
An amendment was made in reference to the third article of the Treaty with the Potawatomi [1861]. The amendment stated that beneficial provisions of the treaty should extend to all adult persons of the tribe, without distinction of sex or status. This was a progressive step forward for the equal rights of female tribal members, as women were now considered …
Peace treaty as a result of the Northwest Indian Wars.
Agreed to and signed at present Detroit, Michigan, the Treaty of Spring Wells was the last in a long line of peace compacts intent on ratifying previous treaties. Formally exonerating the Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi for their participation in and alliance with Great Britain during the War of 1812, it also secured the United States’ patronage to the Three Fires …
Born in Montreal, Canada, Jacques Vieau [Vieux] was French-Canadian fur trader. In 1776, he moved to Mackinac Island and became clerk for the North West Fur Company. From his post, he traded at La Pointe and Green Bay, Wisconsin. In 1795, North West appointed him as an agent to establish trading posts along the west coast of Lake Michigan. He …
Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Louis Vieux was the son of noted trader Jacques Vieau and his Potawatomi wife, Angelique Roy. As a young boy, Louis worked with his father and brother, Jacques Jr., at their trading posts, developing an early skill for commerce that would lead to success later in life. In 1832, Louis married Shanote, the daughter of a …
Wabaunsee was a powerful and influential headman among the Potawatomi, Odawa and Ojibwe villages of Illinois and Indiana. With a reputation that preceded him, Wabaunsee was not only a noted veteran of the Osage War, Battle of Tippecanoe and War of 1812, but an esteemed religious leader within the ancient Midewiwin Medicine Lodge. Openly opposed to American expansion, yet understanding …
With the United States and Great Britain on the brink of a second war, tensions between Northwestern tribes and settlers reached an impasse. Angered by their defeat at Tippecanoe, Tecumseh, Main Poc and their Native confederacy increased assaults on settlers in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, forcing many to sell their homesteads and flee the Territory. All attempts by the U.S. …
Watseka, also known as Watchekee, was the daughter of respected warrior and leader Shabbone and Monashki. Watseka had a reputation for being intelligent and beautiful. Family records indicate she was born during a bright star. Potawatomi often used natural phenomenon to denote time rather than years. After the Potawatomi signed the 1833 Treaty of Chicago, she was among those who …