Patowatomi
Patowatomi was a Native American nation.
Contents
History
The Council of Three Fires was an alliance between the tribes of the Anishinabe nation: Ojibwe, Odawa, and Patowatomi. It is estimated to date back to 796. Their relative seniority in the alliance is in that order. Furthermore, their ceremonial roles within the alliance are alluded to by their names: keepers of the faith, keepers of trade, and keepers of the fire, respectively. The functional capital of the alliance was Michilimackinac. The alliance presented a united front toward their neighbors: the Sauk, Meskwaki, Haudenosaunee, Shawnee, Ho-Chunk, Wyandot, Menominee, and Sioux.
The council's chiefs were assembled to Chicago in 1821. Cass sought to purchase all lands south of the Grand River as well as the southern shoreline of Lake Michigan. This First Treaty of Chicago saw the nations removed to small reservations throughout the territory.
In 1833, following the Black Hawk War, Cass as secretary of war began negotiations for a complete removal. The chiefs were again assembled to Chicago. While agreed upon and signed, this Second Treaty of Chicago saw significant opposition in the Senate. The treaty was finally approved in 1835; removal was to be completed by 1838.
In 1835, following the signing of the second treaty, 800 braves gathered in Chicago to perform a farewell ceremonial dance.
Leopold Pokagon was advised by McCoy to present himself as a Christian seeking enlightenment, rather than a tribal leader seeking redress. He refrained from alcohol and requested schools and bibles from the government. Based on this strategy, Pokagon obtained favorable terms. He also negotiated an amendment to the second treaty allowing the Christian Patowatomi to remain in the Odawa settlement of L'Arbre Croche. He then used the treaty payment to purchase lands in Silver Creek. Following his death, the tribe began a slow dispersal across the region. This splinter tribe became known as the Pokagon Patowatomi, and not only did they avoid removal, they became the predominant tribe throughout the Michigan territory.