The Prophet

Tenskwatawa was born in 1775, which was a time of despair for his people. His original name was Lalawethika which translates to  “the noise makers”. His father died right before he was born in the Battle of Point Pleasant Puckshinwa. At this time in American history, the Native Americans were struggling with a lot of cultural changes and land disputes with European America. His tribe was known as the Shawnee. They were based out of a region in Ohio. They had conflicting views regarding the white colonists. Tenskwatawa grew-up in a house hold that looked up to the warrior traditions of their tribe. He struggled through his yearly years with alcoholism and shame he brought to his family due to a hunting ancient. He rose from a drunken trance one evening in 1805 and changed the Native American relations for ever. This is when is name changed to Tenskwatawa which translates “the prophet”. He became a well known prophet that lead Native Americans through a key time in their history.

Tenskwatawa grew up in a broken home and society. He came about a lot of hard ship due to his fathers early death. He was mostly raised by older sibling and elders of his tribute. He shot his eye with an arrow when he was a young man which lead to alcoholism. He became the burden child of the family. His brother was moving up the ranks of the warriors during Tenskwatawa hard years. He was resented due to his alcoholism. Alcoholism was becoming more common in Native American society. Many of the tribes  people began to drink whiskey and were becoming more reliant on western alcohol and ways that other natives resented.

In 1805 Tenskwatawa had a near death due to alcohol. When he woke up he said that he had seen the “master of life”. He began to preach how the natives should revert back to tradition and deny white culture. He preached to reject alcohol, European clothes, and land ownership. Tenskwatawa claimed he knew how to get back what the natives have lost. He began to gain followers and become a prophet in his tribe. Tenskwatawa gained a lot of notice in 1806. General William Henry Harrison who was the territorial governor of Indiana challenged Tenskwatawa’s prophet status. Harrison did not like Tenskwatawa’s nationalistic Native American movement, so General Harrison provoked Tenskwatawa to provide proof of his spiritual abilities. It is said later that month Tenskwatawa correctly predicted a solar eclipse. The correct prediction gave Tenskwatawa a lot of respect in the Native American community.

In 1808, Tenskwatawa and his brother Tecumseh founded a village that became the center of the Pan-tribal confederacy. The European colonist called their village Prophetstown. Tecumseh was a well known warrior at this time. The partnership between Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa helped to make their village vary successful. Thousands of Native Americans traveled to Prophetstown to hear Tenskwatawa’s spiritual practices and speeches. He preached “my children! You must not get drunk. It displeases the Great Spirit. And on no account drink whiskey. It was made by the big knives, without my permission. It makes you sick, and burns your insides; It destroys you.” He focuses his message on Native alliance and equal values. Eventually tensions with the Europeans grew.

In November 1811, Tenskwatawa and much of the pan-tribel confederacy attacked Federal troops on the Tippicaneo River valley. They were defeated and Prophetstown was burned to the ground. Tenskwatawa was blamed for the defeat due to poor planning and the lack of Tecumseh presents at the battle. Tecumseh was also upset at Tenskwatawa and he lost a lot of credibility due to the serious loss of the battle. The remains of the tribe continued by going to the British. They joined forces with the British during the war of 1812.  Tenskwatawa would never fight due to his lost eye. His brother fought and died in the Battle of the Thames on October 5, 1813. Tenskwatawa slowly fades out of the spot light after the British loose the War of 1812. Tenskwatawa eventually takes a group of natives to an area which is current Kansas City. He formed a village there and died in 1836.

Tenskwatawa life shows the American dream is a gray light. He is a visionary that captured the spirit of individualist and native nationalistic ideals during his period of life. He, like Martin Luther King, had a dream for his people. He wanted Native American prosperity and his influence and success of Prophetstown shows his commitment to his people and the values he lived by. Though he fought against the US government, his ideals where similar to the American Dream itself. He wanted freedom and peace among his people and fought to achieve it.