OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: Tecumseh, Son of Pucksinwah [2]
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Historical Collections of Ohio
Diaries of S. J. Kelly
Plains Dealer
Know Your Ohio
by Darlene E. Kelley
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Tecumseh, Son of Pucksinwah-- " The Shawnee War Chief". -- part 2.

As he had done on many occasions since his early childhood, The Shawnee
Chief Pucksinwah, was contiplating the multitude of  stars sparkling in
the sky with such beauty and life in the near cloudless and moonless sky
awaiting the birth of the infant child. Along with him, was his 12 year
old son, Chiksika, and 10 year old daughter, Tecumpese, along with half
a dozen women of his clan who stayed behind to help in Methotasa's
delivery.

Only rarely was the stillness broken by a soft cry from within the
hastily erected shelter beyond the fire where Methotasa
--A-Turtle-laying-Her-Eggs-in-the-Sand, awaited delivery of her child.
It would have been better had they been able to continue their journey
to Chilicothe. The village was only three arrow flights to the northwest
of them, but her time had come and further travel, however short, would
have been dangerous to both the Infant and Methotasa.

Though extremely anxious to reach this principal town of the
Chalahgawtha sept, Pucksinwah neverless stayed behind along with his
children, sending the remaider of his Kispokotha sept of the Shawnees,
on to the village with word of his whereabouts and his promise to appear
on the morrow at the large 
(msi-kah-mi-qui), council house.

Nearly 600 strong, these followers of his represented about two-thirds
of the population of Kispoko Town on the west bank of the Scita River.
Simular groups from the other four Shawnee septs were also converging
for this highly important council at Chillicothe. For over five years
tribal representatives had been meeting there at intervals in an effort
to decide what the Shawnees, as a nation, must do about the white man
who, despite those treaties forbidding it, was crossing the mountains to
the east and spilling into the valleys of the Monongahela and
Youghiogheny and Allegheny.

Although the Shawnee septs were individual entities and governed
themselves, each was an important branch of the Shawnee tribe as a
whole, and each had a distinct office or duty to perform for the benifit
of the tribe. The Peckuwe sept for instance, had charge of the
maintenance of order or duty, and looked after the celebration of
matters pertaining to Shawnee religion. It was to this sept that
Methotasa had belonged before Pucksinwah had taken her for his wife,
nearly 15 years ago.

The Maykujay clan controlled matters pertaining to health, medicine and
food. The Kispokotha sept, on the other hand, was in charge of warfare,
including the preparation and training of warriors.

But the two most powerful septs were the Thawegila and Chalahgawtha,
which had charge of al things political and all matters affecting the
entire tribe. These two septs were equal in power,and from one of them
the princpal Chief of the Shawnees had to come. The chiefs of the other
septs were subordinate to the principal chief in all matters of
importance to the tribe, but, in circumstances pertaining to their own
jurisdiction, they were independant chiefs. The Thawegila, Kispokotha
and Peckuwe septs were closely related morally and politically, while
the Maykujay and Chalahgawtha septs always stood together, as they had
in times past during occasional instances of tribal dissension.

So it is now in this problem of the encroachment of the whites. It was
such a serious problem that strong lines of dissension had formed which
threatened to cause a permanent breach in the Nation; at least so it was
feared by the principal chief, Hokolesqua --
Cornstalk --a Chalahgawtha Shawnee. His sept and the Maykujays took the
stand that " we had better make peace with the white people, as they
outnumber us and are increasing fast.  It seems Moneto --God --is with
them. Let us make peace with them and be always in peace wih them."

" No!" said the Thawegila, Kispokotha and Peckuwe chiefs. " Let us not
make peace with the white people. Let us fight them until one or the
other of us is destroyed to the last man."

Pucksinwah shook his head sadly. To every marrow of his bones he knew
there could never be a true peace between whites and Indians. As surely
as summer follows spring, the whites would not stop at the river valley
of western Pennsylvannia. Inevitably they would spread down the
Spay-lay-wi-theepi ---Ohio River-- to settle in the great and sacred
hunting grounds of Can-tuc-kee. The Shawnees from the north and Cherokee
from the south might share the bounty of that land below the great
river, but no tribe-- nor white man--- must be permitted to take up
permanent residence there.

Had not over a century of friction between Indians and whites proven
that nothing could be gained by talk of Peace? When treaties had been
signed and boundaries established in the past, had not these whites
treated the Indians with unfeigned loathing, and had they not broken the
boundaries almost imediately after they were established?

This is why the current Council at the Little Miami River village of
Chillicothe was so important to Pucksinwah. Largest of the Shawnee
towns, it was centrally located to all the septs and more than 5000
Shawnee men wuld be on hand. And this time it would be his turn to speak
without interruption in the Council House. He would pray to Moneto to
bring powerful words to his lips that he might convince the Chalahgawtha
and Maykujay septs that there could never exist an suitable peace
between Indians and whites.

He raised his eyes skyward, but the prayer died aborning as a huge
meteor suddenly plunged into the atmosphere and burst into brilliant
greenish-white flame. It streaked across the heavens from the north in
an awe-inspiring spectacle which lasted fully twenty seconds

Pucksinwah had heard of such occurrences, but not before had he seen
anyting so breathtaking as this, and the tales of the old people came
back to him now; this shooting star was The Panther, a great spirit
passing over to the south where it seeks a.deep hole for sleep. Every
night it passes somewhere on the earth to go home in the south. It was a
good sign indeed, and Pucksinwah arose and briskly to the fire where the
women were clustered, chattering excitedly, for they too had seen it.

From within the temporary shelter came the sharp wail of a baby.
Pucksinwah waited quietly, the murmur of voices from inside almost lost
in the gurgle of water from the great bubbling spring besides the
shelter. Soon the infant's crying faded away, and a quarter hour later
one of the women came out, beckoned to the Chief, and happily told him
he had a son.

Pucksinwah stooped to enter the shelter and the three women inside,
giggling delightedly, left to join the others at the fire. Methotasa lay
on the bedding of cedar boughs covered with a huge buffalo hide, the
even softer hide of a deer covering her to the waist. In the crook of
her arm slept the newborn child, his skin glistening faintly with a
protective coating of bear oil applied by the squaws.

Methotasa smiled up at Pucksinwah as he knelt to look at the baby. She
told him that the other women had seen a great star, The Panther,
passing across and searching for its home in the south. Pucksinwah
nodded gravely, and told her it was the boy's unsoma.

Shawnee custom declares that a boy baby is not named for ten days after
his birth, nor a girl for twelve, during which time an unsoma -- notable
event --would occur wic should indicate what Moneto wished the child to
be called. But this time the sign had been given at the very moment of
birth, and this was of great importance. Both Pucksinwah and Methotasa
knew there could be no other name for this boy  that being --
The-Panther-Passing-Across.

Thus was born and named the Shawnee Indian known as Tecumseh. The day
was March 9, 1768. 

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To be continued in part 3--