FREE ESSAY ON TENSKWATAWA

TENSKWATAWA

History has not been kind to Tenskwatawa, otherwise known as Lalawethika or The Prophet.
He is inevitably compared to his heroic brother Tecumseh and fails to measure up in both
physical and moral stature. He seems hidden in the shade of his brother's name, whereas
his brother would never have had the stature he received if it were not for The Prophet's
religion of classical Indian heritage.
Lalawethika seemed to be plentiful of both physical and social shortcomings. An
unimpressive-looking man of below-average height, fond of wearing jewelry, especially
small medals, which he hung from his pierced nose and ears. His most striking physical
characteristic was his damaged right eye, which was permanently closed after he injured
it with a bow and arrow. Lalawethika was not a likable person. He was not accepted by the
other Shawnee youths and refused to take part in traditionally prestigious male
activities such as hunting and fighting. As a young man he boasted of his abilities but
seemed to lack anyambition. He attempted to compensate for his misfortunes but was only
counterproductive in making "a truculent, bragging personality that earned him his
nickname Lalawethika (The Rattle or Noisemaker) (p. 73). 
Two activities Lalawethika liked were drinking and talking. He wasn't as gifted a speaker
as his brother Tecumseh, but he was nonetheless manipulative and forceful. Using these
qualities he became a medicine man in Tecumseh's village. Lalawethika's transformation
from a lazy drunkard into a powerful spiritual leader came after a dream in which he
claimed to have been visited by the Great Spirit. He proclaimed his new name to be
Tenskwatawa meaning The Open Door. White settlers began to call him The Prophet because
he said the gods had shown him the path to salvation for his people. This new religion
called upon Natives to reject white culture and return to the traditional way of life.
Tenskwatawa gave up alcohol and urged his followers to do the same. The distinguished
changes apparent in Tenskwatawa immensely supported his new way of life. 
When those sent by The Master of Life took Lalawethika in his dream, they showed him a
very fertile land full of game as well as a large wigwam where eternal fires burned. The
Master of Life had chosen him to lead the Indians back down the road toward salvation (p.
76). At the heart of these new teachings was the belief that the land was held in common
by all the tribes. One of the major downfalls of the Indian Tribes as a whole was the
selling of land to the Long Knives. Worst case scenarios included unrecognized chiefs
selling land they didn't own. The Prophet preached that no tribe had the right to give up
their territory, because it belonged to all Natives. This infuriated white settlers and
leaders such as Indiana Territory Governor William Henry Harrison. 
Tenskwatawa soon attracted a considerable following, especially among the younger, more
radical warriors. The Prophet and Tecumseh decided to move these followers farther away
from the harassment of white settlers and closer to undisturbed food sources. They
established a new village at the point where the Wabash and Tippecanoe Rivers meet in
northwestern Indiana. The settlers called it Prophet's Town while the Natives named it
Tippecanoe. 
During the following years Tenskwatawa served as a major leader in the village, greeting
incoming representatives who wished palaver and dealing with them personally. For a very
long time the majority of people, both American and British viewed him as the main
authority figure in the village. In most cases it was not until Tecumseh himself came
into direct contact with an individual that they realized what influence he had on the
Shawnee and gathering tribes. Even after Tecumseh took down the veil of secrecy and
showed the world his true motives, government chiefs such as Main Poc still denounced his
leadership mainly because they disagreed with his goals for a unified Indian nation. 
In the fall of 1811, while Tecumseh was away on a six-month trip aimed at convincing the
southern tribes such as the Creeks and Choctaws to join Tecumseh's Indian Confederation,
U.S. soldiers under William Henry Harrison decided to attack Prophet's Town. They saw the
village as a dangerous symbol of native resistance and a barrier to white settlement. The
ensuing Battle of Tippecanoe was not a major military encounter. Although more American
soldiers died in the skirmish than native warriors, Harrison's troops advanced into the
village and razed it to the ground, claiming a great victory. 
After the battle, Tenskwatawa was blamed for allowing the community to be destroyed. One
group of warriors, the Winnebagos, were so angry that they tied him up and threatened to
kill him. However, he still remained Tecumseh's brother, and that relationship probably
saved his life (p. 158). The failure of The Prophet's military leadership and magic to
protect Tippecanoe was a major factor in the decline of his influence. 
After the War of 1812, Tenskwatawa stayed in Amherstburg and feuded with a succession of
British Indian agents. He finally returned to the United States and died a broken man in
Kansas in the fall of 1836. He moved there in a last-ditch attempt to consolidate his
power and become the leader of a displaced group of Shawnees. He was a pathetic figure by
the end; the epitome of everything he once claimed to despise. He had become an advocate
of land trades and deals with the Long Knives. 
Although Tenskwatawa is often portrayed as a cowardly demagogue overshadowed by his
legendary brother, The Prophet's religion was essential to Tecumseh's success. His
spiritual message added credibility to Tecumseh's political and military plans. It is
important to remember that it was Tenskwatawa, not Tecumseh, who started the reform
movement. This religious movement, flawed as its leader may have been, was meant to solve
the very real problems, which the influx of white culture had incurred for native people.
Tecumseh has become one of the most heroic figures in North American history, but he
could not have achieved that status without the tragic character of Tenskwatawa by his
side. 
Bibliography
Bibliography
Edmunds, R. David. Tecumseh and the Quest for Indian Leadership. New York: Longman,
1984.