Tecumseh and the Quest for Indian Leadership

Edmunds frames Tecumseh’s refusal to participate in the 1795 Treaty of Greenville negotiations as an important event in his early biography. While older chiefs, like Black Hoof, take part in discussions with the Americans and “walk the white man’s road,” Tecumseh “still followed the warrior’s path, a traditional Shawnee fighting man tied to traditional Shawnee ways” (43).

The Treaty of Greenville incident exposes Tecumseh’s character at age 27, “an influential young war chief with a growing following among many of the younger, more anti-American warriors” (43). According to Edmunds, Tecumseh attracts the support of others because he “epitomized most of the qualities long venerated by tribal society” such as physical prowess, hunting skills, and compassion (43).

Unlike his brother the Prophet, Tecumseh is the incarnation of the traditional “warrior’s path” taken by his ancestors, especially his father and older brother Chiksika who die defending their territory against white settlement. The mature Tecumseh will prove adept as a leader and a political figure who avoids violence whenever possible, particularly in his dealings with Governor Harrison before the outbreak of the War of 1812. Yet a large part of his prestige comes from his ability to represent the ideal of a Shawnee warrior, something that he will embody until the very end of his life on the battlefield.