Statue of Little Turtle at Headwaters Park in Fort Wayne, by local sculptor Hector Garcia.

Michikinikwa ("Little Turtle") (1752 – July 14, 1812) was a chief of the Miami tribe in what is presently Indiana. His name has several alternate renderings, including Meshekinoquah, Mihsihkinaahkwa, Meshekunnoghquoh, Michikinakoua, Michikiniqua, Me-She-Kin-No-Quah, Meshecunnaquan or Mischecanocquah. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (480x640, 48 KB) Statue of Chief Little Turtle (Michikinikwa) in Headwaters Park, Fort Wayne, Indiana Taken March 3 2005 by w:User:Jpbrenna File links The following pages link to this file: Michikinikwa ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (480x640, 48 KB) Statue of Chief Little Turtle (Michikinikwa) in Headwaters Park, Fort Wayne, Indiana Taken March 3 2005 by w:User:Jpbrenna File links The following pages link to this file: Michikinikwa ... 1752 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... July 14 is the 195th day (196th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 170 days remaining. ... 1812 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Miami are a Native American tribe originally found in Indiana and Ohio. ... Official language(s) English Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 38th 94,321 km² 225 km 435 km 1. ...

Early life

Born near present day Churubusco, Indiana, Michikinikwa was the son of a Miami chief named Acquenacque. Since his mother was not a Miami, but a Mohican, he was compelled to earn the trust of the tribe before coming into a leadership position in the Miami capital of Kekionga (present-day Fort Wayne). This he achieved through demonstration of military prowess; one example was his bravery in an attack on his village by a French force. Through demonstration of his military acumen, Michikinikwa gained not only the leadership of his tribe, but eventually that of a larger tribal confederation. Churubusco is a town located near the headwaters of the Eel River in the extreme northeast corner of Whitley County, Indiana, USA, about 11 miles northwest of its nearest neighboring large city, Fort Wayne, of which it is considered a bedroom community. ... The Mohicans were, during the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century, a functional confederation of several branches of Native Americans. ... Capital of the Miami Indian nation. ... Nickname: The Summit City Official website: City of Fort Wayne Location Location in the state of Indiana, USA Government County Allen Mayor Graham Richard (D) Geographical characteristics Area Total 204. ... The Northwest Indian War (1785-1795), often known as Little Turtles War in older reference works, was a war fought between the United States and a large confederation of Native Americans (Indians) for control of the Old Northwest, which ended with a decisive U.S. victory at the Battle...

Struggle with the United States

The end of the Revolution and the creation of the Northwest Territory in 1787 led to strife as settlement west of the Appalachians, previously forbidden by the British, began to increase. The tribal confederacy in this Northwest Indian War (sometimes known as "Little Turtle's War") was blamed for the deaths of 1500 white settlers in the region between 1783 and 1790, probably inflicted in what they saw as lawful defense of their territory under previous treaties. Additionally, the British, allied with the confederacy, were recalcitrant in abandoning their fortifications in the region. Combatants American Revolutionaries, France, Netherlands, Spain, Native Americans Great Britain, German mercenaries, Loyalists, Native Americans Commanders George Washington, Comte de Rochambeau, Nathanael Greene William Howe, Henry Clinton, Charles Cornwallis (more commanders) The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence,[1] was a conflict that... The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and the Territory North West of the Ohio, was a government and region within the early United States. ... A rainy day in the Great Smoky Mountains, Western North Carolina The Appalachian Mountains (French: les Appalaches) are a vast system of North American mountains, partly in Canada, but mostly in the United States, extending as a zone, from 100 to 300 miles wide, running from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada... The Northwest Indian War (1785-1795), often known as Little Turtles War in older reference works, was a war fought between the United States and a large confederation of Native Americans (Indians) for control of the Old Northwest, which ended with a decisive U.S. victory at the Battle... 1783 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1790 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

This led to a "punitive expedition" in 1790 by the United States government, under the command of Gen. Josiah Harmar, about 1500 strong (but only 320 were regulars). Michikinikwa's forces defeated this expedition at the Maumee River. A similar expedition in 1791 by Gen. Arthur St. Clair was routed by Michikinikwa's forces at the St. Mary's River, with 900 U.S. fatalities. 1790 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Josiah Harmar (November 10, 1753 - August 20, 1813) was an officer in the United States Army. ... The Maumee River at Grand Rapids, Ohio. ... 1791 (MDCCXCI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 11-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Arthur St. ... The St. ...

A third expedition under the command of Gen. Anthony Wayne gave Michikinikwa pause; U.S. troops were of superior numbers and had just completed rigorous training under Gen. Wayne at Legionville. After an exploratory attack on Fort Recovery (June 30–July 1, 1794), Michikinikwa counseled negotiation rather than battle, remarking that Wayne "never sleeps." He was overridden by the confederacy, and ceded command to Blue Jacket (Weyapiersenwah), although retaining leadership of the Miami tribesmen. The confederacy, numbering around 1,000 braves, was defeated at the Battle of Fallen Timbers, by a force of U.S. force of 2,000 regulars, known as the Legion of the United States, and 1,500 volunteers. This battle forced the confederacy to sign the Treaty of Greenville. Anthony Wayne (January 1, 1745 - December 15, 1796), was a United States Army general and statesman. ... Legionville was the first formal United States military basic training facility, established by General Mad Anthony Wayne in 1792 near present-day Ambridge, Pennsylvania to train the soldiers of the Legion of the United States. ... Fort Recovery was a United States Army fort begun in late 1793 and completed in March of 1794 under orders by General Anthony Wayne. ... June 30 is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 184 days remaining. ... July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... 1794 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Blue Jacket or Weyapiersenwah (c. ... The Battle of Fallen Timbers (August 20, 1794) was the final battle of the Northwest Indian War, a struggle between American Indians and the United States for control of the Northwest Territory. ... The Legion of the United States was a reorganization and extension of the United States Army in 1791 under the command of General Mad Anthony Wayne. ... The Treaty of Greenville was signed on August 3, 1795 between a coalition of Native Americans (Indians) and the United States following the Native American loss at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. ...

Later life

Chief Little Turtle's burial marker, near his grave in Fort Wayne.

In later life, Michikinikwa continuously advised cooperation with the U.S., refusing an alliance with Tecumseh and meeting cordially with George Washington, who presented him with a ceremonial sword. He retired to a spot near present-day Columbia City, Indiana, where he lived for almost three years. He died in 1812 at the home of his son-in-law, Captain William Wells, not far from Kekionga, and was laid to rest in his ancestral burial ground. He was succeeded as chief of the Miami nation by Richardville (Peshewa). Image File history File links Marker at Grave of Chief Little Turtle (Michikinikwa) at Fort Wayne Taken March 3 2005 by Joseph P. Brennan File links The following pages link to this file: Michikinikwa ... Image File history File links Marker at Grave of Chief Little Turtle (Michikinikwa) at Fort Wayne Taken March 3 2005 by Joseph P. Brennan File links The following pages link to this file: Michikinikwa ... This 1848 drawing of Tecumseh was based on a sketch done from life in 1808. ... George Washington (February 22, 1732–December 14, 1799) was the successful Commander in Chief of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War from 1775 to 1783, and later became the first President of the United States, an office to which he was twice elected unanimously (unanimous among the Electoral... Columbia City is a city located in Whitley County, Indiana. ... 1812 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Captain William Wells, also known as Apekonit (Carrottop) was the son-in-law of Chief Little Turtle (Michikinikwa). ... Chief Jean Baptiste de Richardville, also known as Peshewa (Wildcat) and Joseph Richardville 1761(?) to 1841 was the last chief of a united Miami tribe. ...

Legacy

In 1911, a very old grave was accidentally discovered by a homebuilder on Lawton Place in Fort Wayne. Research showed that the tomb was indeed that of Michikinikwa. The body was not disinterred, and the plans for the house were altered. A small memorial stone was placed there, which reads:

This site honors the great Chief of the Miamis, Meshekinoqua, "The Little Turtle," son of the great Chief Acquenacque. He is held in the hearts of his people, allies, and foes with the greatest of honor and respect for his courageous valor and peacemaking.

In 1959, the site was purchased by the Smeltzly sisters of Fort Wayne, with the express desire of holding up Little Turtle's peacemaking efforts "…as an example to future generations…" and donated to the city as a public park "…dedicated to the children of America."

In 1994, the memorial was improved with additional markers and a trust established for its maintenance.

Several institutions in northeast Indiana have been named for Little Turtle including Camp Chief Little Turtle (a Boy Scout reservation near Angola), the Little Turtle Branch of the Allen County Public Library, and Turtle Island in Lake Erie. This article is about the national organization. ... The Allen County Public Library (ACPL) has served as the public library of Fort Wayne, Indiana and its surrounding communities in Allen County, Indiana since 1895. ... Turtle Island is a small island in Lake Erie that defines part of the boundary between the U.S. states of Ohio and Michigan. ... Lake Erie, looking southward from a high rural bluff near Leamington, Ontario Lake Erie (pronounced ) is one of the five large freshwater Great Lakes in North America, which are among the largest in the world. ...

External links

• Biography at the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
• Entry at the Encyclopedia of North American Indians
• Ohio Indian Wars Message Board
• Maumee Valley Heritage Corridor
• Little Turtle, Chief of the Miami -- an information site maintained by an umbrella group for the maintenance of the Little Turtle Memorial, includes photographs of the site

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