Tenskwatawa
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Tenskwatawa, Tenskatawa, Tensquatawa or Elskwatawa (1775 – November 1836) was a Native American religious and political leader known as the Shawnee Prophet (of the Shawnee tribe). He was the brother of Tecumseh, leader of the Shawnee. He was originally given the name Lalawethika (The Noisemaker).
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[edit] Early years
Lalawethika was an awkward youth, who accidentally gouged his right eye out with an arrow. Disliked by many Shawnees, he became an alcoholic.
In April 1805, he experienced the first of several visions. He became a religious leader of the Shawnee, and taught that the white Americans were children of the Great Serpent, the source of evil in the world. He forbade his people to use European foods, clothing, manufactured goods and alcohol. He changed his name to Tenskwatawa (The Open Door). In 1808 Tenskwatawa and Tecumseh moved their followers to a new village called Prophetstown, near the present-day town of Battle Ground, near the juncture of the Wabash and Tippecanoe rivers in Indiana.
[edit] Tecumseh's War and the War of 1812
In 1811, Tecumseh journeyed south to meet with representatives of other tribes, leaving Tenskwatawa in command of Tecumseh's forces at Prophetstown. During Tecumseh's absence, on November 7, 1811, Tenskwatawa ordered an attack on a U.S. force under the command of future President William Henry Harrison. (See the Battle of Tippecanoe.) The village at Prophetstown was eventually burned down and the defeat put an end to Tecumseh's hope of a broad Native alliance.
With his brother, Tenskwatawa participated in the defense of the Canadian colonies during the War of 1812.
In 1813 he was present at the Battle of the Thames, but fled with the British forces and was absent when Tecumseh was killed.
[edit] Later years and death
In the following decade he unsuccessfully tried to regain a position of leadership among Native Americans. In 1825 he returned to the United States and assisted in removing many of the Shawnees west of the Mississippi. In 1826 he established a village at the site of modern Kansas City, Kansas. He died in 1836 at his village in Kansas City, Kansas (located in the Argentine area; the White Feather Spring marker notes the location).
[edit] Tenskwatawa in fiction
Tenskwatawa is one of the major characters in Orson Scott Card's alternate history fantasy series of novels The Tales of Alvin Maker (especially the second book, Red Prophet). In those books he is called Tenskwa-Tawa (previously Lolla-Wossiky).
