Chief pontiac biography

As with most Native Americans from this time, little can be confirmed about the notorious Ottawa Chief Pontiac. He was likely born around Some sources say he was born near Detroit; others say he was born near Defiance, Ontario (Stark). Some sources say he was the son of an Ojibwa Woman and an Ottawa man; some say his mother was Ottawa and his father was Ojibwa; others say he was of another tribe (possibly Catawba) and was taken prisoner and later adopted by the Ottawa tribe; various sources refer to Pontiac as Algonquin or Miami.

Pontiac may have been born in the Ottawa village that was, at the time, located in the Detroit area. It is also possible that he was born in or near what is now Defiance, Ohio. Sources also vary about the date of Pontiac's birth -- some say he was born as early as , some say he was born as late as

Whatever his origins, he remains history's the most infamous Ottawa.

Pontiac's Conspiracy

Pontiac wanted to end the rule of the white man and reclaim his and his peoples' land. He planned to bring all tribes within a , square mile area together to form an army to defeat the British and take back tribal lands. He formulated the plan at a grand council in April The plan was to be carried out in May of Pontiac and 60 other chiefs would wage an attack simultaneously against Fort Detroit, as well as, forts at Green Bay, Mackinac, Sandusky, and St. Joseph.

The Attack on Detroit

Pontiac himself led the attack on Fort Detroit. He began by setting up a camp on the farm of Baptiste Meloche near the site of the present day Riverfront Lofts on East Jefferson. On May 8, , he and his team of warriors and chiefs, requested and gained entrance to the Council House through the east gate of the fort. The men all had blankets draped over their shoulders, hiding their sawed-off (filed off) shotguns. Pontiac had a wampum belt that he was to present to Major Gladwin, the commandant of Fort Detroit, as a bogus gesture o

Chief: Obwandiyag (aka Pontiac)

Born: c in Great Lakes region, New France

Died: April 20, near Cahokia, Illinois Country

Nationality: Odawa (Ottawa)

Pontiac was a Ottawa war chief who led one of many Native American struggles against British military occupation, in particular in the Great Lakes region. He was one of the prominent leaders in the conflict referred as Pontiac’s War. Pontiac became an Ottawa war leader in when he allied himself with New France against the Huron leader Nicholas Orontony. He was an ally of the French during the French and Indian War () against the British.  Dissatisfied with British policies after the French and Indian War, a loose confederacy of Native Americans was formed to push the British out of the continent.

On April 27, , Pontiac held a council to urge a surprise attack on Fort Detroit. Pontiac’s war began on May 7, , when Pontiac and of his followers attempted to take Fort Detroit. Eventually, more than warriors from a half dozen different tribes joined the siege. For about six months, Pontiac and his followers laid siege to the fort. On July 31, Pontiac and his supporters held off a British detachment at the Battle of Bloody Run, but were still unable to capture Fort Detroit. By the October of the same year, the siege was lifted and Pontiac and his followers withdrew to the Illinois Country. The influence of Pontiac declined after the failed Fort Detroit siege. Pontiac was assassinated on April 20, , by a Peoria warrior whose name has not been preserved.

Resources about Pontiac:

Pontiac (Ottawa Leader). (n.d.) In Wikipedia. Retrieved March 1, from Wikipedia.

Pontiac's War. (n.d.) In Wikipedia. Retrieved  March 1, from Wikipedia.

Middleton, Richard. Pontiac’s War: its causes, course, and consequences. New York, Routledge,

Peckham, Howard H. Pontiac and the Indian uprising. Detroit, Wayne State University Press,

The Odawa (Ottawa) chief called Pontiac was known in his village as Obwandiyag. He was likely born about somewhere along the Detroit River. One of his parents was Odawa and he was raised in that tradition. Descriptions of Pontiac as an adult are contradictory. Contemporaries described him as “remarkably well-looking, of medium stature,” or “a tall man, not handsome.” He had several wives and at least one son.

By the age of 25 or 30, Pontiac was a leader who took part in anti-English councils and negotiations with the allies of the French. During this time, he also came under the influence of Neolin, a member of the Delaware tribe who was viewed as a prophet. This movement had some references to Christianity, but also urged the members of the tribes to return to their old ways of doing things. Pontiac adopted only part of the message, turning this message into an anti-English campaign that kept the European technology.

By Pontiac was an influential leader in the Detroit area. That year he led a surprise uprising against the British at Detroit, which failed when the British learned of the attack. He and his forces later returned and laid siege to the fort, but ultimately it was never taken. While his attack on Detroit failed, many of the other attacks made on other regional outposts by members of the loosely organized confederation, did succeed - 8 out of 12 resulted in victory for the Native Americans and their allies. These attacks are known as Pontiac’s War.

After his attempt in Detroit, Pontiac travelled widely throughout the areas now known as Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. His message to the Native People living there was that they should oppose the English and support or look to the French Father, as he called the King of France, for leadership. By the tribes of the Maumee and Wabash were in conflict with the Shawnee. Pontiac negotiated peace between these two groups.

Pontiac’s success led him to believe that he was the leader of a

18th century Native American war chief

Pontiac or Obwaandi'eyaag (c. /20&#;– April 20, ) was an Odawa war chief known for his role in the war named for him, from to leading Native Americans in an armed struggle against the British in the Great Lakes region due to, among other reasons, dissatisfaction with British policies. It followed the British victory in the French and Indian War, the American front of the Seven Years' War. Pontiac's importance in the war that bears his name has been debated. Historical accounts from the 19th century portrayed him as the mastermind and leader of the revolt, but some subsequent scholars argued that his role had been exaggerated. Historians today generally view him as an important local leader who influenced a wider movement that he did not command.

The war began in May when Pontiac and followers attempted to take Fort Detroit by surprise. His plan foiled, Pontiac laid siege to the fort, where he was eventually joined by more than warriors from a half-dozen tribes. Meanwhile, messengers spread the word of Pontiac's actions, and the war expanded far beyond Detroit. In July , Pontiac defeated a British detachment at the Battle of Bloody Run, but he was unable to capture the fort. In October, he lifted the siege and withdrew to the Illinois Country. Pontiac's actions contributed to the British Crown's issuance of the Proclamation of , which prohibited any settlers west of the Appalachian Mountains to preserve an area for Native Americans.

Pontiac's influence declined around Detroit because of the siege but he gained stature as he continued to encourage the various tribal leaders to fight against the British. Seeking to end the war, British officials made him the focus of their diplomatic efforts. In July , he made peace with British Superintendent of Indian Affairs Sir William Johnson. The British attention to Pontiac aroused resentment among other tribal leaders, as t