Kickapoo Resistance
Kickapoo Resistance refers to the actions and strategies employed by the Kickapoo people in response to the 1819 Treaties of Edwardsville and Fort Harrison, which mandated their relocation from Illinois. Two primary bands emerged with distinct approaches to resisting these treaties. One band, led by Chief Mecina, adopted a more aggressive stance by engaging in acts such as looting and livestock rustling, ultimately leading to their departure in 1829 after years of conflict and persuasion from Indian affairs superintendent William Clark. In contrast, the band led by the spiritual leader Kennekuk took a nonviolent approach, fostering peaceful relations with white settlers and delaying their relocation. However, by 1834, due to pressure from Clark, Kennekuk and his followers were compelled to leave, culminating in the complete removal of the Kickapoo from their ancestral lands. This complex history highlights the diverse responses of Indigenous communities to external pressures and the impact of governmental policies on their traditional ways of life.
Kickapoo Resistance
Date: 1819-1834
Place: Illinois
Tribe affected: Kickapoo
Significance: Two separate bands of Kickapoo repudiated treaties of 1819 calling for all Kickapoo to move west; not until 1834 did the last band finally do so
The 1819 Treaties of Edwardsville and Fort Harrison required the Kickapoo to vacate their lands in Illinois and move west. Two renegade bands of about 250 Indians each repudiated the treaties and remained, but by very different means.
The band led by Chief Mecina resisted by looting, rustling, shooting livestock, and terrorizing settlers. William Clark, area superintendent of Indian affairs, used persuasion rather than force, and in 1829 Mecina and about 150 tribal members left. About a hundred members joined Black Hawk’s band of Sauk and Fox Indians in their ultimately unsuccessful efforts to recover tribal lands by force. Black Hawk was defeated in 1832, after which his supporters also moved west.
The band led by the warrior Kennekuk enjoyed friendly and peaceful relations with whites. Consequently, Kennekuk was able to resist passively and delay leaving. In 1833, however, Clark lost patience and gave Kennekuk an ultimatum to leave or be considered an enemy. In spring of 1834 Kennekuk finally left, leaving the Kickapoo wholly removed from their original lands.