Leopold Pokagon
Leopold Pokagon was a notable Chippewa (Ojibwa) leader, born around 1775 near Bertrand, Michigan, although precise details of his birth are uncertain. Captured as a child and raised by the Potawatomis, he later converted to Catholicism, a common experience among many Indigenous individuals during that period due to Jesuit missionary efforts. As the civil chief of his tribe, Pokagon played a significant role in navigating the challenges posed by European settlers and colonial conflicts, including efforts to keep his people away from involvement in Tecumseh's Rebellion and the War of 1812. He famously sold the site of modern-day Chicago to white settlers as part of the Treaty of Tippecanoe in 1832. Despite the pressures of displacement and land seizure, he maintained peaceful relations with white settlers and was known for his exceptional oratory skills and advocacy for peace. Pokagon's commitment to his community was evident in his actions, including inviting Jesuit priests to live among his people. He passed away in 1841 in Cass County, Michigan, leaving a lasting legacy as a peacemaker in a tumultuous era.
Leopold Pokagon
- Born: c. 1775
- Birthplace: Near present-day Bertrand, Michigan
- Died: July 8, 1841
- Place of death: Cass County, Michigan
Category: Orator
Tribal affiliation: Potawatomi, Ojibwa (Chippewa)
Significance: Leopold Pokagon was a forceful advocate of peace and a convert to Catholicism
Leopold (Leo) Pokagon sold the site of Chicago to whites in 1832 as part of the Treaty of Tippecanoe. A Chippewa (Ojibwa) who was captured and reared by Potawatomis in what is now Michigan, Pokagon—like many of his people—was converted to Catholicism by Jesuits as a young man. Once he became a chief, he requested a Jesuit to live in his village along the St. Joseph River, where Michigan borders Indiana. Stephen Badin, a Jesuit, soon took up residence there.
The place and date of Leo Pokagon’s birth are not known exactly, but he was probably born about 1775 near Bertrand, Michigan. As the civil chief of his tribe, Pokagon worked to keep his people out of Tecumseh’s Rebellion and the War of 1812—even as Topenebee, the tribe’s war chief, advised taking a much more aggressive stance toward the invading whites. Twenty years later, Pokagon also rebuffed Black Hawk and his urgings to ally for war, as Topenebee allied with the Sauk and Fox leader. Despite his alliance with white settlers, Pokagon was forced to relocate his village to Dowagiac, Michigan. Remarkably, even after whites had seized much of the land that had belonged to his people near southern Lake Michigan, Pokagon continued friendly relations with them. Pokagon was known as a forceful advocate of peace and an orator of rare abilities. Jesuit letters of the time indicate that Pokagon himself called the people to prayer. He died in 1841 in Cass County, Michigan.