Culture

Chief Pontiac

Pontiac was born in 1720 as Obwondiag, to an Odawa father and Ojibwa mother by the waters of Lake Nipissing in Ontario.  A courageous warrior, he soon made his mark in combat as a brilliant tactician and a strong leader in battle. It was believed that if Pontiac was not fighting on the battlefield, then one should not venture into battle either. He learned from his father to settle disputes and inspire those around him. He followed a simple rule: Show neither fear nor doubt.

As the Grand Chief of the Odawa Federation and Supreme Chief of the Great Lakes Algonquin Federation, Pontiac was the greatest ally of the French. In fact, the French were counting on him to save their colony from the English wanting to reclaim the land in the name of the England.

For Pontiac, life under English rule was unthinkable. In 1755, the English army was determined to conquer America. In 1759, on Quebec’s Plains of Abraham, the victorious English claimed the French colony. Chief Pontiac refused to accept this defeat of the French. He wanted these lands to remain the property of the Amerindians and their French allies.

Chief Pontiac resolved to battle the English once more. He plotted with the Huron, Chippewa, Odawa and other nations to retake both forts and lands. He trained his followers to become excellent communicators and dispatched them to convince other Amerindian tribes, even the Iroquois who had formed an alliance with the English, to join in re-conquering their lands. After prolonged efforts and rescission by the French, Pontiac was forced to abandon and sign a peace treaty with the English.

In the Spring of 1769, Chief Pontiac was assassinated in Illinois.