Hegemony and Resistance at the World’s Columbian Exposition: Simon Pokagon and The Red Man’s Rebuke

Abstract

SIMON POKAGON WAS THE SPECIAL INVITED GUEST of Mayor Carter Harrison to Chicago Day celebration of Worlds Columbian Exposition in October 1893. Pokagon, whose father signed 1833 treaty ceding Potawatomi lands on which Chicago was built, was scheduled to participate in a re-enactment of treaty signing and join in ringing of Columbian Bell of Liberty, in recognition of sixtieth anniversary of land cession. Later, in parade of floats depicting Chicago history, he was central figure on float depicting events of 1812, including Fort Dearborn Massacre, in which some Potawatomi participated. Addressing crowd during festivities, Pokagon delivered a call for forgiveness of past wrongs and an appeal for future of his race:1I beseech you to lay aside all bitterness of spirit [and] look up and rejoice in thankfulness in present; for out of storm cloud of darkness that is around about us we now see helping hands stretched out to aid and strengthen us We must give up pursuits of our fathers; however dear... we must teach our children to give up bow and arrow [and] take plow and live as white men do. We must teach loyalty to this nation to our children, and solemnly impress upon them that war path leads but to grave.2At time of his address, however, a very different judgment was circulating among fairgoers, authored by Pokagon, and printed on spiritually significant birch bark leaves. It was more condemning than conciliatory:In behalf of my people, American Indians, I hereby declare to you, pale faced race that has usurped our lands and homes, that we have no spirit to celebrate with you great Columbian Fair now being held in this Chicago city, wonder of world. No; sooner would we hold high joy-day over grave of our departed fathers, than to celebrate our own funeral, discovery of America.3The explanation for this disparity is a subtext of power, agency, and resistance, underlying celebration of Chicago Day at Worlds Columbian Exposition. Simon Pokagons engagement with non-Native community throughout his life, but specifically at Exposition in Chicago, illustrates complexities of defining an Indian identity in an era in which programs of civilization and assimilation reached their zenith, but during which memories of 'savage' Indian continued to dominate public imagination.Simon Pokagon (Figure 1) was born in 1830, in an Indian village on Pokagon Creek, about one mile from St. Joseph River in what became Berrien County, Michigan.4 He was third son of Potawatomi chief Leopold Pokagon.5 Within his tribe, elder chief was second in rank only to Potawatomi Chief Topinabe. Leopold Pokagon signed a number of important treaties with United States, including 1833 Treaty of Chicago, which sold and ceded to United States territory on which city of Chicago was built. From all appearances devoutly Catholic after years of tutelage by Jesuits (which earned them distinctive moniker, 'The Catholic Potawatomi'), Pokagons band was described as the farthest advanced in civilization of all their race in St. Joseph valley.6 In press, Pokagon were portrayed as exemplary Indians to be extolled and imitated.7 Leopold's reputation with Euro-Americans as a 'noble red man,' along with civilizing effect of their Catholicism, persuaded United States government to allow his people to remain on a small portion of their original land base, when other Indian tribes, and all other Potawatomi bands of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, suffered trauma of removal.8 On this land in southwestern Michigan, Simon spent early years of his life.In Publisher's Notes to Simon Pokagon's autobiography, O-gimaw-kwe Mit-i-gwu-ki (Queen of Woods), C.H. Engle relates how, as a young boy, Pokagon spent many happy hours listening to his father recite history of Potawatomi, passed down through oral tradition. …