Papakeecha
Encyclopedia
Papakeecha or meaning "Flat Belly" was the most influential Miami
chief
in the region around Lake Wawasee
, in what is now Kosciusko County
, Indiana
, United States
leading his people from 1820 until 1837. Lake Papakeechie
was named after him.
Papakeecha was about 60 years old when white men entered the area. He was described as dark copper in color with a silver ring through his nose. Historical accounts have him weighing 300 pounds. He claimed to have participated in the Battle of Tippecanoe
. In 1828 he was given reservation
land totalling 36 square miles (93 km²) which nearly bisected Lake Wawasee north to south. He was the brother of Miami chief Wawasee
(Wau-wa-aus-see), who Lake Wawasee
was named after.
His reservation
town was located near present day Indian Village
in Noble County
and had some 75 residents. The United States
government built him a one-story brick house in 1827 for $562, located in the southeast corner of his village, which was later destroyed by a tornado or "great wind" as the historical marker indicates. This marker was erected in 1967 by the Noble County Historical Society.
Another marker by the Indiana Historical Society 1962 states: You are now leaving Papakeechie's Reservation, 36 square miles (93 km²). This Miami Chief, also known as Flat Belly, held this land from 1828 to 1834 when it was returned to the National Government. It was later owned by the Wabash & Erie Canal.
In 1834, Papakeecha's reservation land was included in a 1500000 acres (6,070.3 km²) land deal benefiting the Wabash and Erie Canal
.
Papakeecha died in 1837. His burial place is with a number of his villagers on the northeast side of Lake Papakeechee.
Miami tribe
The Miami are a Native American nation originally found in what is now Indiana, southwest Michigan, and western Ohio. The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma is the only federally recognized tribe of Miami Indians in the United States...
chief
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
in the region around Lake Wawasee
Lake Wawasee
Lake Wawasee, formerly Turkey Lake, is a natural lake southeast of Syracuse in Kosciusko County, Indiana, United States. It is the largest natural lake in Indiana. It is located just east of Indiana State Road 13.-History:...
, in what is now Kosciusko County
Kosciusko County, Indiana
Kosciusko County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. Census 2010 recorded the population at 77,358. The county seat is Warsaw.The county was formed in 1836. It was named after the Polish general Tadeusz Kościuszko, who served in the American Revolutionary War, and then returned to...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
leading his people from 1820 until 1837. Lake Papakeechie
Lake Papakeechie
Lake Papakeechie is a small man-made lake of 179 acres located in Kosciusko County, Indiana, United States. The lake is situated south of and drains into Lake Wawasee...
was named after him.
Papakeecha was about 60 years old when white men entered the area. He was described as dark copper in color with a silver ring through his nose. Historical accounts have him weighing 300 pounds. He claimed to have participated in the Battle of Tippecanoe
Battle of Tippecanoe
The Battle of Tippecanoe was fought on November 7, 1811, between United States forces led by Governor William Henry Harrison of the Indiana Territory and Native American warriors associated with the Shawnee leader Tecumseh. Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa were leaders of a confederacy of...
. In 1828 he was given reservation
Indian reservation
An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...
land totalling 36 square miles (93 km²) which nearly bisected Lake Wawasee north to south. He was the brother of Miami chief Wawasee
Wawasee
Wawasee or Wawaausee often contracted into Wawbee and known as was a Miami chief who lived in what is now Kosciusko County, Indiana, in the United States...
(Wau-wa-aus-see), who Lake Wawasee
Lake Wawasee
Lake Wawasee, formerly Turkey Lake, is a natural lake southeast of Syracuse in Kosciusko County, Indiana, United States. It is the largest natural lake in Indiana. It is located just east of Indiana State Road 13.-History:...
was named after.
His reservation
Indian reservation
An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...
town was located near present day Indian Village
Indian Village, Noble County, Indiana
Indian Village is a small unincorporated community located in Noble County, Indiana, United States approximately 1.5 miles south of Cromwell and 2 miles east of Lake Wawasee at the junction of Indiana State Road 5 and County Road W 300 N.Indian Village is noted for being the Indian reservation...
in Noble County
Noble County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 46,275 people, 16,696 households, and 12,288 families residing in the county. The population density was 113 people per square mile . There were 18,233 housing units at an average density of 44 per square mile...
and had some 75 residents. The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
government built him a one-story brick house in 1827 for $562, located in the southeast corner of his village, which was later destroyed by a tornado or "great wind" as the historical marker indicates. This marker was erected in 1967 by the Noble County Historical Society.
Another marker by the Indiana Historical Society 1962 states: You are now leaving Papakeechie's Reservation, 36 square miles (93 km²). This Miami Chief, also known as Flat Belly, held this land from 1828 to 1834 when it was returned to the National Government. It was later owned by the Wabash & Erie Canal.
In 1834, Papakeecha's reservation land was included in a 1500000 acres (6,070.3 km²) land deal benefiting the Wabash and Erie Canal
Wabash and Erie Canal
The Wabash and Erie Canal was a shipping canal that linked the Great Lakes to the Ohio River via an artificial waterway. The canal provided traders with access from the Great Lakes all the way to the Gulf of Mexico...
.
Papakeecha died in 1837. His burial place is with a number of his villagers on the northeast side of Lake Papakeechee.
Sources
- Lilly, EliEli Lilly (industrialist)Eli Lilly was a pharmaceutical industrialist and philanthropist from Indiana, United States.- Business :Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, Eli Lilly was President of Eli Lilly and Company. He was named for his grandfather, Colonel Eli Lilly, who founded the family business...
. Early Wawasee Days. Indianapolis: Studio Press Inc., 1960. - Benack, Flat Belly Once Walked These Lands
- Indiana Historical Bureau