Post by prophetstownjesse on Dec 26, 2014 22:19:36 GMT -5
For being claimed as a pivotal member of the BHW, very little is known of Wabokieshiek, the Winnebago Prophet. Forsyth states in 1827 that Wabokieshiek was at work keeping the Rock River Winnebago at peace and discouraging them from joining their brethren of Prairie La Crosse. This of course is in reference to the 1827 Winnebago Uprising. I can not place his location at this time, but in the spring of 1828 he established himself and his relatives at Wittico's village. He was also accused of overcharging travelers for the service of ferrying across the Rock River in mid 1828.
We know his sister was a Sauk who married Whirling Thunder (Winneshiek) and had a son of the same name (Whirling Thunder aka Winneshiek II). Whirling Thunder also had another son who was 1/2 Sioux (Winnebago Black Hawk). Whirling Thunder most likely was the chief of the village located at the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers until the Treaty of 1816, and later established himself at or near the confluence of Sugar Creek and Pecitonica River. The former location would explain the proximity to both the Santee Sioux and Sauk. And since the Winnebago custom was for the women to determine the location after a marriage, Whirling Thunder would then stay in the village he was already chief of by marrying outside of the Winnebago nation. So if he married Wabokieshiek's sister (never mentioned to be 1/2 Sauk) who is said to have been Sauk, that would lead me to believe Wabokieshiek is therefore also Sauk, and integrated into the Winnebago through marriage.
His wife, might have been from a prominent Winnebago family, for the daughters of chiefs and civil leaders were only allowed to marry men from other high ranking tribes. I'm sure the Prophet was born to high ranking when you also consider his sister was selected by Whirling Thunder.
After his capture, he is turned over to Gen. Joseph M. Street by two Winnebagos name Decori (One Eye Decorah) and Cheatar, the latter or which in a speech claims he alone captured the Prophet and Black Hawk alone and that Wabokieshiek was a relative of his and did not wish to see him harmed. The name Cheatar is later clarified by two sources. The first is the Narrative of Walking Cloud (Son of Winnebago Black Hawk) by Thwaites, that states his name as being Chatschunka, Wave. In the Wisconsin Magazine of History, Spring of 1988 edition, Nancy O. Lurie (In Search of Cheatar)writes of an article written by John Black Hawk that not only verifies the account of Cheatar capturing BH and the Prophet, but also names him as Chasja-ka, Wave and further states he is the brother of the Prophet and half Sauk and half Winnebago. Now keep in mind that John Blackhawk was the grandson of the Winnebago Black Hawk and at least one generation removed from the time of the BHW.
On the off hand chance, I searched for Wave within Winnebago treaties and found Big Wave (Tsha-tsun-hat-tay-kaw), Son of Clear Sky on the Treaty of 1832, but no Clear Sky present at the treaty. So looking into other treaties, I find Clear Sky (Kay-rah-tsho-kau) in 1829 and Clear Weather (Kay-rah-tsho-kau) in 1828. Now, trying to find a reference to the Prophet and Clear Sky to narrow down who thought may have been his father, I came across two early sources that changed my mind.
The first search lead me to a book by Samuel Gardner Drake called History of the Early Discovery of America and Landing of the Pilgrims. On pg. 661 Drake gives a source of unknown origin at the time of the imprisonment of Black Hawk, the Prophet, Napope, Poweshiek, Pamaho and others at Jefferson Barracks awaiting their trip to the East. This source states among other things that Wa-ba-ke-zhick, the Prophet is known as Clear Day. The second source was Neither White Men Nor Indians by Linda M. Waggoner. Pgs. 18 and 19 are of an affidavit made by a man named John Dougherty who married the half Winnabago daughter of who I believe is White Crow. In his statement, he states he was a fur trader and lead smelter on the Sugar River at the time the Winnebago Prophet, Fair Sky arrived.
A pattern emerges in the names of Clear Sky, Clear Weather, Fair Sky, Clear Day. This tells me that Cheatar or Chasja-ka (Wave) was related to the Prophet, but was not his brother, but his son! Also explains why Clear Sky was not present at the 1832 treaty, he was in captivity at St. Louis. Wave, being half Sauk and half Winnebago also lends credence to Wabokieshiek being Sauk.
We know his sister was a Sauk who married Whirling Thunder (Winneshiek) and had a son of the same name (Whirling Thunder aka Winneshiek II). Whirling Thunder also had another son who was 1/2 Sioux (Winnebago Black Hawk). Whirling Thunder most likely was the chief of the village located at the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers until the Treaty of 1816, and later established himself at or near the confluence of Sugar Creek and Pecitonica River. The former location would explain the proximity to both the Santee Sioux and Sauk. And since the Winnebago custom was for the women to determine the location after a marriage, Whirling Thunder would then stay in the village he was already chief of by marrying outside of the Winnebago nation. So if he married Wabokieshiek's sister (never mentioned to be 1/2 Sauk) who is said to have been Sauk, that would lead me to believe Wabokieshiek is therefore also Sauk, and integrated into the Winnebago through marriage.
His wife, might have been from a prominent Winnebago family, for the daughters of chiefs and civil leaders were only allowed to marry men from other high ranking tribes. I'm sure the Prophet was born to high ranking when you also consider his sister was selected by Whirling Thunder.
After his capture, he is turned over to Gen. Joseph M. Street by two Winnebagos name Decori (One Eye Decorah) and Cheatar, the latter or which in a speech claims he alone captured the Prophet and Black Hawk alone and that Wabokieshiek was a relative of his and did not wish to see him harmed. The name Cheatar is later clarified by two sources. The first is the Narrative of Walking Cloud (Son of Winnebago Black Hawk) by Thwaites, that states his name as being Chatschunka, Wave. In the Wisconsin Magazine of History, Spring of 1988 edition, Nancy O. Lurie (In Search of Cheatar)writes of an article written by John Black Hawk that not only verifies the account of Cheatar capturing BH and the Prophet, but also names him as Chasja-ka, Wave and further states he is the brother of the Prophet and half Sauk and half Winnebago. Now keep in mind that John Blackhawk was the grandson of the Winnebago Black Hawk and at least one generation removed from the time of the BHW.
On the off hand chance, I searched for Wave within Winnebago treaties and found Big Wave (Tsha-tsun-hat-tay-kaw), Son of Clear Sky on the Treaty of 1832, but no Clear Sky present at the treaty. So looking into other treaties, I find Clear Sky (Kay-rah-tsho-kau) in 1829 and Clear Weather (Kay-rah-tsho-kau) in 1828. Now, trying to find a reference to the Prophet and Clear Sky to narrow down who thought may have been his father, I came across two early sources that changed my mind.
The first search lead me to a book by Samuel Gardner Drake called History of the Early Discovery of America and Landing of the Pilgrims. On pg. 661 Drake gives a source of unknown origin at the time of the imprisonment of Black Hawk, the Prophet, Napope, Poweshiek, Pamaho and others at Jefferson Barracks awaiting their trip to the East. This source states among other things that Wa-ba-ke-zhick, the Prophet is known as Clear Day. The second source was Neither White Men Nor Indians by Linda M. Waggoner. Pgs. 18 and 19 are of an affidavit made by a man named John Dougherty who married the half Winnabago daughter of who I believe is White Crow. In his statement, he states he was a fur trader and lead smelter on the Sugar River at the time the Winnebago Prophet, Fair Sky arrived.
A pattern emerges in the names of Clear Sky, Clear Weather, Fair Sky, Clear Day. This tells me that Cheatar or Chasja-ka (Wave) was related to the Prophet, but was not his brother, but his son! Also explains why Clear Sky was not present at the 1832 treaty, he was in captivity at St. Louis. Wave, being half Sauk and half Winnebago also lends credence to Wabokieshiek being Sauk.