Thursday, July 6th, 2023
Program highlights three tribes
Experts, interpreters featured over 2-day Fort Museum event
By Leslie Gartrell
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
The South Blockhouse at the Fort Recovery State Museum.
FORT RECOVERY - A special two-day event at Fort Recovery State Museum will highlight the history and culture of Shawnee, Miami and Wyandotte tribes next month.
Five tribal citizens and interpreters will explain their tribal nation's relationship to St. Clair's Defeat, also known as the Battle of the Wabash, at "Beyond the Battlefield: Interpreting St. Clair's Defeat through the Eyes of Tribal Citizens" Aug. 12-13 at the museum.
Attendees will see 18th-century clothing and material culture items that tie back to the concepts of family, tribal identity, political roles and conflict. Book lists, map sources and other primary sources will also be available to take home, and a story time for children will be held on Aug. 12.
Confirmed tribal interpreters include Talon Silverhorn of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe, Caleb Garcia of the Wyandotte Nation, Joshua Garcia of the Wyandotte Nation and Christopher L. Houk of the Wyandotte Nation.
The interpreters will set up along the walking trail behind the museum where visitors can view items on display, ask questions and have discussions with the interpreters, according to museum director Kim Rammel.
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
A sign detailing St. Clair's Defeat on Nov. 4, 1791, stands in front of a pioneer log house at the Fort Recovery State Museum.
The museum will offer free admission and battlefield tours led by Ball State University archaeologists on both days, she said. On Aug. 13, the interpreters will hold multiple panel presentations on modern tribal perspectives with Q&A sessions to follow. Food by the Tin Cupboard will also be on site from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. both days.
Rammel said the event will be an eye-opening experience for many visitors who may be familiar with the history of the 1791 battle but not the Native American tribes who fought in it.
"It's just powerful. I'm so excited to let them speak their story, present their story," she said. "I think it's important. People are open now. They want to hear it."
St. Clair's Defeat is often referred to as the most decisive defeat in the history of the American military and the largest victory ever won by Native Americans. It resulted in the deaths of more than 600 soldiers and civilians and spurned the first Congressional Special Committee investigation in the nation's history.
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
The North Blockhouse at the Fort Recovery State Museum.
The battle was a decisive victory for the Western Confederacy of Native Americans, led by Little Turtle of the Miami Tribe and Blue Jacket of the Shawnee. Members of the Wyandot (also known as Huron), Odawa, Potawatomi, Miami, Lenapi (also known as Delaware), Shawnee, Illinois, Wabash and Ojibwe (also known as Chippewa) united to attack.
Many Fort Recovery residents know the history of the battle, Rammel said, and that poor preparation, untrained militiamen and bad equipment contributed to the army's downfall. However, the strength and intelligence of the Native American forces are often overlooked.
"The people I'm talking to at the museum are hearing this story, they understand it. And it's like, 'Oh, wow, we just weren't told the other side of the story,'" she said. "I grew up in Fort Recovery and I never heard that side of the story."
The event is possible, in part, by a $5,000 grant through Ohio Humanities, Rammel added.
For more information on the event or the museum, visit fortrecoverymuseum.com or the Fort Recovery Museum Facebook page.
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
A sign detailing Gen. Anthony Wayne's Victory on June 30, 1794.
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
The Blacksmith Shop and Tool Shed at the Fort Recovery State Museum.
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
The Fort Recovery State Museum will host a two-day event that will highlight the history and culture of the Shawnee, Miami and Wyandotte tribes on Aug. 12-13.
