Tecumseh's Bones (McGill-Queen's Indigenous and Northern Studies #47) [9780773537316]

Overview

Chief Tecumseh's death at the Battle of the Thames marked a turning point in the Anglo-American War of 1812. It was also the beginning of a mystery: the mutilation of Native corpses thwarted American attempts to identify Tecumseh's remains, giving rise to the belief that his body had been secretly recovered by his warriors. Tecumseh's Bones teases fact from fiction in the myths and legends surrounding the great chief's burial.

Part detective story, part historical inquiry, this book explores the countless attempts to locate the chief's grave and raise a monument in his honour. The first substantial book on the subject based primarily on Canadian material and packed with vivid descriptions of regional life in the nineteenth century, Tecumseh's Bones examines changing attitudes towards Natives, sheds light on their relations with early Euro-Canadian settlers, and highlights the role of women in shaping the folklore traditions associated with the Shawnee chief. Drawing on a wealth of archival material, most of which has never been published, Tecumseh's Bones will fascinate history buffs, historians, and mystery lovers.