Tomah (chief)
Tomah was a prominent leader of the Menominee tribe in the early 19th century, noted for his intelligence and leadership abilities. Born to a mixed heritage, with a father of part French descent and a probable Abenaki mother, he gained significant respect among his people. Following the judgment of the hereditary chief, Chakaucho Kama, as incompetent, the Tribal Council appointed Tomah as the acting head chief. He is best known for his role as a guide to U.S. Army Lieutenant Zebulon Pike in 1805, where he demonstrated loyalty to American interests during a time of tension with other Indigenous leaders, such as Tecumseh. Despite his initial reluctance to join pan-Indian alliances due to concerns for his tribe's wellbeing, Tomah eventually allied with the British during the War of 1812, contributing to military efforts against American forces alongside his protégé, Oshkosh. Tomah's death in 1817 marked a significant turning point for the Menominee, as their resistance to white encroachment weakened, leading to their eventual struggles under Oshkosh's leadership and the broader context of Indian removal policies.
Tomah (chief)
Category: Tribal chief
Tribal affiliation: Menominee
Significance: Although he initially resisted Tecumseh’s call for armed resistance, Tomah joined the British as they fought the Americans in the War of 1812
Tomah, the son of an Indian man who was part French and a woman who was probably Abenaki, was widely respected by the Menominee for his intelligence and leadership. When the hereditary chief, Chakaucho Kama, was judged incompetent, the Tribal Council appointed Tomah acting head chief.
In 1805, Tomah became a guide for United States Army Lieutenant Zebulon Pike, who was searching for the headwaters of the Mississippi River. Pike was impressed with Tomah’s apparent loyalty to whites. Indeed, when the Shawnee chief Tecumseh visited the Menominee to solicit their support in the rebellion he was fomenting, Tomah refused to join. He was apprehensive that his small tribe would fare poorly in a pan-Indian alliance. Tomah also feared white encroachment, however, and when it appeared that the Americans might be defeated in the War of 1812, he aided the British. Along with his protégé, Oshkosh, Tomah and approximately one hundred braves helped defeat the Americans at Fort Mackinaw, Michigan, and Fort Stephenson, Ohio.
With Tomah’s death in 1817, Menominee resistance to white encroachment collapsed. Later, under Oshkosh’s leadership, the Menominee fell victim to Indian removal.