Kenakuk

Chief Kenakuk - Prophet to the Potawatomi

 

The fictional story of Little Woods patterns the life of the protagonist, Mud Paw, after the actual experience of a true historical figure named Kenakuk who was cast out of his Kickapoo community in Wisconsin after he became violent with strong drink and beat his uncle.

 

Kenakuk learned principles of Christianity at Methodist revival meetings near the white settlements of Illinois and combined them with Native-American mysticism (primarily in the form of Kickapoo ceremonies). He discouraged the use of magic bundles associated with the Potawatomi clan system.

 

By 1833, Kenakuk was living on a reservation in northern Kansas where he was joined by Potawatomi who migrated west to escape the chaos created by the Black Hawk War of the previous year.