Chief Pokagon SIMON POKAGON (1830-1899) was the Chief of the Potawatomis of southwestern Michigan. He was also a literary genius and the most highly educated full-blooded Indian in North America during the nineteenth century. Chief Pokagon was nicknamed “the Redskin Bard” and “the Longfellow of his Race.”

It has afforded me much pleasure in life to know that the rivers, lakes and nearly all the waterways of America retain the names our fathers gave, and that those of our race who have long since gone to the spirit land have been honored by having a majority of the States of this mighty Union given Indian names pure and simple. (SIMON POKAGON, 1887).

Chief Simon Pokagon, (picture), was born near what is now Niles, Michigan. His father was Chief Leopold Pokagon, a man of sterling character who had converted to Christianity. Until he was twelve years of age Simon knew only Indian ways and spoke only the Algonquin language. Because of his great inquisitiveness, Catholic priests sent him for higher education and he became fluent in English, Latin and Greek.

In 1893, Simon Pokagon attended the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, an Algonquin named city built upon land that had belonged to his father. He was disturbed to find little native American influence to display to dignitaries coming from all over the world. Chief Pokagon took it as a challenge and immediately wrote a most eloquent defense of the American Indian, “The Red Man’s Greeting”. His booklet became a sensation in Chicago, nationally, in England and in Europe. Pokagon became a world celebrity.

Pokagon was a philosopher and advised his people: “Let us not crucify ourselves by going over the bloody trails we have trod on other days, but rather let us look up and rejoice in thankfulness in the present.”