Losing in the larger sense: losing land, losing sovereignty, losing the ability to maintain their traditional lifeways against the relentless pressure of settlement.

Tecumseh grew up in this world.

He was formed by it.

And he would spend his life trying to reverse what seemed like an unstoppable tide.

Born Under A Shooting Star

Tecumseh was born in the Shawnee village of Old Piqua, in what is now western Ohio, around March 9, 1768.

The date is approximate — different sources give slightly different dates, and the best historical evidence suggests 1768 without certainty about the specific day.

The circumstances of his birth are embedded in Shawnee tradition: a great meteor or comet was seen streaking across the sky at the time of his birth, and this was understood as a sign of significance.