George Catlin - Náh-pope, Soup, adviser to Black Hawk - 1985

Neapope (''Na-pope'' meaning "Broth" in the Sauk language) was a spiritual leader of the Sauk tribe and advisor to Black Hawk during the

Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis (Fox), and Kickapoos, known as the "British Band", crosse ...

Biography

A prominent chieftain of the Sauk prior to the

, Neapope was first consulted by Black Hawk in 1820 on whether to declare war against neighboring American settlers or to move his supporters, including Neapope and Sauk chieftain Keokuk, from Illinois and into Iowa. Although Neapope advised a confederacy, including the Winnebago and

Potowatomi The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a m ...

in particular, to help defend Black Hawk's tribe, no chieftains would agree to an alliance. Neapope also travelled to Malden, Ontario in an attempt to gain British support from General Gaines, however Gaines declined stating the American settlers had a legal right to the land and advised Black Hawk to remain at peace with local settlers. Returning from Canada, Neapope stopped at the camp of the Winnebago Prophet, Wabokieshiek, where he was assured of support before returning to Black Hawk. As fighting began, Neapope served throughout the war as one of Black Hawk's leading allies, most notably during the Battle of Wisconsin Heights (near present-day

Sauk City Sauk City is a village in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States, North America. The population was 3,518 as of the 2020 census. The first incorporated village in the state, the community was founded by Agoston Haraszthy and his business partner, R ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

) where he successfully held off local militia while allied forces were able to escape across the

Wisconsin River The Wisconsin River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At approximately 430 miles (692 km) long, it is the state's longest river. The river's name, first recorded in 1673 by Jacques Marquette as "Meskousi ...

. Near the end of the war, Neapope was captured by Black Hawk rival Keokuk, who cooperated with American settlers but was imprisoned with Black Hawk until their release several weeks later by President

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...

and eventually rejoined the Sauks in Iowa.

References

*Johansen, Bruce E. and Donald A. Grinde, Jr. ''The Encyclopedia of Native American Biography'', New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1997. Year of death missing People from Illinois People from Iowa Native American history of Iowa People from Wisconsin Religious figures of the indigenous peoples of North America Native Americans of the Black Hawk War American animists Year of birth missing {{NorthAm-native-bio-stub