Papakeecha or ''(Pa-hed-ke-teh-a)'' meaning "Flat Belly" was the most influential

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boa ...

in the region around

Lake Wawasee Lake Wawasee, formerly Turkey Lake, is a natural lake southeast of Syracuse in Kosciusko County, Indiana, United States. It is the largest natural lake wholly contained within Indiana. It is located just east of Indiana State Road 13. History Lak ...

, in what is now

Kosciusko County Kosciusko County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. At the 2020 United States Census, its population was 80,240. The county seat (and only incorporated city) is Warsaw. The county was organized in 1836. It was named for the Polish ge ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

leading his people from 1820 until 1837.

Lake Papakeechie Lake Papakeechie is a small man-made lake of located in Kosciusko County, Indiana, United States. The lake is situated south of and drains into Lake Wawasee. The lake is owned by the papakeechie Protective Association. History Lake Papakeechie ...

was named after him. Papakeecha was about 60 years old when white men entered the area. He was described as dark copper in color with a silver ring through his nose. Historical accounts have him weighing 300 pounds. He claimed to have participated in the

Battle of Tippecanoe The Battle of Tippecanoe ( ) was fought on November 7, 1811, in Battle Ground, Indiana, between American forces led by then Governor William Henry Harrison of the Indiana Territory and Native American forces associated with Shawnee leader Tecums ...

. In 1828 he was given reservation land totalling which nearly bisected Lake Wawasee north to south. He was the brother of Miami chief

Wawasee Wawasee or Wawaausee often contracted into Wawbee and known as ("Full Moon") was a Miami chief who lived in what is now Kosciusko County, Indiana, in the United States. He was brother to Miami chief Papakeecha. Wawasee was a signatory to the Treaty ...

''(Wau-wa-aus-see)'', who

was named after. His reservation town was located near present-day Indian Village in Noble County and had some 75 residents. The

government built him a one-story brick house in 1827 for $562, located in the southeast corner of his village, which was later destroyed by a tornado or "great wind" as the historical marker indicates. This marker was erected in 1967 by the Noble County Historical Society. Another marker by the Indiana Historical Society 1962 states: You are now leaving Papakeechie's Reservation, . This Miami Chief, also known as Flat Belly, held this land from 1828 to 1834 when it was returned to the National Government in the Treaty at the Forks of the Wabash. It was later owned by the Wabash & Erie Canal.Find A grave, Chief "Flat Belly" Papakeecha.
/ref> In 1834, Papakeecha's reservation land was included in a land deal benefiting the

Wabash and Erie Canal The Wabash and Erie Canal was a shipping canal that linked the Great Lakes to the Ohio River via an artificial waterway. The canal provided traders with access from the Great Lakes all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Over 460 miles long, it was th ...

. Papakeecha died in 1837. His burial place is with a number of his villagers on the northeast side of Lake Papakeechee.''(see Find A Grave)''.

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Papakeecha Miami people People from Kosciusko County, Indiana Native American leaders Native Americans in Indiana 1837 deaths Year of birth unknown 19th-century Native Americans