Wawasee or Wawaausee often contracted into Wawbee and known as ("Full Moon") was a

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 ...

who lived 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 ...

, in the

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 ...

. He was brother to Miami chief

Papakeecha Papakeecha or ''(Pa-hed-ke-teh-a)'' meaning "Flat Belly" was the most influential Miami chief in the region around Lake Wawasee, in what is now Kosciusko County, Indiana, United States leading his people from 1820 until 1837. Lake Papakeechie was na ...

. Wawasee was a signatory to the

Treaty of Mississinewas The Treaty of Mississinewas or the Treaty of Mississinewa also called Treaty of the Wabash is an 1826 treaty between the United States and the Miami and Potawatomi Tribes regarding purchase of Indian lands in Indiana and Michigan. The signing was ...

and in the mid-1830s, Wawasee was allotted a small village where the town of

Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...

currently is — situated near the southeast corner of

Waubee Lake Waubee Lake (also incorrectly Wabee) is a small freshwater lake situated 2 miles (3 km) southeast of Milford, Kosciusko County, Indiana, United States. Waubee is typical in structure of natural lakes of the glaciated portions of the upper Mid ...

, approximately two and one-half miles southeast of

Milford Milford may refer to: Place names Canada * Milford (Annapolis), Nova Scotia * Milford (Halifax), Nova Scotia * Milford, Ontario England * Milford, Derbyshire * Milford, Devon, a place in Devon * Milford on Sea, Hampshire * Milford, Shro ...

including the eastern shores of Waubee Lake. Chief Wawasee, like his brother, was big and strong. He was a minor leader in the Miami tribe but was somewhat significant as brother of Papakeecha. Wawasee dressed up for special occasions by wearing a large silver ring that hung from the cartilage of his nose. He sometimes substituted a fish bone for the ring. Turkey Lake became

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 his honor. Wawasee is the namesake of both

Wawasee, Indiana 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 ...

and Wawasee Village. The

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

Wawasee High School Wawasee High School is a high school located in Syracuse, Indiana. History Wawasee High School was founded in 1968 after merging the high schools from Syracuse, Milford and North Webster. Wawasee High School (and the Wawasee School Corporation) ...

located in and serving Syracuse and the surrounding area is also named in Wawasee's honor.

Sources

Benack, Flat Belly Once Walked These Lands

* Eli Lilly (industrialist, born 1885), Lilly, Eli. Early Wawasee Days. Indianapolis: Studio Press Inc., 1960. * Armstrong, James W. The History of Leesburg and Plain Township Indiana. Miami people Native American leaders 19th-century Native Americans Native Americans in Indiana People from Syracuse, Indiana Year of birth missing Year of death missing {{NorthAm-native-bio-stub