This area is now known as the Great Lakes region. Even though there are no records of Pontiac's life, it is assumed that during his childhood and young adult years he was trained as an Ottawa warrior. As a boy he was probably taught skills that enabled him to hunt and to survive in the woods.
Pontiac was probably also encouraged to utilize weapons and tools introduced by European settlers. At this time the Ottawas and other tribes enjoyed a beneficial relationship with the French, trading their furs for weapons and other goods. Through these transactions, the Ottawa gradually replaced their bows and arrows with guns, which soon became the primary means of obtaining food and ensuring protection. As Pontiac's influence and prosperity increased, he may have had more than one wife and several children. It is known that he had at least one wife, Kantuckeegan, and two sons, Otussa and Shegenaba.
Decides to Expel British
After Pontiac rose to a position of power in the Ottawa nation, he was at first inclined to be as friendly to English settlers as he was to French traders. He changed his attitude, however, when he realized that the English were not interested in maintaining good relations with Native Americans.
This is a free page. This page contains 193 words. This
article contains 1,953 words (approx. 7 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Article with our Pontiac Access Pass.
