On February 20, 1815, Detroit and remaining Frenchtown citizens learned that the War of 1812 officially ended three days earlier, on February 17, 1815, when the Treaty of Ghent between the United States and Great Britain was ratified by the United States. The War ravaged Southeast Michigan and while the Treaty of Ghent brought the War to a close with Great Britain it ignored American Indians that took-up arms against the United States as a part of Tecumseh’s confederation.
With the vast majority of the United States breathing a sigh of relief, tension remained high in the Northwest Territory and the aftermath of the Battles of the River Raisin began to unfold into a legacy of infamy. Arguably, the War along the most brutal frontlines in the Northwest did not officially end until the eight portions of American Indian Nations, which took up arms against the United States alongside Great Britain, signed the Treaty of Springwells on September 8, 1815, truly ending the War of 1812.
“For River Raisin National Battlefield Park, the War of 1812 is not completely over,” said Superintendent Scott Bentley. Great effort to mend friendships, families and tribes violently torn apart by the War, began in the spring of 1815, but it was not until the fall of 1815 that the Treaty of Springwells was actually signed with American Indian Nations, that took up arms against the United States when the War truly ends.
The Treaty of Ghent ushered in two centuries of peace and friendship with Canada and the UK which we still celebrate today, while further complicating relationships with Native Nations. 2015 marks the official beginning of the Bicentennial of American Indian removal from their native lands in the Northwest Territory. The exhibit, “Turning Point: The War of 1812 from the Native American Perspective” helps tell the story of what the War of 1812 means to the indigenous people of the Great Lakes, with the focus being on the Odawa of northern Michigan.
“Little attention is often paid to the thousands of native individuals whom the war drastically effected but through the collaboration of the Harbor Springs History Museum, Mackinac State Historic Parks and the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians, this exhibit was created to help bring awareness to this important piece of Michigan history. Now, with the partnership of River Raisin National Battlefield Park, this story can reach even more audiences,” said Eric Hemenway, Director of Repatriation, Archives and Records for the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians.
“We are honored to exhibit Turning Point: The War of 1812 from the Native American Perspective because it will help people to begin understanding the War from a perspective that has often been buried and will unveil the powerful story of the War’s aftermath that continues as a major social justice issue in the United States today,” said Superintendent Scott Bentley.
River Raisin National Battlefield Park is committed to telling the profound history relating to the Battles of the River Raisin and its aftermath from all perspectives. “Beginning in 2015, the Battlefield will begin a long Journey Towards Understanding with many American Indian Tribes, educators and partners as we uncover the aftermath of America’s forgotten War,” said Superintendent Bentley.
Everyone is encouraged to visit the Battlefield visitor center to begin their personal Journey Towards Understanding how the Battles of the River Raisin and its aftermath have influenced the shaping of 10 Nations and continues to impact the daily lives of everyone in North America. The River Raisin National Battlefield Park visitor center is located at 1403 E. Elm Ave. in Monroe Michigan just off of I-75.
