Chief Kewanna

Chief Kewanna (Kee-wau-nay) was of the Potawatomi tribe. His birthday is unknown, but he shows up in the records of having participated in the Battle of Tipecanoe in 1811. Much of what we know about him comes from the artist George Winter, who accompanied the chief in 1837 to a peace council where he was afforded the opportunity to paint this portrait. It was said of Chief Kewanna that he was well respected among the white settlers in the area. He was deported to Kansas that same year and no one knows what became of him, however, some historians think he may have relocated to Wisconsin from there. Chief Kewanna is important for the county of Fulton for his relatively peaceful negotiations of land treaties as white settlers moved into the area.