Walk-in-the-Water (or My-ee-rah) (died c. 1817) was a

Huron Huron may refer to: Native American ethnography * Huron people, who have been called Wyandotte, Wyandot, Wendat and Quendat * Huron language, an Iroquoian language * Huron-Wendat Nation, or Huron-Wendat First Nation, or Nation Huronne-Wendat * N ...

chief.

Biography

He was a member of the Wyandot tribe. At the beginning of the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

, he offered his services to Gen.

William Hull William Hull (June 24, 1753 – November 29, 1825) was an American military officer and politician. A veteran of the American Revolutionary War, he later served as governor of the Michigan Territory (1805–1813), where he negotiated land cessi ...

, but they were declined, owing to the unwillingness of that officer to employ "savages." He was afterward forced by circumstances to join the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

at Malden, but he was instrumental in persuading several tribes to remain neutral, and in a council at that place he vindicated his course in a speech that was called by his enemies "American talk." After this, Walk-in-the-Water and his associates openly broke with

Tecumseh Tecumseh ( ; (March 9, 1768October 5, 1813) was a Shawnee chief and warrior who promoted resistance to the Territorial evolution of the United States, expansion of the United States onto Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

and The Prophet, and declined to remain with the British, deserting from Gen. Henry Proctor at Chatham, Canada. At the

Battle of the Thames The Battle of the Thames , also known as the Battle of Moraviantown, was an American victory in the War of 1812 against Tecumseh's Confederacy and their United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, British allies. It took place on October 5, 1813, ...

he offered his services, with those of sixty warriors, conditionally, to Gen.

William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was the ninth president of the United States, serving from March 4 to April 4, 1841, the shortest presidency in U.S. history. He was also the first U.S. president to die in office, causin ...

, who declined them, and the Hurons returned to

Detroit River The Detroit River is an List of international river borders, international river in North America. The river, which forms part of the border between the U.S. state of Michigan and the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ont ...

. His totem was a turtle.

Notes

References

* 1810s deaths Wyandot people Native American leaders Native Americans in the War of 1812 Year of birth unknown {{NativeAmerican-politician-stub