A MIAMI WOMAN’S LIFE

WHILE THE LIFE OF FRANCES SLOCUM, THE “WHITE ROSE OF THE MIAMI,” IS WELL KNOWN, THAT OF HER DAUGHTER OZAHSHINQUAH OR JANE BONDY REMAINS OBSCURE. ACTUALLY, MORE IS KNOWN OF THE DAUGHTER THAN OF THE FAMOUS CAPTIVE MOTHER, BUT UP TO THE PRESENT THE ROMANTIC STORY OF FRANCES SLOCUM HAS OVERSHADOWED THE LESS ROMANTIC, BUT EQUALLY FASCINATING, STORY OF THE DAUGHTER.

Two recent discoveries have renewed Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in 1778 when interest in Jane Bondy, or Ozah- she was almost five years old. In 1837 her shinquah, as she is still known to brothers and a sister learned she was living the Miami. Early in 1991 among the Miami. Shapoconah, known as Ozahshinquah’s gravestone was rediscov­ “Deaf Man” to whites, had a small Milage on ered in a family garden plot in Wabash the Mississinewa on the site of the later re­ County. A standard headstone of the 1870s, serve. He and Frances Slocum had four chil­ it had disappeared from the Slocum or dren in all. Two boys died as infants, while Bundy clan cemetery when the graves were two daughters lived to maturity. The older relocated to make way for the Mississinewa daughter, Kekenakushwa or “Cut Finger,” reservoir in the mid-1960s. The second dis­ married J. B. Brouillette. They had no chil­ covery occurred in the summer of 1991 dren and Kekenakushwa died a few days when an old abstract of the land patent to after her famous mother in 1847. Ozahshin­ Ozahshinquah turned up at a rummage quah, on the other hand, married five times, sale in Kokomo. The patent, or govern­ had twelve children, and lived until 1877. ment land grant, assigned 640 acres to As the daughter of a chief, Ozahshinquah Ozahshinquah under terms of the Miami grew to maturity in comparative affluence treaty of 1838. Dated 26 September 1849, as an Indian. Born just before the War the original patent was signed by President of 1812, she also experienced much of the Zachary Taylor. Designated “Ozahshinquah turmoil that occurred in the period be­ Reserve No. 25,” the land was located south tween the war and Miami removal from of a curve in the strad­ Indiana in 1846. During these years, dling the boundary of Miami and Wabash Indiana achieved statehood (1816) and set­ counties. tlers began arriving in large numbers. The Born about 1810, Ozahshinquah (“Yellow were stressed by the rapid Leaf”) was the daughter of Miami Chief changes that followed. Beginning in 1818

Miami Indian.. Shapoconah r and Frances the Miami tribe relinquished most of the W om an by Slocum. Delaware Indians tribal estate in northern Indiana through a George winter. had captured Slocum at series of treaties. Traders encouraged tribes-

STEWART RAFERT

Spring 19 9 2 5