Leslie and Rick recently taught a seminar for the Tippecanoe County Historical Association on beads and other artifacts found during excavations at Fort Ouiatenon.
A bone bead (possibly for an ear bob) in the photo behind her.
Lisa and I attended as did our friend Gretchen (who drove me to and from KZoo this year.)
I had no idea just how much TCHA had in their collection of beads and other artifacts. It was jaw dropping.
Leslie also showed us some green beads that have never been found at any other historical site in the country.
Ouiatenon was burned to the ground and never used again as a fort or settlement.
Sewing thimbles which were often turned into jewelry like jingle cones.
Part of a bit.
The top of a chess piece, with the original paint still present in spots.
Some pottery that is mostly intact.
Lots of iconographic rings.
It was a real learning experience for me to hear about these artifacts that have been found at Ouiatenon. But there were two things that gave me the shivers when I saw them.
The Ouiatenon cross. There are two in the collection, and the replica that I wear at events is of the smaller cross.
Mine means a lot to me on several fronts - it was my mother's, it represents Ouiatenon and its history, and my own faith means a great deal to me.
To see the real Ouiatenon cross was sobering and I felt a connection to those who had worn theirs at Ouiatenon, just as I do.
The other artifact that was shiver-worthy was also one that made me very sad. To understand, you need a little history first.
Post Ouiatenton was occupied by the French, then the British, then by the Native tribes who used it as a base to resist further European settlement. As a result of that resistance, George Washington ordered the fort to be destroyed in 1791.
These beads melted together during the burning of Ouiatenon.
I looked at those and was sad for the loss of the fort but even more so for those who were there and had lost their lives. This mass of beads was witness to a terrible tragedy, and I could almost hear and feel the echos of that horrific day as I looked at them.
Those beads will haunt me the rest of my life.
I attended that seminar to learn more about beads but I came away with a different, broader perspective. I can't change history, but I can work harder to honor it.
The people of Ouiatenon, be they Wea, Miami, British, or French, deserve it.
