Nelson Ross-Miller and the Native American NorthWestern Confederacy

On July 14 and 15, 2024 local historian Nelson Ross-Miller, of Olive Branch Media, presented on the Native American NorthWestern Confederacy and the Waterways. The presentation was at the main library of the Allen County Public Library. 

This blog focuses on the environment, climate change, and approaches to becoming greener. However, it also has a focus on Indigenous Peoples. That is because, before the colonists, the indigenous people had a long history of effective land management. The focus of this blog has included recording and writing about  historical fiction author Pickett writing on the clash of cultures in Northeast Indiana, Indiana Master Naturalist Greta Sirois presenting on Miami culture, a presentation on Algonquin history, and a post on Learning from Indigenous Peoples. 
 
So, while Nelson Ross-Miller’s presentation did not focus on environmental issues it was foundational to understanding the evolution of a land of wetlands, forests, elk, and bison becoming a drained land of monoculture farming.
 
Ross-Miller described the make-up of the Confederacy. These included the Cherokee, Iroquois, Delaware, Miami, Odawa, Ojibwas, Potawatomi, Shawnee, Wabash Confederacy, and the Wyandot. He touched on some of the leaders of the Confederacy. Northeast Indiana and the upper Midwest is rich in famous Indigenous leaders. These include Little Turtle, Blue Jacket, Metea, Tecumseh, and the Prophet.
 
As Nelson Ross-Miller pointed out, the European/American leaders were initially ineffective and arrogant. Ross-Miller described how this arrogance contributed to some of the worst defeats of colonist/early Americans by Native Americans. These battles included the battles of Kekionga, LaBalme’s defeat, and the Harmar campaign.
 
Finally, Nelson Ross-Miller presented on the riverways. His documentaries are local and specific. His presentation focused on the Spring Creek and the Eel River. He introduced the audience to a person important to the area and the waterways, George Crogan. The impact of the changing cultures in the area could not have been more profound. Northeast Indiana went from a land of woods and wetlands (The Great Swamp) to a drained and deforested land of farms, industry, and towns and cities.
 
Nelson was open to questions. He was enthusiastic about the importance of local, objective history, and he let the facts, historical logs, and artifacts speak for themselves. I look forward to hearing Nelson present in the future, about the past. 

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