Black Hawk “I am a Sauk…I am a Warrior”

Black Sparrow Hawk (Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak), born around 1767 into the Thunder clan at Saukenuk, was a renowned Sauk warrior, though not a chief by birth. He emerged as a prominent leader of a faction within the Sauk nation that resisted European-American encroachment, striving to preserve their traditional way of life. By the age of 15, he earned the right to paint his face and wear feathers after wounding his first enemy in battle. His prowess in warfare made him a trusted leader of war parties, and during the War of 1812, he fought alongside the British, serving under the Shawnee leader Tecumseh at the Battle of Detroit. His loyalty to the British endured, earning him the nickname “British Band,” as he led his followers yearly to Fort Malden in Ontario to receive gifts from the British.

Despite his political stance, Black Hawk only had one wife, Singing Bird (As-she-we-qua), and they had five children. He mourned deeply when his eldest son and youngest daughter died before 1820, spending two years in seclusion and fasting according to Sauk tradition.

Black Hawk's legacy is most closely tied to the Black Hawk War of 1832, the last Indian war fought east of the Mississippi. It stemmed from a treaty signed in 1804, which ceded 51 million acres of tribal land in Illinois, Missouri, and Wisconsin to the United States under dubious circumstances. White settlers began encroaching on Saukenuk in 1828, forcing most of the Sauk and Meskwaki to move west of the Mississippi. Black Hawk, however, refused to leave his homeland and stayed behind. Tensions escalated, leading to his forced removal in 1831.

In 1832, Black Hawk led 1,500 followers—comprising warriors, women, children, and elders—across the Mississippi River, triggering panic among settlers and initiating the Black Hawk War. His followers faced starvation and were eventually decimated by the conflict. The war ended after the Battle of Bad Axe, where many of his people were killed. Though Black Hawk managed to escape, he was captured weeks later and imprisoned.

After his release in 1833, Black Hawk was taken on a tour of Eastern cities, where he became a media sensation. Due to misunderstanding, he was labeled a "chief" by the American public. He returned to Rock Island under the custody of his rival Keokuk, who was recognized as the Sauk chief by the United States, further humiliating Black Hawk.

Despite his defeat and the loss of his people’s land, Black Hawk achieved fame among European-Americans after publishing his autobiography, The Life of Black Hawk, in 1833. He spent his remaining years with his family along the Iowa and Des Moines Rivers, dying in 1838 at the age of 71. Though his grave was desecrated and his remains lost in a museum fire, Black Hawk’s legacy as a fierce defender of his people's traditions and homeland remains significant. His struggle marked the tragic end of 200 years of resistance against European-American expansion.