This exhibit reintroduces St. Clair's Defeat (also known as the Battle of the Wabash) from the perspective of descendant Tribes who participated in the battle and were subsequently forcibly removed from Ohio and Indiana in the aftermath. Four themes - Background, The Battle, Aftermath, and Persistence - frame the exhibit. Each theme has three subthemes that further explore that topic. Visit the  traveling exhibit website  for current performance site schedule.

The events of this war eventually lead to the Euro-American settlement of the Northwest Territory and the realization of "manifest destiny," often presented as a triumph of the brave European settlers and explorers, conquering any obstacle to reach new heights of liberty. The other side of this narrative is often forgotten. This side consists of invasion, violence, dispossession, forced removal, and attempted erasure of identity of American Indian Tribes that still exist and persist today.

• A better understanding of the context of the Northwest Indian War, specifically from the viewpoint of Native Nations defending their homeland.
• An appreciation of the skill, strategy, and coordination of the Native Tribes in orchestrating St. Clair's defeat, and achieving an overwhelming victory.
• Reflection on the feelings invoked by the aftermath that Native peoples endured as a result of the Northwest Indian War, St. Clair's Defeat, and the loss of and forcible removal from their homelands.
• A new understanding of American Indian Nations today as living cultures and peoples, and an interest in the persistence of their culture, language, and social identity.

This exhibit was co-created with representatives from the Nations descended from the coalition that defeated St. Clair. These Tribal Humanities Scholars and the rest of the Project Team—through five meetings, numerous interviews, and correspondence—crafted, reviewed, and edited panel text, honing the exact meaning and tone desired. The visual and organizational design features which augment the text were designed and selected with Tribal Humanities Scholars deciding how best to convey their story of St. Clair’s defeat and its effect on their Nations.

Click link below for the Background StoryMap.

Click link below for the Battle StoryMap.

Click link below for the Aftermath StoryMap.

Click link below for the Persistence StoryMap.

Listed below are the 39 federally recognized Tribes whose Tribal ancestors defended their homelands in St. Clair’s Defeat in 1791. The location of each Tribe's current seat of government is shown on the map. Each Tribe is linked to their own website, where more information on both their history and today’s Tribal citizens can be found.