October November December 2001 Issue                                                              Club News & Information

Evolution

Speaking Of Fieros	Seeing Fieros	Paul's 86
Casey's 86	Don & Joyce's 88 In A Line	Marilee's 84
Don & Joyce's 84	Indy Bill's 84	Marci's 86
Allan's 87 / Northstar	Gene's 87	Paula's 86

Boise River Festival - 2001

Meetings

Pontiac's War

Early French explorers, trappers and traders first met the Great Lakes Ottawa Tribe in 1615. The Ottowa tribe's territory was in what is now present day Michigan. They were armed with bows and arrows and war clubs, dressed in furs, were painted and tatooed and had pierced noses and ears. The Ottawa were members of the Algonquin language family and along with the Chippeawa and Potowatomi, formed the Council of Three Tribes.

On June 14, 1671, the French claimed as a possession of France, Lake Superior, Lake Huron, and all surrounding land, rivers, lakes and streams. To support this claim, a series of forts were built. The French were intent on defending their claim against the English who were pressing westward from New England. The French and Indians formed a mutually beneficial relationship. The French provided the Indians with guns, gunpowder, food, tobacco, sugar, cooking utensils and other provisions, many times on credit, in trade for furs. The name Ottawa in Algonquin means "to trade".

Pontiac was born in an Ottawa village near present day Detroit around 1720. By this time, European influence had changed the lives of the Ottawa tribe radically. The tribes were quick to adapt to, and depend upon, the European guns and gunpowder, steel axes and knives, traps, fishnets and cooking hardware.

The French and Indian wars were a result of commercial competition between the French and English. War broke out in 1744 and reached the Great Lakes region in 1755. Ottawa warriors fought on the side of the French. By 1760, the English, under Sir Jeffrey Amherst had captured most of the forts and the French capitulated in Montreal on September 8, 1760. Fort Detroit was surrendered on November 28, 1760.

The English leadership didn't have as benevolent of an attitude as what the Ottawas had become accustomed to with the French. Resentment of the English and a desire to return to conditions under the French grew. Pontiac was a powerful warrior and an inspiring orator. He had keen intelligence and was a skillful strategist. He was convinced that the French would support an Indian revolt to reclaim the forts and reestablish French control of the Great Lakes region. On April 27, 1762, Pontiac called a council of over 400 Ottawa, Huron, and Potawatomi chiefs and warriors. He did not embrace the idea of returning to the primitive ways (before guns and gunpowder), as some had suggested, but wanted to return to the good days of French control. The council agreed with Pontiac and he made plans to take Fort Detroit. Pontiac and his warriors would enter the fort to perform a ceremonial dance for the entertainment purposes. Other members of the tribe would carry knives, tomahawks and sawed-off muskets under their blankets. At a signal from Pontiac, the Indians would attack. However, the English were warned and were obviously ready for an attack. As soon as the Indians entered the fort, Pontiac realized that he could not prevail. He did not give the signal to attack and left without a fight. Pontiac was furious with the demise of his plan and ordered his men to attack and kill all English outside the fort but to spare the French, who he still hoped would side with him against the English. Pontiac's warriors surrounded the fort and began a siege. Pontiacs plan was for simultaneous attacks on the other forts. Pontiac's allies succeeded in capturing Fort Sandusky, Fort St. Joseph, Fort Miami, Fort Ouiatenon, Fort Venango, Fort LeBoeuf and Fort Edaward Augustus. In just two months the British had lost every fort in the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley except Fort Pitt and Fort Detroit which were under siege. The Chippewa, Sauk, Kickapoos, Seneca and Shawnee had joined the Ottawa in Pontiac's rebellion.

Throughout the summer, Indians fought English settlers and British soldiers in the settled part of the country, with the British gradually gaining. Finally, the French and British signed a peace treaty that dashed the hopes of the French joining the fight. Support for Pontiac's rebellion began to fade. Many of the tribes made peace with the English and the French switched allegiance to the English. Winter was coming and preparing for the harsh winter was taking precedence over the siege of the fort. The endless siege on Fort Detroit seemed pointless to many of the warriors. The French tried to convince Pontiac to give up the siege and make peace. The tribes wanted to resume their trade with the English. In mid-November, Pontiac withdrew his forces and the siege was lifted.

By spring of 1765, Pontiac's movement had crumbled and on April 18, Pontiac made peace with the British who granted him amnesty. Pontiac, once a great warrior chief, now had only a small following of relatives and close friends. Living a nomadic existence, he traveled to Cahokia (now a suburb of present day St. Louis) to trade with the Peoria tribe. The Peoria tribe had a council and decided to assassinate Pontiac. On April 20, 1769, Pontiac left a store with a "friendly" Peoria brave who then clubbed Pontiac from behind and stabbed him to death. Pontiac's tribe nearly annihilated the Peoria tribe as retribution, after the Peoria tribe was refused protection, first from the French and then the English.

March 2002

Dear Club Members,

I want to thank all the members who supported the club meetings and events for the year 2001.

The election of club officers was held in January. I will remain your club President, Jay remains Vice President, Joyce remains Treasurer, Gene remains Editor, Marilee and Dixie will share Secretary duties, and Art will be the Head Events Coordinator.

The club has decided to change the way we coordinate our yearly meetings and events. Each member has been assigned a month of the year in which they are responsible for planning WHERE, WHEN, and WHAT the club will be doing for the day. That coordinator is also responsible for supplying an item of their choice to raffle off at the meeting. We will still meet on the 3rd Sunday of each month unless other wise mentioned. I hope that with these changes we can encourage more club participation and possibly gain some new members. With everyone doing their part we should have a fun, exciting, successful 2002-year.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you need anything. I can be reached by e-mail mmcginty@ibol.state.id.us or at home in the evenings.

Respectfully yours,
Marcie McGinty
Club President
Southwest Idaho Fiero Club

MEMBERSHIP STATUS

Membership fees are due the month of March of each year, as this is the Club's anniversary month. If there is an asterisk (*) in front of your name on the label of your newsletter, your dues are due and this is your last newsletter. If a new membership form is needed, please feel free to give Joyce a call and she will be glad to mail you one.

Rates are as follows:
Membership dues are $20 per year
Associate Membership is $10 per year. This entitles you to a monthly Newsletter and to join all runs. You do not have any voting rights.

We do send complimentary issues of our Newsletter. But to continue receiving them, payment must be sent to the Southwest Idaho Fiero Club as a Member or Assoc. Member, address located at the bottom of the Newsletter.

THINGS TO REMEMBER

Any articles you wish to be included in this Newsletter must be turned into Gene Koozer by the 20th of the month prior to publication.
(phone: 466-5284)

Publication of SWIFT will be around the 1st day of every third month.

The SOUTHWEST IDAHO FIERO CLUB will meet the 3rd Sunday of each month. Club runs will start in March and run through October of each season.

Our Club colors are Black and Red, black outline with red car.

NOTE: SWIFC Mailing Address

Southwest Idaho Fiero Club
P.O. Box 190144
Boise, ID 83719

Club Officers

President: Marcie McGinty - 376-0890
Vice President: Jay Rightnowar - 376-0890
Treasurer: Joyce Harness - 362-1223
Secretaries: Marilee Hiendselman - 377-9136, Dixie Jenkins 376-8328
Editor: Gene Koozer - 466-5284
Head Events Coordinator: Art Heindselman - 377-9136

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Southwest Idaho Fiero Club
10666 W. Reutzel Drive
Boise, ID 83719

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