Shawnee Prophet (1775?-1837?) was a Shawnee religious leader. He and the Shawnee chief Tecumseh, who were brothers, united Native Americans from many tribes to defend their land against white people.
The Shawnee Prophet was called Lalawethika during his early life. As a young man, Lalawethika suffered from alcoholism. About 1805, he had visions that convinced him to stop drinking and begin preaching. He changed his name to Tenskwatawa, which means the open door. He urged Indigenous (native) people to give up liquor and return to their traditional ways of life. White people named him the Shawnee Prophet because they thought he predicted events. The Prophet lost most of his followers after he was defeated in the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811.
See also Indian wars (The Shawnee Prophet).
