Most visitors know Shipshewana for its Amish culture, but the town’s name holds a much older story—one that honors the Potawatomi people and their leader, Chief Shipshewana.
The Potawatomi were part of the Anishinaabe, a Native people who migrated through the Great Lakes region. Alongside their allies, the Odawa and Ojibwe, they formed the Council of Three Fires. The Potawatomi were known as the “Keepers of the Sacred Fire,” thriving for centuries as hunters and gatherers in Northern Indiana’s forests and wetlands.
When European settlers arrived in the early 1800s, the Potawatomi welcomed them with generosity. Chief Shipshewana befriended newcomers like Hezekiah and Sarah Davis, sharing food and friendship. But demand for farmland soon overwhelmed Native communities. Following the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the Chicago Treaty of 1833, the Potawatomi were forced from their homelands.
In 1838, Chief Shipshewana and his people were driven west during the “Trail of Death,” a two-month march to Kansas where 41 lives were lost. Families were torn apart, and the tribe later split into groups that remained in Kansas or moved to Oklahoma. Remarkably, in 1839 the Chief was granted permission to return to his Indiana homeland, where he lived until his death in 1841.
Years later, Sarah Davis encouraged renaming their settlement in his honor—thus Davistown became Shipshewana.
Today, the town remembers this history through the Chief Shipshewana Memorial near Shipshewana Lake and the Blessing Quilt in Town Hall, which depicts Potawatomi culture through traditional beadwork designs. Descendants of Chief Shipshewana still visit, finding comfort in seeing their story remembered.
Shipshewana’s name is more than a title—it’s a tribute to resilience, friendship, and the promise of telling history honestly.
IF YOU GO
Shipshewana Visitor Center – Pick up maps, guides, and stories to explore Amish Country alongside Native heritage.
Chief Shipshewana Memorial – Visit the gravesite south of Shipshewana Lake, honoring the Chief who gave the town its name.
Blessing Quilt – See this powerful artwork in Town Hall, featuring Potawatomi beadwork designs and local history.
For more information visit: VisitShipshewana.org
