Chief Tonquish Burial Site

Chief Tonquish and his son are buried nearby. Chief Tonquish led a band of Potawatomi Indians in this area in the early nineteenth century. In 1819 a series of clashes between these Indians and pioneers in the vicinity culminated in the death of a white man. Angry settlers pursued the Indians along the River Rouge to the point where it branches into what is now known as Tonquish Creek. Here Chief Tonquish was killed in a futile attempt to save his son’s life. Their deaths marked the end of significant Indian skirmishes in southeastern Michigan. This event reflected many of the tensions and conflicts between Indians and settlers over such matters as food and territory, which occurred during the westward movement in America.