Tag Archives: Shawnee,

The Hana Chronicles: Month 10, Day 7

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Posted by on in children, Family, Hiking and Nature, Historical, Personal Values, Social, Travel

October 28,2026- Hana waved me off, as she was scooting along the perimeter of the playpen. She hadn’t done that before, so I sense she is building up a reserve of self-confidence. She has also been standing up without support, more readily. Taking steps independently is likely not far off.

She is adapting to the change in seasons, by taking longer naps in the afternoon, just as she did in the Spring. Of course, she is bundled up for morning walks and in the relative afternoon heat, we take her out in lighter clothing. The rainy season is about to return, so outdoor activities will be even more limited on several days.

HANA’S NOTE- Mommy ate the rest of her ice cream, and I still didn’t get any. I hope I can have some soon.

EXPANDING CIRCLES: West Virginia- The Mountain State has seen me pass through and make overnight stops, ten times. My first stop was in Morgantown, in 1972, for an overnight at West Virginia University. I have passed through the northern Panhandle, five times and the eastern Pothandle, on four occasions. Martinsburg and Harpers Ferry were focuses of a couple visits. I drove through Charleston once, in 2017, en route to visiting family in Indiana. Each time, I was well-received. West Virginia’s scenic beauty and historic landmarks are likely to draw us back.

The turf- Eastern West Virginia is covered by the Allegheny Range, of the Appalachian Mountains. The southern part of the state features the Cumberland Mountains. The rest of the state is covered by the Allegheny Plateau. New River Gorge, Cheat Canyon and Blackwater Canyon are among the most striking landscapes in the eastern U.S. West Virginia is drained by the Ohio, Potomac, Kanawha, New, Bluestone, Shenandoah, Gauley, Monongahela and Cheat Rivers, along with their tributaries. West Virginia has a healthy portion of the Appalachian Trail and Harpers Ferry is the headquarters of the Appalachian Trail Association.

First Nations- West Virginia is the ancestral home of the Cherokee, Shawnee, Monacan, Meherrin,Manahoac, Nottoway Occaneechee,Tutelo and Saponi peoples. The Mingo, an Iroquoian tribe, moved to the area after Europeans began to push westward. As part of the Commonwealth of Virginia, until 1863, West Virginia was affected heavily by the continuous conflicts known as the French and Indian Wars, from 1688-1763. Part of these was the Anglo-Cherokee War (1758-61), which ended in defeat for the Cherokee, and the Treaty of Long Island. The Shawnee were also defeated, in Governor Dunmore’s War (1774). Most of the First Nations people moved westward, during the Trail of Tears, from 1836-38. There are no Native American reservations in West Virginia today.

Where I feel most at home- Martinsburg, Charles Town, Harpers Ferry, Morgantown

Where I feel most at peace- Harpers Ferry, New River Gorge

NEXT: District of Columbia

The Hana Chronicles: Month 9, Day 30

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Posted by on in children, Community, Family, Historical, Personal Values, Social, Striving, Travel

October 21, 2026- Hana is tiring of being called “baby”. She groaned a couple of times, when I was rocking her this afternoon and used the word. I’m not sure how she sees herself, but I sense she wants to be given credit for not being totally helpless. Yet, until she can walk under her own power, accepting our help, most of the time, is obviously necessary.

All the same, she was grateful, this evening, when her parents were out shopping, it was pitch black in the bedroom, and she was a bit scared. I went in and stayed with her for a while, until she finally decided to lie down and try to sleep. When Aram came home and checked, she was sprawled out on her back, thoroughly content.

HANA’S NOTE– I like the routes that Papa picks for our morning and afternoon walks. There is always Halloween stuff, in at least one yard. Today we saw a whole bunch of skeletons and zombies doing different things. Some of them even had clothes on. I think zombies are funny looking.

EXPANDING CIRCLES: Ohio- I have criss-crossed the Buckeye State about twenty times. The first was in 1972, and I spent a night at Ohio State University, on my way back from Colorado and Kansas City. I visited my brother and sister-in-law four times, when they lived in the Cleveland area, in different suburbs. Toledo, Lima, Van Wert, Springfield, Bellefontaine, Mansfield, Columbus, Zanesville, Youngstown, Canton, Chillicothe and East Palestine have all rolled out the welcome mat at different times. Cincinnati has always been off the track, for no reason other than I was ever headed either too far north or too far south. It remains on my radar screen.

The turf- Most of western and central Ohio is flat, with considerable tree cover, aside from areas of heavy agricultural use. The Ohio River Valley and the eastern 1/3 of the state is rather rugged mountains and ravines. The Hocking Hills are foothills of the Appalachians, and cover the southeast quadrant of Ohio. The state is drained by the Ohio, Maumee, Ottawa, Auglaize, Little Auglaize, Toussaint, Portage, Sandusky, Huron, Vermillion, Black, Cuyahoga, Grand, Great Miami, Scioto, Tuscarawas, and Mahoning Rivers, as well as their tributaries. Ohio has 293 miles of shoreline along Lake Erie, thus giving the Buckeye State the longest shore along that Great Lake, outside of Ontario.

Ohio has a statewide hiking and biking trail, the Buckeye Trail, which encircles from the Cleveland area, south to Marietta, then west to Chillicothe and Cincinnati, before heading north through Springfield and Dayton, heading back to the east at Defiance, and ending at Painesville, northeast of Cleveland.

First Nations-Ohio is the ancestral home of the Shawnee, Kickapoo, Erie, Ottawa, Seneca, Wyandot, Miami and Lenape peoples. The ancestors of some of these nations built an extensive system of mounds, throughout southern and central Ohio, The most prominent of these are found in the Chillicothe area. The largest is Serpent Mound, a National Historical Site., as is Hopewell. Miamisburg and Alligator Mounds are also well-preserved.

In the Nineteenth Century, European settlers began arriving in Ohio, in earnest. Flawed treaties, such as the Treaty of Greenville(1814), resulted in the removal of the Erie (who blended in with other tribes), Wyandot and Miami. The Shawnee, largest of the First Nations in Ohio, were largely forced to move to what is now Oklahoma. The last Wyandots were removed to Kansas, in 1843. Today, there are no Federally or state-recognized First Nations groups in Ohio.

Where I most feel at home- Mansfield, Zanesville, Euclid, Conneaut, Toledo,

Where I most feel at peace- Hopewell National Historic Site, Van Wert

NEXT: We head back to the Southeast, and Alabama.

The Hana Chronicles: Month 9, Day 28

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Posted by on in children, Hiking and Nature, Historical, Personal Values, Social, Travel

October 19, 2026- Hana continues to help us, in small ways. She picks a diaper and other items, when it is changing time. She will carry a small item, while practicing walking around the house, or even going up the stairs, with assistance, of course.

We went on another long walk around Hoblitzelle Park, this time going clear to the end of the main park, which features a fountain in the middle of a small pond-at the edge of a Senior Living complex. It lies along Alma Drive, after which the Park’s main path veers west, and brings one back to the heart of the park.

We stopped at the home of a neighbour, who bakes sourdough bread and other delights. I bought a couple of items and reminded her that we were the family for whom she had baked a 100-Day (Baek-il) cake, back in late March, and it was for Hana. She was delighted to finally meet the baby. She looks forward to baking Hana’s first birthday cake, in December.

HANA’S NOTE– I spotted some new toys this afternoon, while playing up in my future bedroom. It is fun up there.

EXPANDING CIRCLES: Indiana- I have been up, down and all around the Hoosier State, a couple of dozen times, since 1972. My first time there was in a van, headed for Columbus. I have also been on several Greyhounds that crossed Indiana in the middle of the night. Intentional stops, though, have been rewarding: An arts conference, in Greencastle (1983) saw Penny take the stage and sing with a professional singer. Solo stops, since 2011, have included camping at Indiana Dunes; exploration of the Lafayette area; a stop at a Ceramics School, in Muncie; watching fireworks at a cornfield, outside Logansport; a couple of visits to a refuge for exotic animals, in Goshen; checking in with friends in Indianapolis; visiting extended family in Jeffersonville and several overnight visits with two friends in Mishawaka.

The turf- Indiana has two plains regions-the northern third of the state and riparian plain in the south, along the Ohio River. The central region, and most of the south, consist of rolling plains, shaped by glaciation. Indiana is drained by the Ohio, Wabash, Maumee, St. Joseph, White and Kankakee Rivers, along with their tributaries. The state has 45 miles of shore along Lake Michigan, that are striking for the magnificent dunes that were left by glaciation.

First Nations-Indiana is the ancestral home of the Shawnee, Bodewadmi, ,Myaamia,and Lenape peoples. Mound builders were active here, as they were in Illinois, Iowa, Ohio and Missouri. Angel Mounds, near Evansville, is a prominent surviving example of their work. The Pokagon Band of Bodewadmi Nation is a Federally-recognized community in South Bend.

There were several clashes between white settlers and Shawnee & Bodewadmi people, especially in western Indiana. The most famous of these was the Battle of Tippecanoe, in 1811. Shawnee leaders Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa (Tens-KWA-tawa, or “The Prophet”) led opposition to European-American settlement around Lafayette and Terre Haute. Their community, Prophetstown, was primarily agricultural and quite advanced. William Henry Harrion, then governor of Indiana Territory, organized a force of 1,000 men to attack Prophetstown. At first, Harrison wanted to parlay with Tenskwatawa. The morning of the meeting, Shawnee warriors attacked Harrison’s camp, but were defeated after two hours of fighting. Harrison then led his men to Prophetstown and burned it to the ground, destroying food stuffs and other supplies. The Shawnee had evacuated to nearby forests and did not resume fighting with the Indiana militia. Tecumseh and his most ardent followers joined the British effort in Canada, during the War of 1812. Tecumseh hiself was killed. in the Battle of the Thames (1813), in what is now Ontario. Prophetstown today has been restored and is an Indiana State Park.

Where I feel most at home- Lafayette, Indiana Dunes, Mishawaka, Goshen, Richmond, Muncie

Where I feel most at peace- Prophetstown, Mishawaka, Goshen, Indian Dunes

NEXT: Michigan