Sculpture Guide: Little Turtle

Little Turtle (Michikinikwa)

By Doug Hyde
2008

Location: South of the building

Little Turtle (1747 – 1812) was a famous chief of the Miami people, who were located in and around present day Ohio. A military commander, Little Turtle, along with Shawnee chief Tecumseh, unsuccessfully fought the resistance of white settlement in the Ohio Territory against the U.S. Army.

Here, artist Doug Hyde portrays Little Turtle in a pose of forward motion; his right hand grasps his tomahawk cautiously, while his left arm, draped in wampum belts, is held out front in a sign of peace, signaling the chief’s intention for peace, but will to fight if necessary.

Doug Hyde (b. 1946). Little Turtle (Michikinikwa). Bronze, H 149 x W 73. Loan from a Private Collection. L.359.2011.1