The Native Americans didn't have Christmas to celebrate, but they did have the winter solstice. When the days were so brief and the air so cold what people wouldn't feel the need to get together and spread holiday cheer?

When we talk about Ohio residents, though keep in mind that the Indian tribes were not particularly stationary. While many did farm corn, squash, and other crops, they were primarily hunter cultures. They were also in conflict with other bands, even more so when the European traders began to buy beaver pelts from them.

Eleven tribes played a major role in Ohio's history from 1600-1850. These are

1. The Wyandots -- Best known as the last tribe to leave Ohio, they found themselves on a small reservation where Upper Sandusky is now, surrounded by envious settlers. They were finally relocated to Kansas after a series of broken treaties (by the U.S. government) stripped them of their land.
2. The Mingo -– relatives of the Iroquois, the Mingo passed through Ohio in the mid to late 1700's. Chief Logan, who gave a famous speech at Logan's Elm, was the most famous of their people.
3. The Shawnee -– Residents of Ohio in the 1600's, they were driven out by the Five Nations of the Iroquois only to return. They are related to the Miami and Delaware tribes, all speakers of Algonquin-derived languages. The Shawnee fought fiercely against the encroachment of settlers, led by warriors such as Tecumseh and Cornstalk. William Henry Harrison defeated the Shawnee at the Battle of Tippiecanoe in 1811.
4. The Erie -- the name means 'cat', so the Eries were known as the Cat People. Traditional enemies of the Iroquois, the Erie were virtually extirpated by them in 1656.
5. The Chippewa -- now spelled Ojibwa, this tribe was early an partner of the French in the fur trade. They were among the native forces defeated by Gen. Wayne at the Battle of Fallen Timbers.
6. The Delaware –- also known as the Lenape, the Delaware first appeared in Ohio after being forced from their east coast lands by the Europeans and the Iroquois. Some of the Delaware of east central Ohio embraced the Christian Moravian religion, but were nonetheless killed by settlers in the Gnadenhutten Massacre of 1782.
7. The Seneca -- a branch of the New York Senecas of the Iroquois nation, these Senecas settled in northern Ohio during the 1700's. They eventually joined other Ohio tribes in opposing the Iroquois.
8. The Kickapoo -- Shawnee for 'wanderer', these tribes, closely related to the Sauk and Fox clans of the Upper Great Lakes, retreated from Ohio in the face of settler pressure. The moved gradually southwest, eventually forced onto reservations in Kansas and Oklahoma.
9. The Miami -- Originally moved into Ohio's Maumee Valley in the early 1700's and quickly became the most powerful tribe in the state. They controlled the most popular French trade route between Montreal and New Orleans, and were often central in French-English competition for trade and control of the region. Their village of Pickwanilly, near Piqua, was perhaps the most famous Native American town in Ohio. Little Turtle was their most famous leader.
10. The Ottawa --Moved from the Ottawa River region of Canada in the 1740's and settled in Northwestern Ohio. Like most tribes, they were caught amongst the three anvils of expansionism: French, British and American.
11. The Honniasont -- also known as the Black Mingua, the name is Iroquois for "wearing something around their neck," referring to the black badge the tribe wore. The Honniasont were offshoots of the Erie who left the northeastern Ohio area before 1680.

Of course, there are countless other peoples that have populated our state, including the Hopewell and Moundbuilders. But if I'd included everybody, we wouldn't have a neat 11 to celebrate the 11th day of Ohio Christmas.

Photo- Bill Moose Crowfoot, the last Wyandot Chief in Ohio