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Indigenous North Americans became involved in the War of 1812 as British Allies. The British wanted to use Indigenous Forces to defend British North American colonies (future Canada) from American invaders. The Indigenous people involved in the War of 1812 can be considered the "losing side" of the war-- while nothing really changed for the American, British, or "future Canadian" forces, Native Americans suffered greatly. In America, Indigenous communities were forced to give up their land and live on reserves as a result of the war. In future Canada, the war divided Indigenous groups. British forces no longer had a use for Indigenous support, so Indigenous people lost much of the power they had gained by allying with the British.

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From an Indigenous perspective, the War of 1812 was an opportunity to form an alliance with the British. They hoped that in return, the British would support Indigenous groups in the fight against American expansion.

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Fort Mackinac - for Indigenous people, the war began at Fort Mackinac. Indigenous people helped British forces capture the American outpost at Mackinac. In return, the British helped Indigenous people in the short-term expulsion of Americans from the region of Upper Mississippi.
The Battle of the Thames - in 1813, Americans achieved naval victory at Lake Eerie. This disrupted British supply lines, forcing the British to abandon their territory in the regions of Detroit and southwestern Upper Canada. Although Tecumseh (see "Key Personalities") objected, British and Indigenous forces retreated up the Thames River. Tecumseh died in the Battle of the Thames, and the coalition of Indigenous forces was broken. As a result of the battle, some Indigenous groups sought peace with America.
Red Sticks - named for their red war clubs, this Indigenous group decided to wage war on the U.S. in 1813 when Americans began building roads through Indigenous territory and adopting pro-European (and anti-Indigenous) ideals. Initially, the Red Sticks were victorious in the capture of Fort Mims, but they were defeated by Andrew Jackson at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.

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"....There is no argument about who lost [the War of 1812]. Historians on all sides agree that the Indigenous peoples of North America suffered huge losses as a result of the war." -- Canada's History, Who Really Won the War of 1812?

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See "Key Artifacts" for info.

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Tenskwatawa - He started to form alliances with military resistance when the British and Americans started to expand into Native American territory.
Tecumseh - He made an assumption that the British were going to conquer the US and quickly argued to become an ally and fight alongside them in the war.
Oshawana - He attended many of the Native American's councils and was a typical young warrior who fought in the War of 1812.
Hillis Hadjo - He and his "Red Sticks" team won several battles and captured the American outpost at Fort Mims. They were, however, defeated in 1814 by American President Andrew Jackson during the battle of Horseshoe Bend.

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Trail of Tears Coin - a coin that commemorates the "Trail of Tears", which refers to the last significant removal of the Cherokee in 1838 (see "Legacy").
Tecumseh Coin - this coin was issued in 2006 to commemorate Tecumseh's death (see "Battle of the Thames").
Chief's Medal - a medal issued by the British to an Indigenous ally in 1814. The medal depicts King George III and the British coat of arms.

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Indian Removal Act/Trail of Tears - Many Native Americans who fought against the United States were driven out of their homelands and were relocated near the Mississippi River.

Shingwaukonse - He and other leaders tried to secure economic and political independence by using diplomacy for their communities. They were located in upper Canada in present day Ontario.

Wapahaska (Whitecap) - When the whitecap nation first came to Canada (1862) their chief showed an alliance medal to the British from 1812 to remind them of their relationship with each other.