Which Ottawa chief led a rebellion after the war?

Pontiac was the Ottawa, or Odawa, chief associated with the rebellion that began after the French and Indian War. The uprising is commonly called Pontiac’s War and started in 1763, soon after Britain defeated France in North America.

Pontiac and his followers attacked or besieged British forts in the Great Lakes region, including an attempted surprise seizure of Fort Detroit. Indigenous resistance grew because British officials changed long-standing trade and diplomatic practices, reduced gift-giving, restricted access to ammunition, and permitted settlers to move into lands claimed by Indigenous nations.

The rebellion involved warriors from many nations and was not controlled entirely by Pontiac. Older histories often portrayed him as the single mastermind, but modern historians emphasize that the movement was decentralized. Pontiac was nevertheless an important local leader whose actions helped ignite and spread the wider resistance.

The conflict continued until peace negotiations concluded in 1766. Pontiac’s name remains attached to the war, although he did not command every Indigenous group that fought the British.