About Shavehead Lake
Shavehead Lake, a pristine 289-acre horseshoe-shaped gem located in Cass County, Michigan, just north of Elkhart, Indiana and near South Bend, the home of the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Chief Shavehead and the history of our lake
Shavehead Lake sits upon the tribal lands of the Bodéwadmi (Potawatomi) nation. It is named after Chief Shavehead, who led a small band of Potawatomi in Cass County. He was given the name Shavehead by settlers because he followed the custom of shaving the front part of his head, leaving a long braid at the back. No known documentation of his name in his own language exists.
Chief Shavehead lived during the late 1700s and early 1800s. This was a difficult period for Tribal Nations. The American government was taking land from Tribal Nations for settlers to occupy, clear and farm. Treaties between 1821 and 1833 dispossessed the Potawatomi of all their homelands in Southwest Michigan. Chief Shavehead refused to sign any of these treaties.
Chief Shavehead’s way of life, as a Potawatomi person, depended on a deep connection to the land. Potawatomi people created a patchwork of ecosystems which nurtured biodiversity in Southwest Michigan. Oak savannas and prairies (created with prescribed fires by the Potawatomi), forests, rivers, wetlands, and lakes combined to provide everything the Potawatomi people needed for hunting, gathering, gardening, and shelter. As the population increased with white settlers, the indigenous animal population declined. As a result, food was much harder to come by for Chief Shavehead and his band of Potawatomi. In addition, the American government reneged on its deal with the tribes and refused to pay the promised money. As a result, Chief Shavehead and his people faced both poverty and starvation, which added to his hostility towards the new settlers and other tribal chiefs who signed treaties with the government. On occasions when Chief Shavehead tried to adapt to the new reality, he often faced beatings from the faction of settlers who feared Indigenous people. He became known by both settlers and Potawatomi people as a warrior who was sullen and hostile.
While many Potawatomi people were forcibly removed from the area by the United States government, Shavehead spent his last days in Cass County, exempted from removal as a Catholic Potawatomi of Southwest Michigan (Clifton, 1984). Many tales told over the years about Shavehead have likely been exaggerated. His manner of death and final resting place are unknown and vary across different accounts, yet his presence in the area is well documented and undisputed.
As we enjoy his namesake lake, let us respect and acknowledge the struggles that he and his people endured.
For more information, please read this article by Jeannie Watson (https://www.migenweb.org/cass/Profiles/Watson/ShaveheadBio7.pdf).
Other references:
Clifton, James. (1984). The Pokagons, 1683-1983: Catholic Potawatomi Indians of the St. Joseph River Valley. University Press of America.
Written in April 2026 by Shelly DeMott (Shavehead Lake Association), edited by Amy Huser (Camp Friedenswald staff), Lisa Schirch (Peace Studies Professor at Notre Dame), and Kyle LaMott (Advanced Language Specialist with Pokagon Band)