Tecumseh was born on March 9, 1768, at a Shawnee Indian village probably near the modern city of Xenia, Ohio. His name most likely referred to a stellar constellation conceived of in Shawnee lore as a cougar, giving rise to translations as either “Shooting Star” or “Crouching Panther.” His father, Puckeshinwa, patron of Tecumseh’s panther clan, was a war chief who fought against European expansion west of the Appalachians but was killed in 1774 at the Battle of Point Pleasant, a defeat that resulted in a treaty forcing the Shawnee to give up any claims to Kentucky. Two of Tecumseh’s older brothers were also killed fighting against the Americans.