Menawa, War Chief

Menawa, Hothlepoya (ca. 1765 – After 1837) was a principal leader of the Red Sticks during the Creek Wars of 1814

Menawa, was born about 1765 at the village of Oakfuskee located on the Tallapoosa River, the site is now covered by the lower part of Lake Martin in present-day Tallapoosa County, Alabama. He was also known as Great Warrior and was a military leader of the Creek (Muscogee) people. Like many of the Creek leaders of his era, he was of mixed Scottish and American Indian ancestry.

Hothlepoya (Crazy Trouble Hunter) was name given to Menawa during his "career" stealing horses and raising havoc in the Cumberland Valley of Tennessee. It is unknown what name he was given when he was born. He later became known as Menawa (Great Warrior).

During the Creek War, he was one of the principal leaders of the "Red Sticks" or Upper Creeks, who went to war against the United States. Menawa was War Chief and second in command at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend at the end of the Creek War. He was wounded seven times during the battle, but he escaped and survived his wounds.

After the war, Menawa continued to oppose the encroachment on Creek lands. On April 30, 1825, he led the party that assassinated Lower Creek Chief William McIntosh, who had signed Treaty of Indian Springs.

Menawa was a member of the Creek National Council led by Opothleyahola that went to Washington D.C., in 1826, to oppose the Treaty of Indian Springs. The Creek leaders signed the Treaty of Washington (1826), which nullified the Treaty of Indian Springs. In this new treaty, the Creek ceded land to Georgia—in compensation, they received an immediate payment of $217,660 and a perpetual annuity of $20,000.

Menawa was in a detachment of more than 2,000 Creeks who were force to travel to Oklahoma in 1836-1837. While many sources claim that Menawa died during the Trail of Tears of the Creek on the way to Oklahoma, the leader of the detachment, Lt. Deas. did not report Menawa's death to his superiors or to Washington D.C. Someone of Menawa's importance would have been reported. So, it is believe that Menawa did make it to Oklahoma, but the place of his death and burial place are unknown.