The First Man of Ashes: The Origin Story of the Piqua Indians

Last Updated on May 22, 2025 by Avia

I was fortunate enough to encounter this story while I was working on a book project about Native American legends. I had the privilege of speaking with a Shawnee elder while traveling down the Chattahoochee River, and he shared the origin story of the Piqua Indians. With permission, I respectfully adapted the tale from the Shawnee oral tradition. While I modernized the language for readability, the heart of the legend (and its lessons) remains true to its people. I share it not to claim ownership, but to honor the wisdom, courage, and spiritual teachings embedded in it. Why? Because Indigenous stories are sacred vessels of identity, guidance, and cultural continuity. So, I share this with you to pass on the power of Native heritage in hopes you will take the wisdom here and share it with others to keep the legend of these incredibly noble people alive today.

A Note on Shawnee Divisions

The Shawnee Nation is composed of five traditional divisions, each with its own origin stories, duties, and responsibilities. These include the Mekoche, Kispoko, Hathawekela, Chillicothe, and the Piqua. The story you’re about to read is a foundational legend explaining how the Piqua division came into being. According to Shawnee tradition, the Piqua people descended from a miraculous figure…the “Man Made of Ashes”…who rose from sacred fire as a gift from the Great Spirit. This legend holds deep meaning for the Piqua and continues to be passed down through generations.

About the Piqua Division

The state of Alabama has long been the home of the Shawnee people, including the Piqua division. In the Shawnee language, Piqua (traditionally spelled Pekowiiθa) means “ashes” or “dust.” The Piqua are remembered as the people who rose from the ashes, who carried the ashes on their feet, and who walk in the sacred memory of rebirth and transformation. As descendants of the Ancestral Algonquians, the Piqua hold a unique and powerful origin story that reflects the strength, endurance, and spiritual guidance of their lineage.

The Origin Story of the Piqua Indians

A long time ago...back when the stars were brighter and the rivers louder...the Shawnee people were split over a decision: go to war with the Walkullas, or not. 

The Walkullas were a neighboring tribe that lived near Burning Water Lake, which bordered the Shawnee territory. While the two tribes generally lived peacefully, some conflicts and squabbles cropped up in their long-term history as they lived in proximity to each other. Hence, the big debate as to whether or not the Shawnee should advance upon the Walkullas to gain control of their land & resources so they could expand the Shawnee territory.

Some Shawnee elders, chiefs, and priests urged caution. They warned that the Walkullas were strong, clever, and deeply connected to their Spirits. But the younger Shawnee warriors, led by a bold fighter named Head Buffalo Man, were itching for blood and glory.

"Our fathers beat their fathers," the young warriors bragged. "We can do it too! We will return in two moons with scalps and prisoners!"

The elders rolled their eyes. "We'll be here, gathering nuts and watching the grass grow. Don’t say we didn’t warn you."

And so the young warriors painted their faces and marched off with Head Buffalo Man at the lead, dreaming of glory and the spoils of war.

Three moons passed.

No one came back.

Back at the Shawnee camp, whispers turned to worry. The head chief summoned the elders, the priests, and the gray-bearded warriors into the great wigwam. They asked Chenos, the oldest and wisest priest (a man so ancient he made oak trees look young) to see what had become of their sons.

Chenos closed his eyes and listened to the world. Then he spoke: “The young warriors had been slaughtered. The Walkullas had help...mysterious pale men with strange speech who hurled thunder and death from weapons never before seen. They had come riding the skies on great birds with white wings.”

A horrified cry rose across the village. Women wept. Men reached for their bows. But Chenos held up a hand.

"One still lives," he said. "He comes now. Tired. Wounded. Empty-handed, but carrying something... or someone."

Moments later, Head Buffalo Man entered, tall as a pine, silent as a shadow. His body was streaked with blood, his arm bound in deerskin. His quiver was empty.

"Where are our sons?" asked the head chief.

"They are gone. All slain by the Walkullas." said Head Buffalo Man.

A wail rose through the village.

But Head Buffalo Man spoke again.

He told the tale: the Shawnee attacked while the Walkullas were celebrating the Green Corn Dance, a sacred ritual of peace and gratitude. None of the Walkullas were painted for war. They were preparing offerings to the Great Spirit. But the Shawnee, sneaky as snakes, ambushed them.

At first, victory seemed certain. But then the strangers appeared...pale men with blazing hair and thunder in their hands. Their weapons struck like lightning. Many Shawnee fell. Head Buffalo Man was wounded, but he fought on. He took six scalps, one with golden hair.

The elders nodded. He had fought bravely. But Chenos frowned.

"You spilled blood during a sacred feast. You mixed death into a holy offering. This is why our sons fell. The Great Spirit is angry."

To atone, Chenos said Head Buffalo Man must sacrifice what he held most dear.

Head Buffalo Man offered a deer.

Chenos replied, "Not a deer."

The council then learned what Head Buffalo Man was hiding (the figure he was carrying upon his return to camp): he had taken a prisoner. A woman. Not a Walkulla, but a stranger. Pale as snow, red-cheeked like a spring flower. A "Daughter of the Sun," he called her.

He had hidden her beneath the sacred lightning tree. He brought her before the council. She trembled like a leaf in winter. The warriors stared, silent. The Old Eagle wept.

"She is mine," said Head Buffalo Man. "I fought for her. I protected her. She will be the mother of my children."

But the other warriors, full of grief, wanted revenge. "Burn her," they cried. "Make her pay for our dead sons!"

Chenos, again, urged patience. "Let her rest. Let the Great Spirit speak. If he wishes her sacrificed, he will say so."

That night, Head Buffalo Man slept at her door.

In the morning, a deer was sacrificed. Songs were sung. Chenos listened.

Nothing.

Then...a strange sound.

"The Great Turkey-Cock speaks!" cried Chenos.

He approached the fire and spoke in whispers.

"The Great Spirit says: let her live. She will become the mother of many."

Some were relieved. Others (still thirsty for vengeance) were not.

They climbed a mossy hill to the cave of Sketupah, the priest of the Evil Spirit. Crooked as a broken bow, with hair like grapes and eyes like coals, Sketupah demanded a blood sacrifice. Only then would his master answer.

They agreed.

Next morning, a sacrifice was made. Still, the Evil Spirit did not speak.

Until...a ball of hair rolled up the hill, unwound, and revealed a little man, dark as a raven, eyes green as spring grass, hair long and mossy like the tail of a comet.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Revenge," said Sketupah. "We want to burn the Daughter of the Sun."

"Then bring her."

They did.

Just as she was tied to the stake, Head Buffalo Man attacked...but the Evil Spirit blew on him, and he fell dead.

Chenos cried to the Great Spirit.

And far over the hills, two blazing stars flew toward the village. They were the eyes of the Great Spirit.

The Great Spirit came...a being taller than the sky. When he arrived, the Evil Spirit puffed up to match him.

"You lied," thundered the Great Spirit. "You promised to leave my people. This woman is mine. I gave her to the warrior you just killed. Leave, or be punished."

The Evil Spirit shrank, spun into his hair, and vanished.

The Great Spirit then became the size of a Shawnee, and spoke gently:

"I love the Shawnee. I always have. I sent you victories. I filled your forests and your fields. But you interrupted a sacred rite. That is why your sons fell.

"Now listen. Gather the ashes of your fire. Lay Head Buffalo Man's body in them. Burn a fire over him for two moons. Let it never go out. On the third moon, let the fire die. Then bring the Daughter of the Sun to the ashes."

Then he grew large again, spread wings of golden feathers, and flew away.

The Shawnee obeyed. They burned the fire. On the appointed day, they gathered around the ashes. The woman was brought forth.

Suddenly, the ashes stirred.

A figure rose.

"Piqua!" they shouted. "A man made of ashes!" It was Head Buffalo Man transformed and resurrected into the First Man of Ashes, whose name was Piqua (which later became the name of the Piqua division of the Shawnee).

He stood tall, handsome, shining.

"Give me paint. A bow. A club. A wife."

He looked at the Daughter of the Sun. Then to the chief.

"She is mine."

"Who are you?" the chief asked.

"The Great Spirit made me. I am the man of ashes."

Chenos nodded. "It is the will of the Great Spirit. From this union shall rise a new people: the Piqua."

And so it was.

We are Piqua.

Born of spirit, fire, and love.

Characters & Their Archetypes

I thought it would be helpful to you, dear reader, to understand the main characters. Here are the main players in the story, and their archetypal roles played, so you can more fully appreciate the significance of each personality in this Piqua origin story.

• Head Buffalo Man – The Warrior-Hero: Brave, passionate, and flawed. He charges ahead with boldness, but also learns the cost of reckless action and sacrifice.
• Chenos – The Wise Elder / Spiritual Guide: A priest and seer who acts as the intermediary between the people and the Great Spirit. Symbol of divine knowledge and restraint.
• The Head Chief – The Ruler: A leader trying to balance wisdom, tradition, and the emotional tide of his people.
• The Young Eagle – The Initiate / Youthful Spirit: A brave but still-growing warrior, representing the hopeful new generation.
• Old Eagle – The Grieving Elder / Shadow of Wisdom: He represents loss, mourning, and the generational voice of consequence.
• The Daughter of the Sun – The Divine Feminine / Innocent Stranger: A symbol of peace, compassion, and transformation. Through her, the future is reborn.
• Sketupah – The Dark Priest / Shadow Figure: Represents temptation, rage, and the chaotic path of vengeance.
• The Evil Spirit – The Antagonist / Trickster-Destroyer: Forces of imbalance and manipulation, drawing on human anger and pain.
• The Great Spirit / Master of Life – The Divine Source / Creator: Bringer of justice, balance, and rebirth. Offers both correction and healing.
• Piqua (The First Man of Ashes) – The Reborn / Divine Offspring: Born from sacrifice and fire, he symbolizes new beginnings and a future guided by spiritual balance.

Why Did Piqua (The Man of Ashes) Want Paint?

In Shawnee and many other Indigenous traditions, paint isn’t just decoration…it’s spiritual armor. It signals identity, intent, and readiness. Here’s what Piqua’s request symbolically represents:

• Initiation into Warriorhood
  Asking for paint is the first step in claiming identity as a warrior. He wasn’t just alive…he was ready to act, to defend, to fulfill his divine purpose. Paint marked him as a participant in the sacred responsibilities of his people.
• Honor and Ceremony
  War paint often accompanies major rites of passage, rituals, or sacred acts. Piqua rising from the ashes was not just a physical event…it was a ceremonial rebirth. The paint marked this transition and honored the spiritual forces that brought him forth.
• Connection to His Ancestors
  By asking for paint, he was connecting himself with the warriors who came before him. It was his way of stepping fully into the role destined for him…continuing the lineage of the Shawnee and fulfilling the will of the Great Spirit.
• Balance of Spirit and Action
  The story is rich in dualities: peace and war, destruction and creation, spiritual and earthly. Paint symbolizes this balance…it’s both an internal declaration and an external symbol. Piqua was born of spirit, but he needed tools (and symbols) to walk in the world.

Additional Symbols & Their Meanings in the Story

• Fire / Ashes – Transformation, purification, rebirth: The fire that burns Head Buffalo Man becomes the crucible from which a new people emerge.
• The Daughter of the Sun – Innocence, peace, and divine lineage: She is a bridge between worlds, carrying the promise of harmony and renewal.
• Thunder and Lightning – Unnatural force, disruption, colonizing power: These symbolize the intrusion of foreign, destructive influence.
• White Wings / Great Bird – The arrival of something beyond comprehension: Often interpreted as symbolic of colonizers’ ships or technologies.
• Green Corn Dance – Sacred ritual, balance, and gratitude: Interrupting it marks a grave spiritual misstep.
• Piqua (First Man of Ashes) – Phoenix archetype, new beginnings: He embodies the cycle of life, death, and rebirth through divine will.
• Sketupah’s Cave – Temptation, despair, shadow path: The hill and cave represent the descent into imbalance and the lure of darkness.

Potential Symbolic Lessons of the Piqua Origin Story

This Piqua origin tale is rich with layered meaning and cultural guidance. Here are its primary lessons:

• Reverence for the Sacred: The story teaches that disturbing what is holy, even in war, invites divine consequences. Honor sacred ceremonies, places, and times.
• The Danger of Impulse and Vengeance: Young warriors rushed into battle without wisdom, leading to loss. The desire for revenge nearly cost the people even more.
• The Value of Spiritual Counsel: Chenos, as the priest, consistently urges reflection, patience, and communion with the divine over reactive violence.
• Redemption and Renewal: From ashes and sorrow can rise new life. The man made of ashes (Piqua) represents hope, transformation, and a future shaped by spirit.
• Divine Justice Over Human Judgment: When the Great Spirit intervenes, the message is clear…vengeance must never override compassion or sacred duty.

The Last Word: Morals & Takeaways of the Piqua Legend

At its heart, the story of the Piqua teaches that even in the ashes of tragedy, new life can rise (if we walk with humility, reverence, and spirit-led wisdom). It warns against impulsive vengeance and the disruption of sacred order, reminding us that true strength is not in conquest alone but in listening to the will of the Creator. The Great Spirit does not reward bloodshed for its own sake, but honors those who seek balance, protection of the innocent, and renewal through sacrifice. 

From fire, grief, and wrongdoing comes the opportunity for transformation. But we must be willing to surrender pride and align with divine purpose. The birth of Piqua, the Man Made of Ashes, is a new beginning for a people, and it’s also a call to live with courage, compassion, and harmony with the sacred.

Mighty brightly,

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