This son of a famous Sioux chief was celebrated as an outstanding Indian diplomat. He was known to the French as La Feuille (The Leaf), but various translations and the twisted versions of Indian names in the logbooks of explorers, especially Pike and Long, finally resulted in the name of Waapashaw or the more popuplar Wabasha. There were three chiefs of the same name, father, son, and grandson. The original Wabasha held a balance of power in the West during the last years of the Revolution when British agents tried to incite an Indian border war to divert some of Washington's troops. Wabasha successfully juggled both sides until peace arrived, then calmy claimed presents from the British and Americans for not declaring war. The chief was described by General Henry Whiting in 1820 as a small man with a patch over one eye, but who walked about with the air of an ancient king.

[...]

Wabasha's importance is underscored by the number one position of his name above all the twenty-six chiefs at the signing of the Prairie du Chien treaty. He was also first on behalf of the "Sioux of the Mississippi" of another treaty made at Prairie du Chien.

[...]

At the Prairie du Chien council the Winnebago made secret plans to massacre the United States commissioner. When Wabasha heard about it he summoned the Winnebago.

In the council house the warriors formed a wide circle about their chiefs as Wabasha entered. He stared down at them in silence, then plucked a hair from his long scalp lock and held it up.

"Winnebagoes! do you see this hair? Look at it. You threaten to massacre the white people at the Prairie. They are your friends and mine. You wish to drink their blood. Is that your purpose?"
His voice rose, cold and grim.
"Dare to lay a finger upon one of them, and I will blow you from the face of the earth, as I now"-he blew the hair from his fingers-blow this hair with my breath, where none can find it."

[...]The next morning not a single Winnebago was left in camp.