Pontiac or Obwandiyag (c. 1720 – April 20, 1769) is an Odawa war chief who becomes noted for his role in Pontiac's War (1763–1766), an American Indian struggle against British military occupation of the Great Lakes region and named for him.
It follows the British victory in the French and Indian War, the North American front of the Seven Years' War.
Pontiac's importance in the war that bears his name has been debated.
Nineteenth-century accounts portray him as the mastermind and leader of the revolt, but some subsequent scholars will argue that his role had been exaggerated.
Historians today generally view him as an important local leader who influenced a wider movement that he did not command.
The war begins in May 1763 when Pontiac and three hundred followers attempt o take Fort Detroit by surprise.
His plan is foiled, so Pontiac lays siege to the fort, where he is eventually joined by more than nine hundred warriors from a half-dozen tribes.
Meanwhile, messengers spread the word of Pontiac's actions, and the war expands far beyond Detroit.
In July 1763, Pontiac defeats a British detachment at the Battle of Bloody Run, but he is unable to capture the fort.
In October, he lifts the siege and withdraws to the Illinois Country.
Pontiac's influence declines around Detroit because of the unsuccessful siege, but he gains stature as he continues to encourage resistance to the British.
Seeking to end the war, British officials make him the focus of their diplomatic efforts.
In July 1766, he makes peace with British Superintendent of Indian Affairs Sir William Johnson.
The attention that the British pay to Pontiac results in resentment among other tribal leaders, as the war effort is decentralized and Pontiac claims greater authority than he possesses.
He is increasingly ostracized, then assassinated by a Peoria warrior in 1769.
