Is there anything known about an Indian chief Podteach, who declared himself as 'Emporer of all American Indians' in 1767. He introduced leathercoins. I found the article in a paper of the Holy Empire from July 31, 1767.

Dear Mr. Nicoly,

Thank you for reaching out to the History Hub with your question. After conducting a quick search for this mysterious Chief Podteach, I could not find anything that would give further information about who he was and what he did. That doesn’t mean there aren’t other resources out there that can help you find this individual, but it might involve a deeper look into early Native American resources.

Is there any other significant material in the paper about this individual? The more details you can gather, the better. You mention in your statement that this person introduced “leathercoins”. Did the paper give any more detail as to what that refers to? The phrase “leather coin” could mean a physical coin made from leather (which would have been more prominent in Eastern Europe or parts of East Asia than in America), or that term could refer to the fur trade and fur as a valuable commodity. Because the year is 1767, the American fur trade might be a better possibility.

The Archives Library Information Center (ALIC) from the National Archives has a very helpful guide to “Indians/Native Americans” resources that include topics like National Archives holdings, National Park Service resources, genealogical resources, information about treaties and laws, etc. It may be tough to sift through all of that information, but it could provide you with better context to learn more about this mysterious Chief Podteach. That index of helpful resources can be found here.

You can also contact the staff at the National Museum of the American Indian to see if there is someone who is familiar with “Chief Podteach”, or if there are other resources you can search to find out more about this individual. A list of the museum’s staff and their respective fields can be found here.

We wish you luck in your research, and if you have any more questions please feel free to write to us again. Thank you for contacting the History Hub!