National Longhouse

The youth of today have many choices and opportunities for inter and extracurricular activities. Baseball, soccer, and dance to name a few are all excellent programs which allow a child to develop in a fulfilling way. Despite their opportunities for individual growth, such programs rarely strengthen the father-child relationship. Dads lose the chance to have quality father-child interaction when their children are dropped off at an activity that is supervised by another adult, or where they watch only as bystanders.

Fortunately, the Tarhe Longhouse of the NATIONAL LONGHOUSE® program is entirely different! This program enables "one on one" interaction because it requires the father to enroll with the child. The father shares in the participation of meetings, activities, and outings. Having this type of direct interaction strengthens father-child bonds. Making sure a child has his or her own special time with dad is important in developing the skills needed to build one-on-one relationships later on in adult life.

History of Tarhe

Tarhe was born near present-day Detroit, Michigan, in 1742. He was a member of the Wyandot Indians and eventually became one of their chiefs. Tarhe was also known by the nickname “The Crane.” Legend states that this name is in reference to his tall, slender build.

Like most Indians, Tarhe opposed white settlement of the Ohio Country. He fought to prevent the invasion of Indian land. In 1763, the British, in the Proclamation of 1763, told their colonists not to move west of the Appalachian Mountains because the land belonged to the Indians. Few settlers listened. As more settlers moved onto Indian lands, fighting increased between the two groups. In 1774, the governor of Virginia, Lord John Murray Dunmore, sent troops to conquer the Indians. Tarhe assisted Cornstalk, a chief of the Shawnee Indians, against the whites. Unfortunately for the natives, the whites emerged victorious from Lord Dunmore's War.

Following Lord Dunmore's War, Tarhe generally supported peace between the Indians and the white settlers. He eventually led the Wyandots into battle again-this time at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. General Anthony Wayne led the American forces and defeated the Indians. Once again, Tarhe supported making peace with the settlers and signed the Treaty of Greenville. Even after the Treaty of Greenville, other Indian leaders, including Tecumseh, were calling for the natives to unite against the settlers. Tarhe advised the Wyandots to honor the treaty that they had signed.

In 1812, the British and Americans went to war again. Although Tarhe was in his seventies, he fought in the conflict as an ally of the American troops. He was present at the Battle of the Thames. After the War of 1812, Tarhe settled near Upper Sandusky and remained there until he died in 1818 at the age of 76.

(Source: Ohio History Central, Columbus, OH)