Life Joc-O-Sot was born circa 1810 of the Meskwaki tribe, whose home was based around present-day
Iowa. His father's name was Katuchasha, who secured the honorific name "The Bear" through his exploits in war against the
Osage Nation. The Meskwaki allied themselves with the
Sauk people in the
Black Hawk War, and although he personally made effort to prevent that war Joc-O-Sot fought in the conflict as a Meskwaki leader, and as a result suffered notable wounds. Within a couple of years after the war he relocated to the
Cleveland, Ohio area and directed expeditions of fishing and hunting. His first theatrical appearance occurred in
Cincinnati and proved highly popular, and the act continued across the Eastern United States. Encouraged by Marble, Joc-O-Sot joined in 1844 a company headed by
William Vincent Wallace which was to tour England. Joc-O-Sot was not in England very long before he became ill from what was likely
tuberculosis and left for the United States of his own accord, his planned destination being home near
Fort Leavenworth, Missouri. Evidently he stopped at Washington, D.C., on a diplomatic mission on behalf of his people to President
John Tyler, and then headed to Montreal, Canada for the same purpose, making several goodwill stops along the way. He walked as far as
Buffalo, New York, at which point his failing health prevented him from walking further. In all likelihood his remains were
body-snatched for the purpose of medical research, in any case his body was confirmed as removed in 1882 Cleveland city records. The tombstone was fractured into three pieces in 1877 when the cemetery caretaker was maintaining a tree at the gravesite, and a heavy limb fell upon it. It was repaired with rivets, but by 1884 was in pieces again. This original tombstone was further damaged by vandals in 1907. ==Status as Chief==