Tecumseh’s father was Puckshinwa (in Shawnee, Puckeshinwau, meaning “Alights from Flying”, “Something that drops” or “I light from flying”), a minor Shawnee war chief of the Kispoko (“Dancing Tail” or “Panther”) band and the Panther Clan of the tribe. Puckshinwa’s father was Muscogee (Creek) and his mother was Shawnee. Either because his father died when he was young or because among the Creeks a husband lives with his wife’s family, Puckshinwa was considered a Shawnee.

Tecumseh’s mother was Methotaske (in Shawnee, Methoataaskee, meaning “[One who] Lays Eggs in the Sand” or “A turtle laying eggs in the sand”), Puckshinwa’s second wife. She is believed to have been Shawnee through her father and her mother, possibly of the Pekowi band and the Turtle Clan.