Final answer:
Pontiac used elements from Neolin's vision and traditional myths to motivate tribes in Pontiac's War. He made the myths relevant by linking their cultural decline to British influence and advocating the reformation of their ways and the expulsion of colonists.
Step-by-step explanation:
In his speeches, Pontiac used elements from traditional myths and the recent messages of Neolin to rally Native American tribes against British colonization. The elements that sound as though they were part of the original myth include prophecies, mystical visions, and spiritual messages regarding the relationship between the Native Americans and the land, as well as their cultural and religious practices. In his vision, Neolin visits heaven and sees the punishments of hell, declaring the British as an obstructive force to the path to heaven, possibly referencing traditional beliefs about spiritual journeys and the afterlife.
Pontiac made the myth relevant to the current situation by connecting the neglect of traditional ways and the adoption of white culture to the misfortunes facing the tribes. He advocated for a return to aboriginal rituals and the driving out of British influences, using the prophet's message as a rallying cry to form a confederacy against the British, urging purification and reformation of their ways to restore balance and expel the colonists.
Pontiac's Rebellion highlighted the reliance of Ohio Valley tribes on French trade and the weak grasp of the British over the region. This conflict, fueled by both cultural preservation and the fight against colonization, led to Great Britain enacting the Proclamation of 1763, which demarcated lands for the Native Americans separate from the British colonies. In this turbulent period, narratives like Neolin's became a source of inspiration for resistant movements such as Pontiac's War.