During his youth he befriended the agents of King Louis XV of France and encouraged trade between the French and Dakota nations.
Several incidents that took place during the French and Indian War made English trappers apprehensive about returning to the Mississippi River valley.
When he returned home, Wapasha became a war chief and his warriors fought in the American Revolution against the Ojibwe, along with the Sauk and Fox, allied to British and loyalist forces.
First and foremost concerned for his people's freedom and survival, Wapasha's part in the war depended on which side would ensure open trade and protection from encroaching enemies.
The Dakota eventually repelled their enemies, but Wapasha narrowly escaped a smallpox epidemic that struck his entire village.