James Clark was born in Ohio, and as a child, he endured the grueling overland winter removal from Ohio to Kansas in 1832. He was the son of Kom-chaw, who served as Ottawa chief in Kansas during the late 1840s and 1850s. Clark joined the tribal council in the late 1860s and later became chief.

He spoke the Ottawa language and used an interpreter when addressing public gatherings of whites. His tombstone bears the word “Deacon,” and during his tenure as chief, Indian Agent D.B. Dyer noted that the Ottawas “have a high regard for religion.” A temperance movement flourished under Clark’s influence, and blue insignia of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union became a common sight among Ottawa members.