They have driven us from the great salt water, forced us over the mountains and would shortly push us into the lakes. He told Harrison: ‘The Indians were once a happy race, but now are made miserable by the white people, who are never contented, but always encroaching. But during those years, William Henry Harrison, a military man who became governor of Indiana Territory, used liquor, oratory and ceremonial pomp to persuade various chiefs to surrender 50 million acres.īy 1805, Tecumseh was traveling between the Appalachians and the Mississippi persuading other tribes to join his confederacy. After that there was a period of relative peace between 17. Nor could he prevent chiefs of other tribes from signing the Treaty of Greenville, thus ceding all of what is now the state of Ohio and part of Indiana to the whites. At the Battle of Fallen Timbers, Tecumseh was the greatest rallying force for the Indians, many times stopping retreats and inspiring them to stand and fight, but he could not prevent a crushing defeat. Officials in George Washington’s administration feared a great and powerful alliance of the tribes, and the president sent Maj. Tecumseh led raiding parties on white settlements and helped defeat two armies sent out to subdue the Indians. Filled with bitterness, he swore vengeance on the Long Knives.īy the early 1790s, white Americans were traveling down the Ohio River, turning north and settling on Shawnee hunting grounds. When he was 6 years old, after invading Virginia frontiersmen killed his father, his mother took him to the spot and cried out to him: ‘Avenge! Avenge!’ At age 12, too young to be a warrior, Tecumseh watched George Rogers Clark and some 1,000 men defeat his people and burn his town. Tecumseh the Shawnee, Red Cloud the Oglala Sioux and Sitting Bull the Hunkpapa Sioux all had the right stuff to become legends.īorn around 1768 somewhere near present-day Springfield, Ohio, Tecumseh developed an early hatred for the white man’s steady encroachment into Indian homelands. Only a few of them, however, had the diplomatic skills and charisma to go beyond leading their own bands and their own tribes to form and lead intertribal alliances. Many brave and wise Indian leaders appeared and gained respect and fame in the late 18th and early 19th century. Read more about Red Cloud.Ĭhief Seattle: Chief Seattle was of the Duwamish people and reportedly gave a great speech in 1854 that brought everyone together. He was known for fighting for the rights of Indian chiefs rather than just fighting the army. Red Cloud: Chief Red Cloud was leader of the Lakota tribe and a key player in the Red Cloud War. Later they were involved in Pontiac’s Rebellion. The tribe was allies to the French during the French and Indian war. Read more about Will Rogers.Ĭhief Pontiac: Pontiac was chief of the Ottawa Indian tribe. He started as a cowboy and then performed with the Wild West show before getting involved with movies. Will Rogers: Will Rogers was one of the most famous performers of the 1930s. He was an integral part to gathering the tribes as part of the Iroquois Confederacy. Hiawatha: Hiawatha was the leader of either the Onondagas or the Mohawk tribe of Indians.
He maintained peace with Americans for several years until members of his family were killed. Read more about Black Hawk.Ĭochise: Cochise was chief of the Apache Indians covering territory that expanded over New Mexico and Arizona.
He was involved in the War of 1812 and integral to the Black Hawk war. Read more about Geronimo.īlack Hawk: Black Hawk was the leader of a group of Sauk and Fox Indians. His wife and family were killed by Mexican soldiers and sparked is vengeance and resistance against them. Geronimo: Geronimo was the leader of the Apache tribe. This was a vision to unite the tribes East of the Mississippi as an independent nation. Tecumseh: Tecumseh was the chief of the Shawnee Tribe and responsible for forming Tecumseh’s Confederacy. Pocahontas: Pocohontas was a Powhatan Indian who saved Captain John Smith’s life, married a colonist, and served as a peace activist between colonists and Native Americans. Sacagawea: Sacagawea was the Native American Woman who served as a guide for the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Sitting Bull: Sitting Bull was a hero, a soldier and one of the best leaders of all time, who lived his life fighting for the rights of his people and died defending them. He will always be remembered as a hero in the last battles against the all-conquering Europeans. List of Native American Chiefs and leaders:Ĭrazy Horse: Crazy Horse will always be remembered as one of the great Native Indian warriors who fought to the last. Facts, information and articles about Native American Indian Chiefs from the history of the Wild West