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The history of the American West is obviously never complete without the tales of the many Americans who first lived on these vast lands.

Here, you'll find summaries of many of the chiefs, heroes, warriors, and medicine men that history records as significant in the westward expansion of the United States.

Though there were literally thousands of men and woman that could be mentioned, this ever growing list of individuals, begins with those most famous.

"The American Indian is of the soil, whether it be the region of forests, plains, pueblos, or mesas. He fits into the landscape, for the hand that fashioned the continent also fashioned the man for his surroundings. He once grew as naturally as the wild sunflowers, he belongs just as the buffalo belonged...."

 - Luther Standing Bear, Oglala Sioux Chief

Ogalala Sioux at an oasis in the Badlands, photo by

Edward S. Curtis, 1905.

This image available for photographic prints

 and downloads HERE!

.

Find a Native American

• Dull Knife - (18??-1879) - Placed on a reservation in Oklahoma, Dull Knife defied the authorities and led his people home in September, 1878.

• Dr. Charles Alexander Eastman, aka: Ohiyesa (1858-1939) - Santee Sioux author, physician and reformer. He was active in politics and helped found the Boy Scouts of America.

• Chief Gall (1840-1895) - Lakota battle leader Lakota and one of the commanders who took part in the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

• Ganado Mucho (1809-1893) - A Navajo Leader who counseled and negotiated for peace between the tribe and white settlers.

• Geronimo (1829-1909) - Chiricahua Apache Chief who warred against the encroachment of settlers on his tribal lands  for over 25 years.

• Glikhikan (17??-1782) - Delaware Warrior who turned to Christianity only to later be murdered by white settlers.

• Going Snake - Cherokee Chief

• Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins (1841?-1891) - The first Native American woman known to secure a copyright and to publish in the English language. Her book, Life Among the Piutes: Their Wrongs and Claims, is an autobiographical account of her people during their first forty years of contact with explorers and settlers.

• Hollow Horn Bear, aka: Matihehlogego (1850-1913) - Brule Sioux leader during the Indian Wars on the Great Plains.

• Chief Joseph (1840-1904) - Nez Perce Chief who resisted forced removal of his band to a reservation in Idaho. For his principled resistance to the removal, he became renowned as a humanitarian and peacemaker.

• Kintpuash, aka: Captain Jack - (1840?-1873) - A Modoc subchief and warrior, Kientopoos was a leader in the Modoc War of (1872-73). After killing an unarmed General Edward Richard Canby at a peace negotiation meeting he was tracked down, captured and hanged in October, 1873.

• Chief Little Crow (1815-1863) - Sioux Chief who led the first major armed engagement between the U.S. and Dakota.

• Little Raven, aka: Hósa, "Young Crow" (18??-1889)  - The first Arapaho chief to sign peace treaties with the U.S. government, he kept the peace for most of his life and helped his tribe move forward to "civilization."

• Little Wolf (1818-1904) - With Dull Knife, Little Wolf led the Cheyennes from exile in Indian Territory back to their homeland in present-day eastern Montana during the late 1870s.

• Lone Wolf (1820?-1879) - Known as Gul-Pah-Go to his tribe, Lone Wolf was a primary chief of the Kiowa tribe, who became violent after being forced on to a reservation.

• George Lowrey - A cousin of Sequoya and second chief of the Eastern Cherokee under John Ross.

• Lozen, aka, "Dextrous Horse Thief" (1840-1887) - The sister of Apache Chief Victorio, Lozen was a skilled warrior and shaman. Her brother, Victorio is quoted as saying "Lozen is my right hand... strong as a man, braver than most, and cunning in strategy. Lozen is a shield to her people."

• Mangas Coloradas (1793?-1863) - Chiricahua Apache leader considered by many to be the most important of the 19th century, uniting the Apache nation against the United States.

• Nah-deiz-az, aka: "Carlisle Kid" (1865-1889) - A so-called Apache "outlaw," Nahdeizaz was hanged in Globe, Arizona

• Naiche (1856?-1919) - Son of Cochise, led the Apache along with Geronimo in resisting white encroachment.

• Nana (1800-1896) - An Apache War Leader that led a band of warriors in New Mexico when he was already more than 80 years old.

• Old Crow - A Crow Indian, who was allegedly one of the members of the Dull Knife band of Cheyenne, which left the reservation in Indian Territory and made the memorable raid across Kansas in September and October, 1878, killing 32 citizens

• Old Man Afraid of His Horse (1808-??) - A noted Ogallala warrior, Old Man Afraid Of His Horse, was also known as Tasunka Coquipah. He witnessed the Treaty of Fort Laramie when Dull Knife signed the document in 1868.

• Opechancanough (1545?-1644?) - A Powhatan chief, he was the brother of Chief Powhatan and upon his brother's death in 1818 took control of the Powhatan Confederacy.

• Chief Ouray (1833-1880) - Born near Taos, New Mexico, Ouray was the leader of the Uncompahgre band of the Ute tribe and known as a man of peace.

• Pocahontas (1595?- 1617) - A Powhatan Indian Princess, she was for having assisted colonial settlers at Jamestown and allegedly saving the life of the colony's leader, Captain John Smith.

• Chief Powhatan (1545-1618) - Known as Wahunsunacawh to the Powhatan tribe, he founded the Powhatan Confederacy in Virginia at the period of the first English settlement.

• Chief Pohibit Quasha, aka: Iron Shirt (18??-1858) - Led a fearless bands of skilled Comanche warriors in Texas and Oklahoma in the 1850s.

• Rain-in-the-Face, aka: Ito-na-gaju, Exa-ma-gozua (1835?-1905) - On June 25-27, 1876, Lieutenant-Colonel George Custer, with thirteen commissioned officers, a surgeon, and 255 men were slaughtered in the Black Hills. Sitting Bull has received the notoriety and credit for this fight; but it was his cousin, Rain-in-the-Face, who planned and executed the battle. He, himself received a wound in the fight, which resulted in his having to use crutches for the rest of his life.

• Chief Red Cloud (1822-1909) One of the most capable chiefs who resisted white settlement. Led the successful resistance known as Red Cloud's War in 1866-1868.

• Gabriel Renville (1824-1902) - He was the last chief of the Sisseton Sioux, a position he was appointed to in 1866 by the War Department. He was a son of Victor Renville and a nephew of the celebrated Joseph Renville. He was born at Sweet Corn's Village, Big Stone Lake, South Dakota in April, 1824. He was a valued friend of the whites during the Sioux War of 1862-65. He died at the Sisseton Agency on August 26, 1902.

• Toby Riddle - See Kaitchkona Winema

• Roman Nose - (1835?-1868) - Cheyenne warrior and leader of the Plains Indian Wars of the 1860s.

• Chief John Ross (1790-1866) - John Ross was the first and only elected Chief of the Cherokee Nation from the time it was formed until his death in 1866.

• Sacagawea (1790?-1812?) ­ A Shoshone Indian woman who married French Canadian trapper, Toussaint Charbonneau, and became an integral part of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

• Satanta (1820-1878) - Known to his people as Set-Tainte, meaning "White Bear Person," Satanta was a great Kiowa warrior who would later become the principal chief in the Kiowa Wars of the 1860s-1870s and was known as "The Orator of the Plains."

• Schonchin, aka: Old Schonchin, Skonches (1797-1892) - The recognized head chief of the Modoc Indians at the time of the Modoc War of 1872-73.

• Chief Seattle, aka: Sealth, Seathle, Seathl, or See-ahth (1780?-1866) - Leader of the Suquamish and Duwamish Native American tribes in present-day Washington. He was known as a great leader, orator, warrior and negotiator.

• Sequoya, aka George Guess (1767?-1843) - Inventor of the Cherokee alphabet, silversmith, and politician.

• Setangya, aka: Satank, Sitting Bear (1810?-1871) - A noted Kiowa chief, medicine man, and leader of the principal war society of the tribe.

• Sitting Bull (1831-1890) - Lakota chief and holy man, most notable for his premonition of defeating the army at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

• Spotted Elk - See Big Foot, aka: Sithanka

• Spotted Tail (18??-1881) - A contemporary of Crazy Horse, he fought white encroachment into the Black Hills.

• Chief Tecumseh (1768 - 1813) - Shawnee Chief Tecumseh created an alliance to stop white encroachment in Ohio and Indiana and fought with the British in the War of 1812.

• Tall Bull (1815?-1869) - A Southern Cheyenne Chief, Tall Bull was also the leader of the fierce Dog Soldiers during the 1850s and 1860s in the Plains states. he was killed at the Battle of Summit Springs.

• Chief Victorio (1825-1880) - Known as Bidu-ya or Beduiat to his Apache people, Victorio was a warrior and chief of the Chihenne band of the Chiricahua Apaches in what is now New Mexico. Becoming hate filled due to being forced onto an Arizona reservation and the subsequent ill treatment of his people, Victorio escaped the reservation and went on a rampage in 1879-1880. On October 14, 1880, he and his band were surrounded and killed by Mexican soldiers.

• Chief Colorow Ignacio Ouray Walkara, aka: Wakara or Walker (1808?-1855) - The leader of the Ute Timpanogo band, Walkara had a reputation as a diplomat, horseman and warrior, and was the primary  leader in the Walker War.

• Fred Waite (1853-1895) - A Chickasaw Indian from Oklahoma, Waite joined up with Billy the Kid's Regulators during the Lincoln County War in New Mexico. Afterwards, he returned to Oklahoma where he lived an upstanding life and became a politician. He died on September 24, 1895 of unknown causes, just four days shy of becoming the Governor of the Chickasaw Nation.

• Stand Watie (1806-1871) - Also known as Standhope Oowatie, Degataga "Stand Firm" and Isaac S. Watie, he was a leader of the Cherokee Nation and a brigadier general of the Confederate States Army during the Civil War.

• Kaitchkona Winema, aka: Toby Riddle, Woman Chief (1848-1932) - A Modoc Indian Woman who played an important part in the Modoc War of 1872-1873.

• Wovoka, aka: The Cutter, Jack Wilson (1856?-1932) - A Paiute medicine-man, Wovokaoriginated the Ghost Dance which spread throughout the Native American tribes of the west, causing white settlers and officials a great deal of consternation.