Portrait of Sitting Bull, renowned Lakota Sioux chief, depicted in a 1907 American School lithograph.
Historic Native American Chiefs
Before the establishment of the modern American nations, this pair of continents was far from uninhabited. Many different civilizations rose and fell within the Americas ever since the first inhabitants crossed over on the Bering land bridge. Within a number of these early tribal societies, leaders were given the title of Chief.
Each tribe had its own process and criteria for selecting a chief. In addition, each chief had differing responsibilities based on local customs. Some Native American nations even had two concurrent chiefs who would act in concert even though they oversaw different specific aspects of their society. In this quiz, we will be delving into the histories of both North and South America to find a list of chiefs whose deeds earned them a place in the history books.
Some of these chiefs were powerful war leaders, and others were wise peacemakers. Some led their people through eras of prosperity, and others tried to save their people from annihilation. Due to the diverse nature of what qualified a person as a chief in various American societies, we are taking a broad view of the definition. As long as someone led a large group of Native Americans in a position of respected authority, then they are viable to appear on this list.
As much as to test, this quiz is meant to inform. So, we hope you come out of it knowing something new. How much do you know about the leaders of early America? Take our Historic Native American Chiefs Quiz to find out.
Good luck. See how well you know historic native american chiefs.