Famous Native Americans

History is filled with famous Indians we learn about in school as we grew up, mostly the great Indian Chiefs who lead their people in times of war. However, there is so much more than that limited view of famous Native Americans both past and present. Many famous celebrities such as Will Rogers, Jim Thorpe, Elvis Presley, Cher, Jimmy Hendrix and Chuck Norris have Native American ancestry.

Native American Women

There is an extensive list of famous Native American Women from the past modern century who achieved the status of being a celebrity in their time. Although, they may not be famous now, in their day they were. One example is Elizabeth Marie Tallchief of the Osage Nation Tribe. In 1947 she began dancing with the New York City Ballet where she remained until she retired in 1965. She was a well-known Ballerina worldwide and, later she founded the Chicago City Ballet and was its director for many years, thanks to Hollywood.

famous Native Americans

Pocahontas is perhaps the greatest of famous Native Americans who were women but Sacajawea of the Shoshone Tribe became a celebrity after helping guide the Louis and Clark expedition in 1803-1806.

Pocahontas

Famous Indian Chiefs

Of the many famous Indian Chiefs and famous Indian Tribes, the few that stand out are Cochise and Geronimo, both of the Apache Tribe in the American SouthWest. With the Lakota Sioux, Chiefs Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse would go down in history as great warriors against the US. Calvary. For the Nez Perce in the Pacific Northwest, it was Chief Joseph that led the fight against relocation. For the Sauk and Fox Tribes, Chief Blackhawk rose to fame after he attacked Fort Detroit and started a war at the same time the U.S. was fighting the British in the war of 1812.

Also at this time Tecumseh, a Shawnee Chief, joined in the war on the side of the British. He continued his fight with the U.S. until his death at the Battle of the Thames in 1813. Way down South in Florida in 1835, Osceola of the Seminole Tribe resisted Indian removal by the U.S. Army for over two years before he was finally captured and held in prison at Fort Moultrie in Charleston, South Carolina where his fame spread.

One of the earliest great Indian Chiefs and one an entire war was named for was Chief King Philip. He was a Wampanoag and leader of an Indian Uprising to stop Colonial expansion in New England in the 1670’s. After he was killed 1676, his head put on a spike at the entrance to Fort Plymouth where it remained for more than two decades. This gruesome fact most certainly helped add to his fame. Famous Ottawa leader, Pontiac continued to fight after the French Indian war was won by the British to keep them out newly gained territory from France in the Great Lakes Region. He finally signed a peace Treaty in 1766. There are, of course, many other great Native American Indian Chiefs and, this was just a small example.

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