When white settlers first landed in America and encountered Native Americans, there were some friendly meetings, some skirmishes and a few massacres as the two sides mixed, but eventually the settlers’ superior numbers and firepower drove the Indians from their lands along the Eastern Seaboard. Later, the United States government offered Native Americans treaties, guaranteeing them land further west if they would vacate their homeland. Time and time again, such treaties were broken by the United States, but most tribes continued signing new ones, trusting they would be honored.
Then there were the Native Americans who wanted no part of treaties, reservations or coexistence with the white man. Warriors such as Geronimo, Crazy Horse and others waged war against the U.S. in a bid to retain their homelands. Following is a list of the 10 fiercest Native American chiefs. It’s purely subjective and open to debate, yet this list highlights the warriors who were persistent in fighting settlers and/or the U.S. military, eluded capture for many years and in the process left a path of death, destruction and fear in their wake.
