From brave warriors to trailblazing scientists, the Native American community has spawned many heroes over the years. But while we celebrate the achievements of Presidents and the Founding Fathers, other tales of greatness often go overlooked. Here, we shine the spotlight on some lesser-known stories — and re-examine a few you think you’ve already heard.
1. Sitting Bull
Although most people will be familiar with the name Sitting Bull, not everyone knows the full scope of his massive achievements. As the head of the Lakota Sioux Nation, he faced up to the might of the U.S. Army.
His leadership helped to secure victory against General Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, which was the indigenous people's greatest military victory over the federal government in the 19th century.
Prowess in battle
As a child, Sitting Bull was nicknamed Slow thanks to his careful and deliberate manner. But when he was just 14 years old, he demonstrated great prowess in battle — earning his father’s moniker of Buffalo Who Sits Down.
At the same time, he was presented with a horse and an eagle feather, marking his transition from boy into man.
The Great Sioux War
Years later, with the U.S. government encroaching on native lands, Sitting Bull joined Oglala Lakota leader Red Cloud to fight against the invaders.
But when his fellow warriors signed a peace treaty, he declined the offer. Eventually, his refusal to back down would lead him to the battlefields of the Great Sioux War.
Standing Rock
Despite winning an unlikely victory against General Custer, though, Sitting Bull and his comrades eventually lost the war. Fleeing with his band to Canada, he survived there for four years before depleting livestock and conflicts with natives forced him to return.
Back in America, he lived out the rest of his days as a celebrity before being killed by a U.S. policeman at Standing Rock. His name still lives on today.
2. Chief Joseph
Born in 1840 into the Nez Perce tribe, Chief Joseph was originally known as Thunder Rolling Down The Mountain. But he eventually inherited the name that his father had been granted by white settlers, with whom he was cordial at first.
As they made more and more demands on the natives, though, the relationship soon soured.
Ancestral lands
When he died, Chief Joseph’s father impressed upon him the importance of preserving the Nez Perce’s ancestral lands. And at first, the leader resisted all attempts to move his followers to a reservation, despite the compliance of neighboring tribes.
But eventually, he realized that surrender was the only way for his people to survive.
The Red Napoleon
By that point, unfortunately, tensions between the settlers had already reached fever pitch, and Chief Joseph was forced to flee north with his people, hoping to find refuge in Canada. When in 1877 the U.S.
Army eventually caught up to them, he gave a rousing speech that earned him the nickname The Red Napoleon.
Exile
Although the Nez Perce had been promised safe passage home, the U.S. government reneged on this deal, shipping them off to a prisoner of war camp instead.
Eventually, they were allowed to settle on a reservation in Washington, far from their ancestral lands. And despite Chief Joseph’s continued campaigning, their descendants remain there to this day.
3. Joy Harjo
A member of the Muscogee Nation, Joy Harjo turned to the arts to deal with family trauma from a young age. And in 2019 she was named Poet Laureate of the United States — the first Native American to hold the position.
Today, her award-winning work continues to shine a light on the experience of indigneous people in our times.
The Institute of Native American Arts
Born in 1951 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to a Muscogee father and a Cherokee-European mother, Harjo was inspired by her great-aunt, herself a painter, to find a creative outlet for her emotions.
And when her stepfather kicked her out of the family home at just 16, she enrolled at New Mexico’s Institute of Native American Arts.
The Native American Renaissance
There, Harjo discovered a love of creative writing, releasing her first book of poetry at the age of 22. Over time, she went on to produce a large volume of work, becoming a significant part of the Native-American literary renaissance that spread across America in the late 20th century.
And if that wasn’t enough, she turned out to be a gifted musician as well, having mastered various types of flutes and saxophones.
Poet Laureate
Today, Harjo remains one of only two writers to serve as Poet Laureate of the United States for three consecutive terms. And her work remains a testimony to her Native American heritage, exploring themes of colonization and injustice.
Through her words, she serves as the voice of a community that is criminally underrepresented in the arts.
4. Jim Thorpe
Jim Thorpe — or to give him his native name, Bright Path — is still considered by many to have been one of the greatest multi-sport athletes in modern history.
And his achievement is made even more impressive by the fact that he was of Sac and Fox Nation heritage, and would have faced harsh discrimination at the time.
The Summer Olympics
Growing up in “Indian Territory” in what is now Oklahoma, Thorpe showed signs of athletic prowess from a young age. And in 1912 he won a gold medal at the Summer Olympics, becoming the first Native American to do so.
As well as competing in pentathlon and decathlon events, he excelled at baseball, basketball, and American football.
Stripped of his medals
But Thorpe’s brief glory would not last for long. And in 1913 he was unceremoniously stripped of his Olympic medals.
Apparently, he had once played professional baseball — albeit for a paltry wage — and the games were strictly for amateurs at the time. Today, though, many question if rule-breaking really was the reason, or if the decision was the result of racist attitudes in sport.
Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania
Despite losing his medals, though, the athlete remained a hero to many people. And when he died, a town in Pennsylvania changed its name to Jim Thorpe in honor of his achievements.
Bizarrely, they made a deal with his widow to ship his remains hundreds of miles across the country — and his descendants have been fighting the decision ever since.
5. Tamanend
Known by white settlers as “The Affable One,” the Lenni-Lenape chief Tamanend is remembered as a proponent of friendship and goodwill, even in the difficult years of the early American Indian Wars.
But in truth, history tells us little about the man responsible for brokering peace between the settlers and his tribe.
The Treaty of Shackamaxon
What we do know, though, is that Tamanend signed a treaty with William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, in 1682. And in it, the two leaders agreed that their people would live together in harmony.
Later, the descendants of these early colonists would renege on these promises, but the Lenni-Lenape chief remained a symbol of peace.
The Patron Saint of America
Although he died in 1701 the legends surrounding Tamanend continued to grow. And as the 18th century progressed, he became a central figure in the myths and folklore of Pennsylvania.
With each story becoming ever more elaborate, he acquired various hyperbolic titles, such as King Tammany and the Patron Saint of America.
Tammany Hall
Ironically, Tamanend — whose name became corrupted to Tammany over time — became a symbol of patriotism for the new nation of America. And over the years, several societies and events have been formed in his honor.
Perhaps the most infamous of these is Tammany Hall, the New York City-based organization that was accused of corruption in the 19th century.
6. Susan La Flesche Picotte
When Susan La Flesche Picotte, a member of the Omaha tribe, was a young girl, she was tasked with watching over an elderly woman who had fallen ill. But after the local white doctor failed to attend, her charge passed away.
In response, she vowed to become a medical practitioner to ensure that indigenous people would receive equal attention and care.
Medical school
Born in Nebraska in 1865 Picotte left her reservation at an early age to study at the Elizabeth Institute in New Jersey. And after graduating, she applied to medical school — something that was practically unheard of for a woman at the time, let alone one of native descent.
Despite 19th-century prejudices, though, she was accepted. Her intellectual talent was too great to be denied, and she went on to leave her mark.
Back to the reservation
To fund her studies, Picotte appealed to the Women’s National Indian Association, receiving what’s believed to have been the first grant for professional education. And in 1889 she reached another milestone, becoming the first indigenous woman to graduate from medical school.
Now qualified as a doctor, she stuck to the promise that she had made as a girl, returning to Omaha to care for the people on her reservation.
Memorial hospital
There, Picotte dedicated her life to providing medical care, treating conditions such as tuberculosis and cholera, as well as advising the community on the importance of hygiene and temperance.
And in 1913, after decades of campaigning, a hospital was opened on her reservation — the first facility of its kind in the United States.
7. John Herrington
Even though humans have been exploring space since the 1960s, it wasn’t until 2002 that a Native American joined their ranks.
In November of that year, Chickasaw Nation member John Harrington joined a crew of seven NASA astronauts traveling to the International Space Station (ISS) for a 14-day mission.
STS-113
Born in Oklahoma in 1958 Herrington served in the U.S. Navy before joining NASA in 1996. Six years later, he was chosen to take part in STS-113.
It was the 16th Space Shuttle mission to chart a course for the ISS. And as he and his crewmates took off from Kennedy Space Center on board the Endeavour, he made history as the first Native American in space.
On the ISS
Proud of his Chickasaw Nation heritage, Herrington took the flag of his tribe with him to the ISS, along with other cultural artifacts such as arrowheads and eagle feathers. During the mission, he helped to install new hardware, spending almost 20 hours in a suit outside the station.
And two weeks later he returned safely home, just months before the Columbia disaster would change space travel for good.
Life after NASA
Back on Earth, Herrington spent ten days living in an underwater laboratory before leaving NASA in 2005. Three years later, he successfully cycled across America, a feat which took him three months to complete.
Today, he travels the country speaking about his experiences, and remains passionate about his indigenous roots.
8. Sarah Winnemucca
The daughter of a Paiutes chief, Sarah Winnemucca overcame personal tragedy to become an interpreter for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. And in that role, she fought for the rights of Native Americans across the country.
By speaking out against racism and government corruption, she became a prominent advocate for indigenous communities and a feminist icon in her own right.
Early tragedy
Born in the 1840s in Humboldt Lake in modern-day Nevada, Winnemucca fled her homeland when her family became caught up in the Paiute War. But while she was living in exile, U.S.
soldiers attacked the members of her tribe, killing her mother and leaving several other family members for dead.
Subtle resistance
Despite this massacre, though, Winnemucca still ended up working for the government, signing up as an interpreter in 1871. But while her resistance to oppression was more subtle than others, it was no less powerful for it.
And in her official role, she was able to sustain a long and successful career as an activist and educator promoting indigenous rights.
President Rutherford B. Hayes
After spending four decades working across indigenous and Anglo-American communities, Winnemucca published a book about her experiences. And today, it is regarded as the first work of its kind — and an invaluable source of ethnic history.
Allegedly, she even met President Rutherford B. Hayes, although he never followed through on his promises to help her people.
9. Geronimo
Although his name is famous, not many know Geronimo’s full story — and it’s like something straight from the silver screen. Rumored to have magical powers, such as the ability to stop bullets and manipulate time, this Chiricahua Apache shaman became a fearsome warrior to avenge the murder of his family.
And despite the best efforts of the U.S. government, he evaded capture for many years.
Slaughter
In March 1851 a band of Mexican soldiers launched an attack on a native encampment outside Janos in Chihuahua state. At the time, Geronimo — who had been living there with his wife and children — was away trading in the nearby town.
And when he returned, he found that his loved ones had been killed.
A thirst for revenge
Desperate for revenge, Geronimo joined the wider fight between the Native Americans and the European settlers. As indigenous people were being herded into reservations across the country, he encouraged them to break out and return to their nomadic way of life.
And over time, his reputation as a great warrior grew.
Surrender
For years, the U.S. government sought to capture Geronimo. But each time, he managed to outsmart them. He had an almost otherwordly ability to evade danger.
Eventually, thanks to the combined efforts of 8,000 Mexican and American soldiers, the warrior was driven out of hiding and forced to surrender — the last Native American leader to do so.
10. Maria Tallchief
When the New York City Ballet opened in 1948, one of its main attractions was the country’s first prima ballerina — and it was a Native American woman who held the role.
Passionate about dance from a young age, Maria Tallchief refused to hide her indigenous roots despite pressure from her superiors to change her name.
Early years
Tallchief was born in 1925 in Oklahoma, the daughter of an Osage Nation family who had grown wealthy thanks to the oil reserves on their land. Although she faced discrimination at school, she was a gifted student who studied music and performing arts in her spare time.
Then, when she was 12 years old, she met the ballet dancer Bronislava Nijinska, who would change the course of her life for good.
New York City
Her heart set on becoming a ballerina, Tallchief dedicated her life to dance, becoming a professional ballerina in New York City in the 1940s. But again, her Native American heritage attracted animosity from her peers.
At the same time, her employers tried to persuade her to take a different name, obscuring her indigenous roots.
Prima ballerina
Fortunately, Tallchief’s refusal did little to damage her career. And in 1948 she reached the rank of prima ballerina, an honor given only to the most talented of dancers.
Today, she is remembered as an Oklahoma and Osage Nation icon, celebrated across the country for her trailblazing role in transforming American ballet.