Satanta

Chief Satanta, 1867. Portrait by William S. Soule

Satanta (* around 1815, † October 11, 1878 ) was a chief of the Kiowa , who was also known as the orator of the Plains .

As the son of Red Tepee , a famous Kiowa shaman , Satanta was one of the leaders in his tribe at an early age. As he was also an eloquent and skilled strategist, which he often proved in negotiations as well as in warlike actions, he quickly attained the rank of chief and was a very popular leader among the Kiowa. Between 1850 and 1874 he was the leader of many so-called Kiowa raids, in which horses were stolen, settlers were kidnapped or soldiers were ambushed. After the previous chief Dohasan had died in 1866 , he became the spokesman for war advocates within the Kiowa tribe. Despite his warlike deeds, contemporary witnesses describe him as an open and always smiling negotiating partner. Contrary to his own attitude, Satanta recommended his tribe to move to the designated reservation after the Medicine Lodge peace negotiations in 1867. However, two years later he called on the tribe to leave the reservation again and fight against the US Army. In November 1874 he surrendered after the defeat in Palo Duro Canyon and was re-imprisoned for violating the probation requirements after his first imprisonment (1871–1873). In 1878 he committed suicide by jumping into the prison yard .

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• Satanta, Kiowa chief