Great Leader: Ten Bears of the Comanche, c 1790-1872
Native leaders in the American west faced a difficult choice when faced with European incursion onto their home and hunting range, fight or try to co-exist. Some chose to make peace and cooperate with the Whites. Whether that choice was a wise one or not is best left to the tribe involved to interpret. Ten Bears (c 1790-1872) first appears in the historical record in the 1840's, as the leader of the Barefeet group of the Yamparika or Root Eater division of the Comanche nation. Later, Ten Bears became division chief of the Yamparika. He was orphaned as a young boy when his family was killed in a Lakota/Sioux raid. Years later, he became known for his daring strikes on Lakota camps and hunting parties. A fierce warrior often had need of diplomatic skills. Ten Bears was instrumental in making peace between the Utes and Comanche, and later forging an alliance between the Comanche, Kiowa, Cheyenne and Arapahoe. He was...