Known to his people as Set-Tainte, meaning “White Bear Person,” Satanta was a great Kiowa warrior who would later become the principal chief in the Kiowa Wars of the 1860s-1870s and was known as “The Orator of the Plains.”
He was born about 1820, during the height of the power of the Plains Tribes, probably along the Canadian River in the traditional winter campgrounds of his people.
After developing a reputation as an outstanding warrior, he was made a sub-chief of his tribe under Chief Dohasan while still in his twenties. In appearance, he was described as tall, having a fine physique, erect bearing, and a piercing glance.
He fought with Chief Dohasan at the First Battle of Adobe Walls in 1864 and earned enduring fame for his use of an army bugle to confuse the troops in battle.
His speaking abilities gained him the title of “Orator of the Plains,” and as such, he negotiated several treaties with the American government including the Little Arkansas Treaty in 1865 and the Medicine Lodge Treaty in 1867, which required the Kiowa to be placed on a reservation.
