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Born to T'siyiak, a champion horse racer and Com-mus-ni, the
daughter of Chief Wiya'wiikt, Kamiakin helped relatives tend his
family's rapidly expanding herds. He wintered in tule mat lodges in
the Kittitas and Ahtanum valleys, shared in spring root gathering,
went salmon fishing in the summer, and participated in fall hunting
and berry picking. The young Indian also learned ancestral
traditions. Alone as an adolescent on the treacherous, icy heights
of Mount Rainier, he dreamt of the Buffalo's power and completed
his quest for a spirit guide. Muscular and sinewy, he became a
skilled horse racer and competitor in feats of agility. He married
and established his home on Ahtanum Creek, where he raised
potatoes, squash, pumpkins, and corn in large, irrigated gardens.
As Kamiakin matured, he became more prominent among the Yaka-mas;
leaders of both Sahaptin and Salish tribes often sought his
counsel. Through personal aptitude as well as family bonds, he
emerged as one of the region's most influential chiefs. He
cautiously welcomed White newcomers and sought to learn beneficial
aspects of their culture. His dignified manner and attire impressed
both soldiers and missionaries. In the 1850s, the arrival of
unprecedented numbers of White immigrants incited a cataclysmic
upheaval that would threaten the very existence of the Plateau's
native people. On May 29, 1855, the Walla Walla Council commenced
with a brief meeting attended by some 5,000 Indians, including
Chief Kamiakin. Two weeks later, with great reluctance, he signed
the Yakima Treaty of 1855. He also resolved to fight against the
destruction of his people and desecrations upon the land. Finding
Chief Kamiakin is his story.
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