Piominko: Chickasaw Leader

by Thomas W. Cowger, Mitch Caver

More than two hundred years ago, Chickasaws confronted the unrelenting whirlwind of intrigue, treachery, and uncertainty that surrounded the American Revolution. The Spanish, the British, and the colonies that would become the fledgling United States either courted the Chickasaws favor or plotted against them. The times called for leaders who could find the most certain path toward the Chickasaws survival and the preservation of their sovereignty. Out of those times, from the ranks of Chickasaw warriors, came Piominko, who rose to a position of leadership, recognition, and trust achieved by few others during that pivotal period in history. In 1794, Piominko met with President George Washington in Philadelphia, an event set down in history's record by future President John Quincy Adams. Their conclave helped forge the relationship between the Chickasaw Nation and the US government that has lasted since and has been an important ingredient in the persistence and renaissance of the Chickasaws as a sovereign people and culture. Chickasaw Leader tells the story of a Native American leader whose unwavering dedication in the face of monumental challenges proved crucial to the survival of two nations his and the United States.

192 pages, Paperback

Published May 11, 2017