Kamiakin | |
|---|---|
 Drawing by Gustav Sohon (1855). Credit: Washington State Historical Society | |
| Born | Kamiakin: "He won't go" c. 1800 near Starbuck, Washington |
| Died | 1877 Rock Lake, Washington |
| Occupation | Tribal leader |
| Known for | Leading resistance against encroaching settlers |
Kamiakin (c. 1800–1877) (Yakama) was a leader of the Yakama, Palouse, and Klickitat peoples east of the Cascade Mountains in what is now southeastern Washington state. In 1855, he was disturbed by threats of the Territorial Governor, Isaac Stevens, against the tribes of the Columbia Plateau. After being forced to sign a treaty of land cessions, Kamiakin organized alliances with 14 other tribes and leaders, and led the Yakima War of 1855–1858.
Finally defeated, Kamiakin escaped to British Columbia and Montana. He returned to his traditional homeland in 1860. He moved to his father's former territory at Rock Lake in Whitman County, Washington in 1864, where he lived until his death.