sachem
- noun
- /ˈseɪkəm/
- US
- As the sachem, she made important decisions for her people during meetings with other leaders.
- sachem and chief
Examples
-
65. The sachems assented to the superintendent's actions.
Academic text (1993) -
That afternoon, fifty-nine war chiefs and sachems signed the treaty, bringing to an end Pickering's assignment.
Academic text (1995) -
In this instance, Johnson was acting like a traditional sachem.
Academic text (1993) -
When war started, the sachems stepped down and war leaders took over.
-
Yet another time, Johnson presented the names of the young men recently appointed sachems.
Academic text (1993) -
An Onondaga sachem responded on August 23:
Academic text (2007) -
Will the Sachem's judgment be honored?
Fiction book (1992) -
Hendrick, who some have argued was an Iroquois sachem, probably saw Johnson as a useful ally.
Academic text (1993) -
The principal sachems, chiefs, and warriors of the Six Nations, Chapin, and two interpreters were present.
Academic text (1995) -
The sachem of the tribe addressed the gathered community about the upcoming harvest festival.
Synonyms
A person who leads a group like a tribe or clan
A person who leads a group of people in a traditional community
A leader of a Native American tribe
A native leader who makes decisions for a village or tribe
A leader of a North American tribe, especially among Algonquian peoples
A leader of a Native American tribe who guides the people
How Powerful
Surface Forms
Etymology
Sachem comes from an Algonquian word sâchim that meant 'chief' or 'leader', and it was the title for the head of a tribe. So, sachem still means a tribal leader who makes important decisions.