This paper discusses the culture of the Native American people. They are a people who believe strongly in tradition as a way of life. In a culture rich with larger-than-life characters, two of the most storied figures in Native American history are the Algonquin Chief, Metacomet (named King Philip by English settlers), and the great Shawnee warrior, Tecumseh. Throughout many years of struggle and war against European settlers, both Metacomet and Tecumseh went to great lengths in their attempts to preserve their native lands and the traditional ways of life of their people. Metacomet was the second son of Massasoit, the peaceful Wampanoag chief who maintained friendly relations with settlers in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island for decades. As a young man, Metacomet echoed his father's goodwill toward the settlers but he believed from an early age that their living on his people's land would only end in Wampanoag destruction.
