There have been many great Indian chiefs throughout history. To become an Indian chief, you had to prove that you were strong, brave, and a great leader. You have probably heard of many of the more famous Indian chiefs. Cochise was the Indian chief of the Apache. He was known as a fierce warrior and led a resistance against both the Mexicans and the white man in the 1800s. The Apaches lived in what is now known as northern Mexico, New Mexico and Arizona. Cochise was captured and escaped many times before his final capture. He refused to leave what he felt was his people's land and eventually lived out his life on an Arizona reservation.