My paternal great-grandmother was a member of the Sac|Fox tribe. She
passed down the following oral history on war (and also other things :)
Young braves aspired to become war-chief. War chief was a great honor.
The children would play games that mimicked hunting and war parties. The
ultimate honor for a young brave was to be invited on a war party (note: war
parties didn't necessarily go out looking for a fight, they might be compared
to border patrols).
Once you became a warrior, you strived to obtain honors: defeating
other indians in single combat, making a kill (animals), demonstrating bravery,
etc.
Great warriors were picked by the war chief to lead parties of their
own. This (besides being war chief) was the greatest honor bestowed upon a
warrior.
War chiefs were chosen during times of need. When at peace (not often
for the Sac and Fox), there might not be a war chief.
(I use the terms brave and chief here, but that isn't what the Sac and
Fox called themselves. The indian words have been lost to my family.)
The Sac and Fox tribes had a dual leadership track. The war chief was
responsible for tribal honor, defense of the villages, removing encroachers
from hunting areas, and raiding into enemy territory. Another group of
"chiefs" would take care of the day-to-day running of the villages.
War/fighting was an accepted part of life. The Sac and Fox fought for
territory in much the same way that animal herds would. Hunting areas were
protected and enemies hunting areas raided. That is the way that it was. The
Sac and Fox lost their tribal areas several times before finally being setteled
onto reservations in Kansas.
Brett