Sem-Yeto

Chief Solano, original native name Sem-Yeto, meaning "brave or fierce hand", and christianed at about age ten with the Spanish name Francisco Solano, was born about 1798-1800 near Suisun Bay, California in California. Sem-Yeto was a famous chief and leader of the Suisunes tribe, a Patwin people of the Suisun Bay region of California. Chief Solano was a charismatic, tall and notable Native American leader in Alta California, because of his alliance, friendship and eventually the support of his entire tribe to General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo of Sonoma, in military and political excursions around Sonoma County and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Sem-Yeto was described as tall, 6 feet 7 inches (200 cm), handsome and brave.

Biography

Childhood 1800-1823

Sem-Yeto was born in the Suisunes Bay region of California, and lived there the first years of his life. He was baptized at the San Francisco Mission on July 24, 1810, and there given Spanish name of Francisco Solano. The recorder noted he was a Suisun, about 10 to 12 years old ("como de 10 a 12") with native name Sina, and that his father's native name was Sulapy, and his mother was deceased. It also records both his parents as gentiles (meaning not recruited nor baptized). He presumably grew to adulthood at the mission.