Difference between revisions of "Chief Crazy Horse" - New World Encyclopedia
From New World Encyclopedia
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Crazy Horse's father, a [[Lakota]] who was also named Crazy Horse (b. 1810), passed the name to his son, taking the new name of Waglula (Worm) for himself thereafter. The mother of the younger Crazy Horse was Rattling Blanket Woman (b. 1814), a Lakota as well. | Crazy Horse's father, a [[Lakota]] who was also named Crazy Horse (b. 1810), passed the name to his son, taking the new name of Waglula (Worm) for himself thereafter. The mother of the younger Crazy Horse was Rattling Blanket Woman (b. 1814), a Lakota as well. | ||
| − | Later, Good Looking Woman, the sister of Rattling Blanket Woman, came to Waglula as a replacement wife for her sister since she could no longer bear children. Waglula, however, turned her down as a wife, but relented in allowing her to raise her sister's son, Crazy Horse. Later, Crazy Horse's other aunt, They Are Afraid of Her, helped in the raising of Crazy Horse. She helped teach him to hunt and take care of himself. | + | Later, Good Looking Woman, the sister of Rattling Blanket Woman, came to Waglula as a replacement wife for her sister since she could no longer bear children. Waglula, however, turned her down as a wife, but relented in allowing her to raise her sister's son, Crazy Horse. Later, Crazy Horse's other aunt, They Are Afraid of Her, helped in the raising of Crazy Horse. She helped teach him to hunt and take care of himself. |
===Visions=== | ===Visions=== | ||
| − | Crazy Horse lived in the Lakota camp with his younger brother, High Horse (son of Iron Between Horns and Waglula) and his cousin [[Little Hawk]], who he grew up with. (Little Hawk was actually the nephew of his maternal step grandfather, Corn, when it was attacked by [[Lieutenant|Lt.]] Grattan and 28 other troopers during the [[Grattan massacre]].<ref name="DVD2">"The Authorized Biography of Crazy Horse and His Family Part Two: Defending the Homeland Prior to the 1868 Treaty." DVD William Matson and Mark Frethem, Producers. | + | Crazy Horse lived in the Lakota camp with his younger brother, High Horse (son of Iron Between Horns and Waglula) and his cousin [[Little Hawk]], who he grew up with. (Little Hawk was actually the nephew of his maternal step grandfather, Corn, when it was attacked by [[Lieutenant|Lt.]] Grattan and 28 other troopers during the [[Grattan massacre]].<ref name="DVD2">"The Authorized Biography of Crazy Horse and His Family Part Two: Defending the Homeland Prior to the 1868 Treaty." DVD William Matson and Mark Frethem, Producers. |
After witnessing the death of Lakota leader [[Conquering Bear]], Crazy Horse began to get [[trance]] visions. His father Waglula (Worm) took him to what today is [[Sylvan Lake, South Dakota|Sylvan Lake]] where they both began a ''hembleca'' (hem-blech-ah), which is a vision quest.<ref name="DVD2"/> A red-tailed hawk led them to their respective spots in the [[Black Hills]] since the trees are tall there and they could not always see where they were going. Crazy Horse sat in between two humps that were at the top of a hill, just a bit north and to the east of the lake. Waglula sat just a little south of [[Harney Peak]], but north of his son. | After witnessing the death of Lakota leader [[Conquering Bear]], Crazy Horse began to get [[trance]] visions. His father Waglula (Worm) took him to what today is [[Sylvan Lake, South Dakota|Sylvan Lake]] where they both began a ''hembleca'' (hem-blech-ah), which is a vision quest.<ref name="DVD2"/> A red-tailed hawk led them to their respective spots in the [[Black Hills]] since the trees are tall there and they could not always see where they were going. Crazy Horse sat in between two humps that were at the top of a hill, just a bit north and to the east of the lake. Waglula sat just a little south of [[Harney Peak]], but north of his son. | ||
| − | Crazy Horse's vision first took him to the South where in Lakota spirituality you go when you die. He was brought back and was taken to the west in the direction of the ''wakiyans'', or thunder beings. He was given a medicine bundle which contained medicines that would protect him for life. One of Crazy Horse's animal protectors would be the white owl, which according to Lakota spirituality, would give extended life. He was also shown his face paint, which consisted of a yellow, lightning strike down the left side of his face and white powder that he would wet. With three fingers , Crazy Horse put marks over his vulnerable areas that when dried, resembled hail stones. He was also given a sacred song that is still sung today, and says that he would be a protector of his people. | + | Crazy Horse's vision first took him to the South where in Lakota spirituality you go when you die. He was brought back and was taken to the west in the direction of the ''wakiyans'', or thunder beings. He was given a medicine bundle which contained medicines that would protect him for life. One of Crazy Horse's animal protectors would be the white owl, which according to Lakota spirituality, would give extended life. He was also shown his face paint, which consisted of a yellow, lightning strike down the left side of his face and white powder that he would wet. With three fingers , Crazy Horse put marks over his vulnerable areas that when dried, resembled hail stones. He was also given a sacred song that is still sung today, and says that he would be a protector of his people. |
Crazy Horse also received a black stone to protect his horse from a medicine man named Horn Chips. Crazy Horse then placed the stone behind the horse's ear so that the medicine he received from his vision quest, and the medicine that Horn Chips had given him, would combine and cause his horse and himself to act as one in battle.<ref name="DVD2"/> | Crazy Horse also received a black stone to protect his horse from a medicine man named Horn Chips. Crazy Horse then placed the stone behind the horse's ear so that the medicine he received from his vision quest, and the medicine that Horn Chips had given him, would combine and cause his horse and himself to act as one in battle.<ref name="DVD2"/> | ||
| − | === | + | ===War leader=== |
| − | Through the late 1850s and early 1860s, Crazy Horse's reputation as a warrior grew, as did his fame among the Lakota. Little written record exists because the Lakota were oral historians and had no written language. | + | Through the late 1850s and early 1860s, Crazy Horse's reputation as a warrior grew, as did his fame among the Lakota. Little written record exists because the Lakota were oral historians and had no written language. His first kill was an enemy of the Lakota, a Shoshone raider who had killed a Lakota woman washing buffalo meat along the [[Powder River (Montana)|Powder River]]. He was in many battles between the Lakota and their enemies, the [[Crow Nation|Crow]], [[Shoshone]], [[Pawnee]], [[Blackfeet]], and [[Arikara]], among others. In 1864 after the [[Sand Creek Massacre]] of the [[Cheyenne]] in [[Colorado]], the Lakota joined forces with the Cheyenne against the military. Crazy Horse was present at the [[Battle of Red Buttes]] and the [[Fort Caspar|Platte River Bridge Station Battle]] in 1865.<ref name="DVD2"/> Because of his fighting ability, Crazy Horse was installed as an ''Ogle Tanka Un'' (Shirt Wearer, or war leader) in 1865. |
| − | On December 21, 1866, Crazy Horse and six other warriors, both Lakota and Cheyenne, decoyed Lt. [[William Fetterman]]'s 53 infantry men and 27 cavalry troopers under Lt Grummond from the safe confines of [[Fort Phil Kearney]] on the [[Bozeman Trail]] into an ambush. | + | On December 21, 1866, Crazy Horse and six other warriors, both Lakota and Cheyenne, decoyed Lt. [[William Fetterman]]'s 53 infantry men and 27 cavalry troopers under Lt Grummond from the safe confines of [[Fort Phil Kearney]] on the [[Bozeman Trail]] into an ambush. Crazy Horse personally led Fetterman's infantry up what [[Wyoming]] locals call Massacre Hill while Grummond's cavalry followed the other six decoys along Peno Head Ridge and down towards Peno Creek where some Cheyenne women were taunting the soldiers. At that moment, the Cheyenne leader [[Little Wolf]]'s and his warriors closed the return route to the fort. They had been hiding on the opposite side of Peno Head Ridge. |
| − | On August 2, 1867 Crazy Horse participated in the [[Wagon Box Fight]] near [[Fort Phil Kearny]]. | + | Meanwhile, the Lakota warriors came over Massacre Hill and attacked the infantry. There were additional Cheyenne and Lakota hiding in the buckbrush along Peno Creek behind the taunting women, effectively surrounding the soldiers. Seeing they were surrounded, Grummond headed back to Fetterman to try to repel them in numbers—they were wiped out. The warrior contingent was comprised of nearly 1,000 warriors. In present day history books it is known as [[Red Cloud's War]] however [[Red Cloud]] was not present that day. The ambush was the worst Army defeat on the [[Great Plains]] at the time. |
| + | |||
| + | On August 2, 1867 Crazy Horse participated in the [[Wagon Box Fight]] near [[Fort Phil Kearny]]. He captured one of the army's new Second Allin breech-loading rifles from one of the soldiers on the wood cutting crew. However, most of the soldiers made it to a circle of wagon boxes that had no wheels and used them for cover as they fired at the Lakota. The Lakota took horrific losses in the fight as the new rifles could fire ten times a minute compared to the old muskets in prior battles at a rate of only three times a minute. The Lakota would charge after the soldiers fired, expecting them to still be using the muskets that took about 20 seconds to reload. But instead it took only about six seconds to reload the new rifles. The Lakota casualties numbered around 200 that day. Many are still buried in the hills that surround Fort Phil Kearny in Wyoming. | ||
===First wife=== | ===First wife=== | ||
| + | In the fall of 1867, Crazy Horse invited [[Black Buffalo Woman]] to accompany him on a buffalo hunt in the Slim Buttes area in what is now the northwestern corner of South Dakota. She was the wife of [[No Water]]. No Water had a reputation among the tribe at the time as someone who spent a lot of time near military installations drinking alcohol. It was Lakota custom to allow a woman to divorce her husband at any time. She did so by moving in with relatives or with another man, or by placing the husband's belongings outside their lodge. Although some compensation might be required to smooth over hurt feelings, the rejected husband was expected to accept his wife's decision for the good of the tribe. | ||
| − | + | No Water was away from camp when Crazy Horse and Black Buffalo Woman took off on their trip. He tracked down Crazy Horse and Black Buffalo Woman in the Slim Buttes area. When No Water found them in a [[tipi]], he called Crazy Horse's name from outside the tipi. When Crazy Horse answered, he stuck a pistol into the tipi and aimed for Crazy Horse's heart. Crazy Horse's first cousin (son of Lone Horn), Touch the Cloud, was sitting in the tipi nearest to the entry and knocked the pistol upward as it fired, causing the bullet to hit Crazy Horse in the upper jaw. No Water took off with Crazy Horse's relatives in hot pursuit. No Water ran his horse until it died and continued on foot until he reached the safety of his own village. | |
| − | Several elders convinced Crazy Horse and No Water that no more blood should be shed and as compensation for the shooting, No Water gave Crazy Horse three horses. The elders also sent [[Black Shawl]], a relative of [[Spotted Tail]], to help heal Crazy Horse. | + | Several elders convinced Crazy Horse and No Water that no more blood should be shed and as compensation for the shooting, No Water gave Crazy Horse three horses. The elders also sent [[Black Shawl]], a relative of [[Spotted Tail]], to help heal Crazy Horse. When Crazy Horse saw that Black Buffalo Woman cared for him, he decided to make her his wife. She bore him a daughter, named They Are Afraid of Her named after his maternal aunt, in late summer of 1872. His daughter later died at the age of two in 1874. |
| − | On August 14, 1872, Crazy Horse, along with [[Sitting Bull]] took part in the first attack by the Lakota on troops escorting a [[Northern Pacific Railroad]] survey crew. The [[Battle of Arrow Creek (1872)|Battle of Arrow Creek]] ended with minimal casualties on either side. | + | Because of the incident, Crazy Horse was stripped of his title as Shirt Wearer (leader). At about the same time, Little Hawk was killed by a group of miners in the Black Hills while escorting some women to the new agency created by the [[Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868)|Treaty of 1868]]. In 1868 following the treaty, Crazy Horse helped to attack a surveying party sent into the Black Hills by General George Armstrong Custer in 1873. On August 14, 1872, Crazy Horse, along with [[Sitting Bull]] took part in the first attack by the Lakota on troops escorting a [[Northern Pacific Railroad]] survey crew. The [[Battle of Arrow Creek (1872)|Battle of Arrow Creek]] ended with minimal casualties on either side. |
==Great Sioux War of 1876-77== | ==Great Sioux War of 1876-77== | ||
| − | On June 17, 1876, Crazy Horse led a combined group of approximately 1,500 Lakota and Cheyenne in a surprise attack against [[Brigadier General|Brig. Gen.]] [[George Crook]]'s force of 1,000 [[cavalry]] and [[infantry]] | + | On June 17, 1876, Crazy Horse led a combined group of approximately 1,500 Lakota and Cheyenne in a surprise attack against [[Brigadier General|Brig. Gen.]] [[George Crook]]'s force of 1,000 [[cavalry]] and [[infantry]], along with 300 [[Crow]] and [[Shoshone]] warriors, in the [[Battle of the Rosebud]]. The battle, although not substantial in terms of human loss, delayed Crook from joining up with the [[U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment|7th Cavalry]] under [[George A. Custer]], ensuring Custer’s subsequent defeat at the [[Battle of the Little Bighorn]]. |
At 3:00 p.m. on June 25, 1876, Custer's 7th Cavalry attacked the Lakota and Cheyenne village, marking the beginning of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Crazy Horse's exact actions during the battle are unknown. Possibly Crazy Horse entered the battle by repelling the first attack led by [[Major|Maj.]] [[Marcus Reno]], but it is also possible that he was still in his lodge waiting for the larger battle with Custer. [[Lakota people|Hunkpapa Warriors]] led by [[Chief Gall]] led the main body of the attack, and once again Crazy Horse's role in the battle remains ambiguous. Some historians think that Crazy Horse led a flanking assault, assuring the death of Custer and his men, the only fact that can be proven is that Crazy Horse was a major participant in the battle. | At 3:00 p.m. on June 25, 1876, Custer's 7th Cavalry attacked the Lakota and Cheyenne village, marking the beginning of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Crazy Horse's exact actions during the battle are unknown. Possibly Crazy Horse entered the battle by repelling the first attack led by [[Major|Maj.]] [[Marcus Reno]], but it is also possible that he was still in his lodge waiting for the larger battle with Custer. [[Lakota people|Hunkpapa Warriors]] led by [[Chief Gall]] led the main body of the attack, and once again Crazy Horse's role in the battle remains ambiguous. Some historians think that Crazy Horse led a flanking assault, assuring the death of Custer and his men, the only fact that can be proven is that Crazy Horse was a major participant in the battle. | ||
| − | In September 10, 1876 Captain Anson Mills and two battalions of the Third Cavalry captured a Minicoujou village of 36 lodges in the [[Battle of Slim Buttes]], | + | In September 10, 1876, Captain Anson Mills and two battalions of the Third Cavalry captured a Minicoujou village of 36 lodges in the [[Battle of Slim Buttes]], South Dakota. Crazy Horse and his followers attempted to rescue the camp and its headman, (Old Man) American Horse. He was unsuccessful and American Horse and nearly his entire family were killed by the soldiers after holing up in a cave for several hours. |
| − | On January 8, 1877, his warriors fought their last major battle, the [[Battle of Wolf Mountain]], with the [[United States Cavalry]] in the [[Montana Territory | + | On January 8, 1877, his warriors fought their last major battle, the [[Battle of Wolf Mountain]], with the [[United States Cavalry]] in the [[Montana Territory]]. |
==Surrender and Death== | ==Surrender and Death== | ||
| − | Crazy Horse and other northern [[Oglala]] leaders arrived at the [[Red Cloud Agency]], located near [[Camp Robinson]], Nebraska, on May 5, 1877. Together with [[He Dog]], [[Little Big Man]], Iron Crow and others, they met in a solemn ceremony with First Lieutenant William P. Clark as the first step in their formal surrender. | + | On May 5, 1977, knowing that his people were weakened by cold and hunger, Crazy Horse surrendered to [[United States]] troops at Camp Robinson in [[Nebraska]]. Crazy Horse and other northern [[Oglala]] leaders arrived at the [[Red Cloud Agency]], located near [[Camp Robinson]], Nebraska, on May 5, 1877. Together with [[He Dog]], [[Little Big Man]], Iron Crow, and others, they met in a solemn ceremony with First Lieutenant William P. Clark as the first step in their formal surrender. |
| + | |||
| + | For the next four months, Crazy Horse resided in his village near the Red Cloud Agency. The attention that Crazy Horse received from the Army elicited the jealousy of [[Red Cloud]] and [[Spotted Tail]], two Lakota who had long before come to the agencies and adopted the white ways. Rumors started to spread at the [[Red Cloud Agency]] and [[Spotted Tail Agency]] about Crazy Horse's desire to slip out of the agency and return to the old ways of life. In August 1877, officers at Camp Robinson received word that the [[Nez Perce]] of [[Chief Joseph]] had broken out of their reservations in [[Idaho]] and were fleeing north through Montana toward [[Canada]]. | ||
| − | + | When asked by Lieutenant Clark to join the Army against the Nez Perce, Crazy Horse and the [[Miniconjou]] leader [[Touch the Clouds]] objected, saying that they had promised to remain at peace when they surrendered. According to one version of events, Crazy Horse finally agreed, saying that he would fight "till all the Nez Perce were killed." But his words were apparently misinterpreted by scout [[Frank Grouard]] who reported that Crazy Horse had said that he would "go north and fight until not a white man is left." When he was challenged over his interpretation, Grouard left the council. Another interpreter, [[William Garnett]], was brought in but quickly noted the growing tension. | |
With the growing trouble at the Red Cloud Agency, General [[George Crook]] was ordered to stop at Camp Robinson. A council was called of the Oglala leadership, however, this was cancelled when Crook was informed that Crazy Horse had said the previous evening that he intended to kill the general during the proceedings. Crook ordered Crazy Horse's arrest and then departed, leaving the military action to the post commander at Camp Robinson, Lieutenant Colonel [[Luther P. Bradley]]. Additional troops were brought in from Fort Laramie and on the morning of September 4, 1877, two columns moved against Crazy Horse's village, only to find that it had scattered during the night. Crazy Horse fled to the nearby Spotted Tail Agency with his ill wife. After meeting with military officials at the adjacent military post of [[Camp Sheridan]], Crazy Horse agreed to return to Camp Robinson with Lieutenant [[Jesse M. Lee]], the Indian agent at Spotted Tail. | With the growing trouble at the Red Cloud Agency, General [[George Crook]] was ordered to stop at Camp Robinson. A council was called of the Oglala leadership, however, this was cancelled when Crook was informed that Crazy Horse had said the previous evening that he intended to kill the general during the proceedings. Crook ordered Crazy Horse's arrest and then departed, leaving the military action to the post commander at Camp Robinson, Lieutenant Colonel [[Luther P. Bradley]]. Additional troops were brought in from Fort Laramie and on the morning of September 4, 1877, two columns moved against Crazy Horse's village, only to find that it had scattered during the night. Crazy Horse fled to the nearby Spotted Tail Agency with his ill wife. After meeting with military officials at the adjacent military post of [[Camp Sheridan]], Crazy Horse agreed to return to Camp Robinson with Lieutenant [[Jesse M. Lee]], the Indian agent at Spotted Tail. | ||
| Line 78: | Line 83: | ||
The identity of the soldier responsible for the bayonetting of Crazy Horse is also debatable. Only one eye witness account actually identifies the soldier as Private [[William Gentles]]. Historian [[Walter M. Camp]] circulated copies of this account to individuals who had been present who questioned the identity of the soldier and provided two additional names. To this day, the identification remains questionable.<ref> "Crazy Horse: Who Really Wielded the Bayonet that Killed The Oglala Leader?," ''Greasy Grass'' 12(May 1996): 2-10.</ref> | The identity of the soldier responsible for the bayonetting of Crazy Horse is also debatable. Only one eye witness account actually identifies the soldier as Private [[William Gentles]]. Historian [[Walter M. Camp]] circulated copies of this account to individuals who had been present who questioned the identity of the soldier and provided two additional names. To this day, the identification remains questionable.<ref> "Crazy Horse: Who Really Wielded the Bayonet that Killed The Oglala Leader?," ''Greasy Grass'' 12(May 1996): 2-10.</ref> | ||
| − | ==Photograph | + | ==Photograph controversy== |
[[Image:CrazyHorse.jpeg|thumb|right|150px|Disputed photograph of Crazy Horse]] | [[Image:CrazyHorse.jpeg|thumb|right|150px|Disputed photograph of Crazy Horse]] | ||
There is much debate over the authenticity of the supposed photograph of Crazy Horse (right). It is one of several claimed to be of him. Dr. [[Valentine McGillycuddy]] stated very clearly it was not a photograph of Crazy Horse, and that he doubted any photograph had been taken. This is because Crazy Horse resisted being photographed during his life because he had strong beliefs in preserving the culture and ways of the traditional Native Americans. However, it is known that his brother, who was said to resemble him, ''was'' photographed. | There is much debate over the authenticity of the supposed photograph of Crazy Horse (right). It is one of several claimed to be of him. Dr. [[Valentine McGillycuddy]] stated very clearly it was not a photograph of Crazy Horse, and that he doubted any photograph had been taken. This is because Crazy Horse resisted being photographed during his life because he had strong beliefs in preserving the culture and ways of the traditional Native Americans. However, it is known that his brother, who was said to resemble him, ''was'' photographed. | ||
Revision as of 16:42, 28 June 2007
Crazy Horse (Lakota: Thašųka Witko, literally "his-horse is-crazy")[1] (ca. 1840 – September 5, 1877) was a respected war leader of the Oglala Lakota, who fought against the U.S. federal government in an effort to preserve the traditions and values of the Lakota way of life.
A legendary warrior, Crazy Horse stole horses from the Crow Indians before he was 13 and led his first war party before turning 20. Crazy Horse fought against American settlers in Wyoming in the 1865-68 war led by the Oglala Chief Red Cloud. He also had a major role in destroying William J. Fetterman’s brigade at Fort Phil Kearney in 1867.
Crazy Horse was respected by the Lakota not only for his skill and bravery in battle, but by protecting his tribe's traditions and way of life. He would not permit photographs of himself, and fought to stop the American takeover on Lakota lands. When the War Department ordered all Lakota bands onto their reservations in 1876, Crazy Horse became a resistance leader. His first marriage to a Cheyenne woman permitted an alliance with that tribe, whereupon Crazy Horse led a force of 1,200 Oglala and Cheyenne against General George Crooks on June 17, 1876, as he attempted to advance on Sitting Bull’s Encampment on the Little Bighorn.
After this victory, Crazy Horse joined forces with Sitting Bull and on June 25 led his band in an historic counterattack that destroyed General George Armstrong Custer's Seventh Cavalry, flanking the Americans from the north and west as Hunkpapa warriors led by Chief Gall charged from the south and east. Following the Lakota victory at the Little Bighorn, Sitting Bull and Gall retreated to Canada, but Crazy Horse remained to battle General Nelson Miles as he pursued the Lakota and their allies relentlessly throughout the winter of 1876-77.
This constant military harassment and the decline of the buffalo population eventually forced Crazy Horse to surrender on May 6, 1877; except for Gall and Sitting Bull, he was the last important chief to yield. Even in defeat, Crazy Horse remained an independent spirit, and in September 1877, when he left the reservation without authorization, to take his sick wife to her parents, General George Crook ordered him arrested, fearing that he was plotting a return to battle. Crazy Horse did not resist arrest at first, but when he realized that he was being led to a guardhouse, he began to struggle, and while his arms were held by one of the arresting officers, a soldier ran him through with a bayonet.
Early life
Crazy Horse was born in 1840, with sources conflicting as to whether this was in the fall or the spring. His birth name was 'In The Wilderness' or 'Among the Trees' (pronounced as Cha-O-Ha), meaning he was one with nature. His nickname was Curly. He had the same light curly hair of his mother.
Crazy Horse's father, a Lakota who was also named Crazy Horse (b. 1810), passed the name to his son, taking the new name of Waglula (Worm) for himself thereafter. The mother of the younger Crazy Horse was Rattling Blanket Woman (b. 1814), a Lakota as well.
Later, Good Looking Woman, the sister of Rattling Blanket Woman, came to Waglula as a replacement wife for her sister since she could no longer bear children. Waglula, however, turned her down as a wife, but relented in allowing her to raise her sister's son, Crazy Horse. Later, Crazy Horse's other aunt, They Are Afraid of Her, helped in the raising of Crazy Horse. She helped teach him to hunt and take care of himself.
Visions
Crazy Horse lived in the Lakota camp with his younger brother, High Horse (son of Iron Between Horns and Waglula) and his cousin Little Hawk, who he grew up with. (Little Hawk was actually the nephew of his maternal step grandfather, Corn, when it was attacked by Lt. Grattan and 28 other troopers during the Grattan massacre.Cite error: Closing </ref> missing for <ref> tag
Photograph controversy
There is much debate over the authenticity of the supposed photograph of Crazy Horse (right). It is one of several claimed to be of him. Dr. Valentine McGillycuddy stated very clearly it was not a photograph of Crazy Horse, and that he doubted any photograph had been taken. This is because Crazy Horse resisted being photographed during his life because he had strong beliefs in preserving the culture and ways of the traditional Native Americans. However, it is known that his brother, who was said to resemble him, was photographed. The photo at right is a tintype in the Custer Battlefield Museum collection. A definitive article on its authenticity was published in Whispering Wind Magazine, Vol 34 # 3, "Debating the Crazy Horse Photo" by Jack Heriard. The article lays out the arguments for and against this being the photo of the famous Oglala by showing photos of the period and comparing this man's dress to that of a later period.
Accounts from those who met Crazy Horse, such as John Bourke and other writers, report that Crazy Horse had a very noticeable scar on his face, the result of being shot in a dispute over a woman many years before becoming a pivotal figure in the Plains Wars. Purported photos of Crazy Horse can be effectively dismissed for lack of a visible scar in the face.
There is a sketch of Crazy Horse done by William Bordeaux, based on a description of him by both Bordeaux's father, Louis Bordeaux, and Crazy Horse's youngest sister, Julia Clown (aka Iron Cedar). A copy is housed at Yale University's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, and has been digitized at fairly high resolution for online viewing in the Beinecke Library's Digital Images Online database. Both Bordeaux and Clown said he was never photographed, and they knew him personally.
Crazy Horse Memorial
File:Crazy Horse model.jpg
Foreground: Model of Crazy Horse Memorial. In background: the partly-carved largest sculpture in the world, honoring the great Native American leader.
Crazy Horse is currently being commemorated with the Crazy Horse Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota — a monument carved into a mountain, in the tradition of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial (on which Korczak Ziółkowski had worked). The sculpture was begun by Ziółkowski in 1948. When completed, it will be 641 feet (195 meters) wide and 563 feet (172 meters) high. Some Native American activists, most notably Russell Means, have criticized the project as exploitive of Lakota culture and Crazy Horse's memory.
Notes
- ↑ Bright, William (2004). Native American Place Names in the United States. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, pg. 125
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Sandoz, Mari. Crazy Horse, the Strange Man of the Oglalas, a biography, University of Nebraska Press, 1961. ISBN 978-0803251717
- Ambrose, Stephen E. Crazy Horse and Custer: The epic clash of two great warriors at the Little Bighorn, Pocket Books, 2003. ISBN 978-0743468640
- McMurtry, Larry. Crazy Horse, Puffin Books, 1999. ISBN 0-670-88234-8
- Guttmacher, Peter. Crazy Horse: Sioux War Chief, Chelsea House, 1994. ISBN 0-7910-1712-5
- Goldman, Martin S, Crazy Horse: War Chief of the Oglala Sue, Franlin Watts, 1996. ISBN 978-0531112588
External links
- PBS Biography
- A timeline of his life
- Indian Country Today: Trimble: What did Crazy Horse look like?
- Beinecke Rare Books and Manuscript Library of William Bordeaux's Crazy Horse sketch at Yale University
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