Ambrose, Stephen E. Crazy Horse and Custer: The Parallel Lives of Two American Warriors. 1975; New York: Anchor Books, 1996.
Bray, Kingsley M. Crazy Horse: A Lakota Life. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2006.
Crazy Horse: The Last Warrior. Biography Series. A&E Television Networks, 1993. DVD.
Gray, John S. Centennial Campaign: The Sioux War of 1876. Ft. Collins, CO: Old Army Press, 1976.
Hardorff, Richard G., ed. The Surrender and Death of Crazy Horse: A Source Book About a Tragic Episode in Lakota History. Spokane: Arthur H. Clark, 1998.
Kadlecek, Edward, and Mabell Kadlecek. To Kill an Eagle: Indian Views on the Last Days of Crazy Horse. 1981; Boulder, CO: Johnson Books, 2008.
McMurtry, Larry. Crazy Horse. New York: Lipper/Viking, 1999.
Sajna, Mike. Crazy Horse: The Life Behind the Legend. 2000; Edison, NJ: Castle Books, 2005.
Sandoz, Mari. Crazy Horse: The Strange Man of the Oglalas. 1942; Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1961.
Chief Joseph conveys pride and dignity in this photograph from around 1902, twenty-five years after leading his Nez Perce on the long trek to Canada that fell just miles short of his goal. (Library of Congress)
Chief Joseph (Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekht, Thunder Rising in the Mountains) 1840-1904
Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekht, whose name refers to thunder rising to the mountain heights but who was better known as Young Joseph and, later, Chief Joseph, was one of the best-known Indians of his time and the Indian leader probably most admired by Euro-Americans. That admiration was well deserved but partly based on misunderstanding his role during the long journey of his Nee-Me-Poo (usually referred to in historical accounts as Nez Perce) in 1877 as they attempted to evade U. S. military forces and make their way to Canada.
Both U. S. military opponents and the general public assumed that the Nez Perce successes against the U. S. army and their ability to outmaneuver their opponents over a stretch of some 1,800 miles must have been the work of a great military genius. That genius, they conjectured, was Chief Joseph because he was the Nez Perce leader they best knew and the most prominent leader to survive the long trek that ended just 40 miles short of the Canadian border. White Bird, a more war-like Nez Perce leader, was not killed in the final battle, but managed to make his way to Canada, evade capture, and largely escape the public eye. Thus Chief Joseph became the “Red Napoleon,” even though one skill that he never consistently demonstrated was military leadership.
Chief Joseph’s other attributes, however, were many. He was a deeply spiritual man who was committed both to traditional beliefs and to peace with Euro-Americans. A compassionate family man, he also cared deeply for the wider Nez Perce community, his strong sense of responsibility for their welfare ultimately playing a major role in his decision to surrender short of his Canadian goal. An able administrator, Chief Joseph coordinated camp movements during the long journey of 1877, oversaw handling of the large horse herd that numbered between 2,000 and 3,000 horses, and provided security for the Nez Perce families. He fought as a warrior, but he was not his people’s war chief. Finally, after his surrender in 1877 and until his death in 1904, he lobbied consistently for the right of his people to return to their homeland. In that final effort, which ultimately proved unsuccessful, even his former military opponents joined his cause. Perhaps no American Indian in history brought so many Euro-Americans to sympathize with the history, struggles, and rights of Indians.
World History
