Minneconjou/Sans Arc Bands at LBH?

[Diane Merkel]

The photo above is identified in Jerome Greene's new book Fort Randall on the Missouri, 1856-1892 as a photo produced in 1882 by Bailey, Dix & Mead with a parenthetic note that it is "possibly from photographs taken by Stanley J. Morrow." The caption of the photo reads: "No. 24. Summer View. This view gives a section of their summer quarters, showing a full brother of the noted Indian, Brave Bear, (under sentence of death for murder) and Brave Bear's squaw."

[Dietmar]

Here is some information regarding the 1888 delegation group photograph by Smillie.
According to Herman J. Viola´s book "Diplomats in Buckskin" the delegation photos were sent by the Smithsonian Institute to the Indian agents at the agencies, so that the pictures could be properly captioned. The Cheyenne River agent said about the chiefs in the photo posted by myself and Grahame:

No. 1 - Spotted Eagle is a Sans Arc Sioux, 54 years old - he surrendered in 1881, with Sitting Bull - since the surrender he has been quiet and peacable.

No. 2 - Spotted Elk is a Minniconjou Sioux, 59 years old, he came in from the hostile camp in 1876 has made but little progress.

If this is right, this Spotted Elk would have been born in 1829. Could he be the famous Spotted Elk/Big Foot?

[Dietmar]

My information is that the Spotted Elk in the 1891 group photo is Oglala. He looks quite different to the man discribed in my last post, with a broader face and much younger.

[Dietmar]

I found this photo of Big Foot in Donovin Spragues book "Cheyenne River Sioux".





In another book of Sprague he make some interesting genealogical statements about Four Horses, the daughter of Lone Horn, and Kate Hunter aka Kills Plenty, her daughter:

Four Horses was the daughter of Lone Horn and Wind, one of seven wives of the old chief.
Black Buffalo was the father of Lone Horn and High Backbone (Hump).
Big Foot (Si Tanka) is related to Wind, Stiff Leg (another wife of Lone Horn) and the One/Lone Horns. Further:
"Wind was killed at Wounded Knee at age 78 in 1890 with grandson Big Foot, however she would have been about 14 years older than him. In Lakota kinship, Wind may have called him a son, due to him being a son of One Horn and one of his wives. Some tie Si Tanka to Wind, or to her sister Stiff Leg."

[Dietmar]

The last photo for today

This time it is an edit of the group photograph of the 1875 Sioux delegation.



Lone Horn (above) & Big Foot (below)

To me this Big Foot bears a resemblance to the man in the Smillie photo of 1888.

[grahamew]

I have the 1875 photo in front of me and I see what you mean!

My information on the Bailey, Dix and Mead photos is that they saw the chance to make money from pictures of the returned ' hostiles' and commissioned William Cross to do the actual photography - though I have read that Morrow sold some of the images under his own name.

Surely the 'squaw' next to Brave Bear is another man?!

[shatonska]

so high backbone ( a different man than Hump) was Crazy Horse uncle , that's why he took care of CH war education

spotted helk in 1988 delegation photo looks like the man named spotted elk in the middle photo posted by Grahamew in the previous page

[grahamew]

Dietmar, is this THE Spotted Eagle? He seems to have aged an awful lot since his surrender.

[crzhrs]

RE: Hump, High Breast, High Back Bone

Matthew King, grandson of Fast Thunder said Hump (Crazy Horse's mentor/friend) was aka High Breast because he was very muscular. He was killed on a raid with Crazy Horse by Shoshoni in 1871.

In LITTLE BIG HORN REMEMBERED there is a photo of "Hump and his favorite wives" obviously a different Hump than CH's friend.

Hump (not CH's friend) was aka High Back Bone

From LANCE & SHIELD: Life of Sitting Bull (Utley)

Hump/High Back Bone and Crazy Horse attacked white trappers/traders in April 1874

Hump/High Back Bone joined Sitting Bull at LBH

Hump/High Back Bone surrendered at Ft. Keogh spring 1877

Hump's/High Back Bone's band lived at Cheyenne River Agency and was steadfastly "non-progressive" and tormented their agent and resisted civilization.

[Dietmar]

Grahame,
Not sure 100%, but all information I have indicate that he must be Spotted Eagle indeed.
As I said, the agents of all reservations seems to have identified the delegates. The Cheyenne River agent, Dr. C.E. McChesney, himself was a part of the delegation to Washington in 1888. There is another photo of the whole delegation on the steps on the Interior Department (see: Utley, The Lance and the Shield). I have a list from the Smithonian Institute with detailed identifications (by Wrenne (?)) of all delegation members. From what I can see all 1888 photos seem to identify these delegates correctly. Here again Spotted Eagle and Big Foot (cited "the Big Foot of the Wounded Knee incident") are named in the list as Cheyenne River delegates.
Interestingly they were photographed in both photos standing or sitting together with the Sans Arcs White Swan, Charger and Swift Bird.
Also pictured in the 1888 photos is a Little Bear from Cheyenne River. Could this be chief of the Dung Eaters band of Miniconjou, that Kingsley mentioned?

Spotted Eagle indeed appear aged. But so do all members of this delegation when compared to older photos. Maybe that´s not only time but the frustration and grief about reservation life?!

[grahamew]

When did Huffman photograph him? 1881? That's a mere seven years. I don't have the reference with me now, but I'm sure he's referred to as a powerfully built man (in his forties?) by Finerty or some other source. Next to Big Foot, he look as if he's withered away.

Anyhow, while I remember, is Touch the Clouds on the 1875 delegation photo?

[Dietmar]

Some idenfications in the 1875 photograph are unclear, or at least unknown to me.
Besides the Brules (Spotted Tail, Swift Bear, Ring Thunder), Oglalas (Sitting Bull, Little Wound, Slow Bull), and Two Kettles (Long Mandan, Rattling Ribs) only the Miniconjous Lone Horn, Big Foot and White Swan are definitly pictured.

No, I can´t see Touch-theClouds in the photograph.

[grahamew]

Thanks.

[grahamew]

Hmmm The Denver Public Library site claims the photo shows Brave Bear's brother and his wife! he absent Brave Bear being a prisoner for some wrongdoing.

[Dietmar]

I think this Brave Bear must be Bob Brave Bear. According to Thomas H. Heski´s book about D.F. Barry Bob Brave Bear was " a sort of indian dude. He and an associate "The Only One" killed and robbed a settler near Pembina, North Dakota, in 1873. He was put to jail in Pembina but escaped, killed a man and fled to Canada where he joined Sitting Bull. He surrendered with Sitting Bull in 1881. He was condemned and hanged."
The photo of Bob Brave Bear by D.F. Barry is to be found at the Denver Public Library, too. I think Bob Brave Bear was Hunkpapa.