Quick Bear

[Diane Merkel]

I received the following information from a website visitor. Should Quick Bear be shown in the listing of warriors at LBH?

My great grandfather Quick Bear (Mato Ohanko), who was of the Wozhazha band (Brule), was often listed in error as Mato Luza (which means "Swift Bear" & "Fast Bear"). In fact there was a Swift Bear (Corn Band) who also was a Brule. Swift Bear, himself, was for a long time (treaties) listed in error as Mato Ohanko while Quick Bear was listed as Mato Luza (Swift/Fast) But both Quick Bear and Swift Bear were eventually assigned the correct Indian names matching their English names in 1877-1883 for the Rosebud leader pictures. All the pictures after 1883 were corrected. (Both Quick Bear and Swift Bear were in photos together re as Delegates to Washington DC)

However, there's a 1868 picture of both Fast Bear & Spotted Tail (siris). Fast Bear's picture exactly resembles the pictures of Quick Bear as show re 1888/91 Washington Delegates. Also, I inherited a picture of Quick Bear, never copyrighted ( photographer unknown), which resembles the 1868 Fast Bear/Spotted Tail pictures (2). Importantly my recent analysis of Quick Bear's 1916 probate (1827-1916) papers indicates a witness on behalf of Quick Bear stated he knew "Fast Bear" for the past 10 years (1906-16). Person has name is was local to the community. (It appears some people were calling Quick Bear "Fast Bear"--probably due to the incorrect Indian name assignment (Mato Luza).

Quick Bear (Mato Ohanko) was a sub-chief of the Wozhazha Band headed originally by Scattering Bear (1851 Treaty). Scattering Bear was killed about 1852. His brother Red Leaf then became leader--Quick Bear (who, in error, was assigned the name Mato Luza (meaning Swift Bear) is listed on the 1868 treaty along with Red Leaf of the Wozhazha band.. Swift Bear was listed erroneously as Mato Hanko (meaning Quick Bear). Along the way Quick Bear became head man during (or after) the Custer battle. He settled in Rosebud where there are pictures of him as representative of the Black Pipe district (part of Rosebud) after the establishment of reservations. (See Rosebud website--photos.)

According to our family history, and as repeated in Archie Fire Lame Deer book Gift of Power (grand son of Henry Quick Bear, brother of chief Quick Bear), Quick Bear was active in all the battles including the Bozeman Trail skirmishes, Fetterman's fiasco and, of course, Custer's battle. Considering Quick Bear was born in 1827 he would have been of age to participate in all the Sioux battles during that era as stated by his son, Henry Quick Bear.

There was also another Swift Bear. He was documented as of the Hunkpapa people one place and in another place as an Arapaho (in the SIRIS picture.) This Swift Bear died in the Custer Battle and generally not part of the above mix up.

[Dietmar]

here are some of the photographs of Quick Bear:


Spotted Tail & Quick/Fast Bear at Fort Laramie in 1868



Quick Bear and Corn band leader Swift Bear among other Brule at Laramie 1868:
standing l.t.r.: Quick Bear, Spotted Tail, White Eyes, Swift Bear, Whirlwind Soldier (Oglala), Long Mandan

Spotted Tail chose Quick Bear to accompany him to Washington in 1870:

sitting l.t.r.: Quick Bear, Spotted Tail, Swift Bear, Yellow Hair (all Brule)

There is also a John Anderson portrait of Quick Bear around 1899. I must have it somewhere.

There were only a few Brule at the LBH in 1876. Most of them were Wazhazhas, we must have discussed this in an older thread. So it´s not unlikely that Quick Bear was there.

Dietmar

[grahamew]

Who's the tall man wearing what looks to be treaty handouts? Or is it some kind of optical illusion? Long Mandan? I'm sure I've read ST was about 5' 8"; what does that make the man with the hat??

[Diane Merkel]

From the visitor who caused this thread to be started:

To Dietmar, Germany, for the QB Picture with Spotted Tail, Swift Bear and Yellow Hear. I have never, ever seen this before. I would like to personally thank Dietmar for his research. (QB is to me the Fast Bear pictured w/Spotted tail.) . . . This will help to correct Fast Bear's name as also Quick Bear. Thank you so much in this matter.

[Dietmar]

Grahame,

I think it is indeed an optical illusion. Long or Big/Tall Mandan, as he is variously identified, and the child and the two women (The Mules wife and Big Partisan´s daughter) are just a few yards in the foreground, standing and sitting before the fireplace, while the other chiefs standing behind it.
(To give the complete names, the man sitting far left is Leon Palladay)

Regards

Dietmar

[Dietmar]

Here is Quick Bear as a part of the Sioux delegation to Washington in 1888.

Quick Bear is sitting third from left in the front row.

[grahamew]

Thanks, Dietmar. Of vourse, his hieoght is made all the more noticeable by the ill-fitting trousers he's been given!

Here he is photographed in Washington - 1867?



I know this is a considerable digression from the topic of the thread, but here's an interesting article on the height of Plains Indians:
www.h-net.org/~demog/mortpap/prince_net%20nutri.doc

[Dietmar]

I could be wrong, but I think the Long/Big Mandan in the Ft. Laramie photo is a Brule by that name. The photo above is of the Two Kettle chief Long Mandan, a delegate to Washington in 1867.

[grahamew]

The man above is the Two Kettle. I always thought it was the same man! Oh, well...


Here's a Gardner portrait, allegedly from 1867 too, in the SIRIS collection:

[grahamew]

On a connected issue, the Swift Bear Winter Count is amongst those reproduced in The Year the Stars Fell (ed by Candace Greene and Russell Thornton; published by UNP and the Smithsonian). Good stuff, though I can't help feeling that a little more comment along the lines of James Howard's in his publication on the British Museum Winter Count would have been even more of a good thing.

[Dietmar]

All:

Does anyone know if Quick Bear and Wazhazha chief Red Leaf and his family (Iron Shell, Scattering Bear,...) are related?

Thank you.


Grahame, I think Two Kettle chief Long Mandan would be worth to get his own thread. There isn´t too much on him in history books, although he is an impressive figure and one of the most important Two Kettle Sioux. Maybe we could find something about him.