Photos of the Little Bighorn and Joe Medicine Crow

[WY Man]

Here are some photos that I took today at Little Bighorn, on my trip with Dr. Joe Medicine Crow. Joe is the 95 year old grandson of White Man Runs Him.


The Wolf Mountains and Reno Creek from the Reno Battlefield. The marker is for Sunka Cancohan, "Dog's Backbone," Minniconjou Sioux warrior, killed in the battle.




The view looking west from West Weir Point, looking toward Garry Owen, which can be seen in the distance, by Interstate 90.


Unknown U.S. Soldier Found By Weibert Family, 1925, Re-buried in 1926




A trench located at the Reno defense position.

[Mike Powell]

Thanks for posting these. The overcast in some of the photos really lends to the mood. Almost as good as a trip there.

[lizs]

Nice. also take a gander at mine on here...

[wolfgang911]

wow, nice pix wy man!
what did medecine crow tell you or was he just hanging out there for the good vibes

[WY Man]

Joe and I have been to LBH lots of times, and he has told me a lot about the battle. Most of it was what Joe heard from the Crow scouts. As a boy, and as a young man, Joe knew all of the Crow scouts except for Half Yellow Face and White Swan. Joe's grandfather was White Man Runs Him. Joe accompanied him to the battlefield on numerous occasions, and heard his account a number of times. Joe used to interpret for White Man Runs Him to the Anglo writers.

The Crow accounts of the battle have been told numerous times. Walter Camp, Edward Curtis, Thomas Marquis, and many others interviewed the Crow scouts. But, it's just great to hear Joe tell the story because he knows it so well. It is almost like hearing one of the battle participants give their account. I have made several video recordings of Joe discussing the battle. On the day I took these photos, Joe had me drive up Medicine Tail Coulee, and he pointed out Curley's escape route to the east. Unfortunately, my camcorder battery wasn't fully charged, and the camera quit before we got there.

[princesstori]

Wow, I would have loved to have seen that footage!! Being there with him musy have been amazing.

[wolfgang911]

that's incredible wy man, what an experience almost first hand, must be a thrill.
95 years old and he has some horseriding arch legs!
you pick him up somewhere on the road going there or is he an official guide?
he must be one of the last 'survivors" having known the real warriors?

[WY Man]

I usually pick Joe up at his house at Lodge Grass, and he is "a-rarin'" to go. I live about 50 miles from Joe, and it is another 15 miles or so to the Custer Battlefield. Joe just likes to talk history, and I always try to have some questions ready for him. He is getting really hard of hearing though. Joe talked to lots of the old warriors when he was a young man. The Little Bighorn battle was just one of the many skirmishes and adventures that they were involved in. He has shown me a lot of places around the Crow reservation where this or that event took place. Joe has been the Crow tribal historian since 1948! I usually try to ask him who his source was when he is telling a story. One time he told me, "I used to have to do the chores and bring in the water when the old men were having their sweats. That is when they would recount their experiences, and I used to listen to the stories they were telling. They didn't think I was paying any attention, but I was." Yes, Joe is the last one left who knew these warriors and their stories. When he is gone, there will be no one left.

[WY Man]

This photo of Joe Medicine Crow as a boy hangs in the Hardin, MT public library. Joe is the boy in the center, wearing red. The photo was taken by Thomas Marquis, author of, "Save the Last Bullet For Yourself." The photo was probably taken ca. 1925.

[crzhrs]

WY Man:

There has been much debate about oral tradition/history used by Indians. Some say it can not be relied on for the full truth or the truth has been stretched over time.

Has Joe ever said anything about the stories told to him by his elders and whether he fully believes them?

[WY Man]

Joe has said that his Crow elders told the story of LBH very much the same way, but that there was a bit of controversy between Curley and the other Crow scouts. Back in the early days, when various Anglo writers would come to interview the Crow scouts still living, Joe sometimes acted as an interpreter. He said that once when White Man Runs Him was being interviewed, the writer kept asking leading questions, and trying to get the kind of answer that he wanted. White Man Runs Him got upset about it and told Joe to tell the man that his story was the truth, and that the man didn't want the truth, and that White Man Runs Him had nothing further to say.

Joe also heard LBH battle accounts from other sources, mostly Northern Cheyenne. Some of the Cheyenne accounts have the Cheyennes taking Custer's body from the river up to the hilltop, and Joe said that is very doubtful. Joe and I talked a little about the differing Indian accounts, and Joe feels pretty much the same as I do, and that is, we will never know exactly what happened.

I do think that the information collected by Native American historians such as Joe Medicine Crow (Crow), and John Stands In Timber (Cheyenne), from their respective tribal sources has a high degree of accuracy. LBH park ranger Michael Donahue said that years ago, John Stands In Timber would visit the park and point out places where he heard from elders that engagements had taken place. Superintendent Luce later would metal detect at these locations and inevitably would find cartridges.

In Donahue's excellent book, "Drawing Battle Lines," Donahue states that Curley was one of Walter Camp's primary sources during his interviews and research on LBH. Camp acknowleged that there were some discrepencies in what other writers said that Curley told them about his activities during the battle, and what Curley told Camp. Of the Crow scouts, Curley was a favorite of the writers, who inevitably wrote that Curley witnessed the beginning of the battle prior to his escape, but Curley never claimed to be the lone battle survivor as was usually reported. (Donahue - p. 300) Apparently, Curley's popularity with the White writers made him unpopular among the other Crow scouts. Finally, Curley refused to give any more interviews to the White writers.

[wolfgang911]

wyman you live in a great place , just get in the car and go to the battlelfield whenever you feel inspired (I need 2 days to get there by plane )

I think that the indian oral tradition is very reliable, just depends when it is collected (written down!) and by who...
The NDN testimony seems more reliable as white accounts :
they had no need to blow up their number of casualties or hide massacres as army officers or the press did.
vestal sandoz grinnel & c° all thought their NDN sources more reliable crossing and doublechecking information.
Now from there believing that even today there are reliable untold secret stories out there I doubt it.
I also think it depends on if it concerns indian versus white matters or indian versus indian stories where there is a lot of omerta still it seems (sitting bull's murder for instance).
Well at least you are as close to it as it can get with your crow friend. Can't get any closer than that.

regarding his pix Joe apparently followed the white man's ways pretty early. does he speak crow or englis as 1st language?
Thanks Wyman

[WY Man]

Joe today speaks English primarily, and as well as any White person, maybe better than a lot. Joe is a master story teller. But, I have also heard Joe carry on a conversation in fluent Crow, with another Crow. The Crow language is very much alive in the Crow tribe, unlike most Indian tribes, who have lost most of their language.

[wolfgang911]

That is good to hear.
I have this problem with language and heritage : one goes with the other.
Being Dutch without speaking Dutch (and riding a bike) I would certainly stop claiming to be Dutch.
Those boarding schools sure did a 'fine' job. Most tribes have lost their language. I can not understand why so little is done though to preserve.
I just red that in the canadian sioux reservation only 2 persons master lakota..
Even in France every region has it's local tongues revived.
(breton, catalan, corse, 'chti).
be proud and speak native

[Reddirt]

Your photo's are outstanding and do so much to help us understand some of the circumstances of what happened by supplying wonderful picture of the environment where everything occurred. Thank you!