Chief Big Robber (died 1858 or 1866), also known as Big Shadow or Big Robert, was a 19th century Crow chief. He was a participant in the

Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 was signed on September 17, 1851 between United States treaty commissioners and representatives of the Cheyenne, Sioux, Arapaho, Crow, Assiniboine, Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nations. Also known as Horse Cree ...

. His name ''Big Shadow'' referred to his large stature.

Biography

Big Robber had a brother named Dancing White Horse, who was killed by the Lakota in 1844. As a result, Big Robber performed a seven-day long Sun Dance. In 1851, as leader of the Mountain Crow band, he participated in the Laramie Treaty. United States Commissioners appointed Big Robber as head chief of the entire nation. He negotiated with Chief

Red Fish ''Red Fish'' is an album by the Northern Irish rock band The Moondogs The Moondogs are a Northern Irish rock band formed in 1979, and consisting of Gerry McCandless, Austin Barrett and Jackie Hamilton. Their career spans three albums, four ...

of the Lakota to establish regional boundaries. After the treaty, Big Robber lost much respect and was disliked by other Crow bands. In 1858, the Lakota began to advance into Crow territory. Big Robber was killed that year after a battle that left 30 Crow dead. An alternate legend surrounding the death of Big Robber concerns the naming of

Crowheart Butte Crowheart Butte is a summit located in the Wind River Valley in rural Fremont County, Wyoming. The community of Crowheart is located nearby. Crowheart Butte was named after an 1866 battle between the Shoshone and Crow tribes. According to leg ...

in Wyoming. The butte was allegedly named after an 1866 duel between Big Robber and

Chief Washakie Washakie (1804/1810 – February 20, 1900) was a prominent leader of the Shoshone people during the mid-19th century. He was first mentioned in 1840 in the written record of the American fur trapper, Osborne Russell. In 1851, at the urging o ...

of the

Eastern Shoshones Eastern Shoshone are Shoshone who primarily live in Wyoming and in the northeast corner of the Great Basin where Utah, Idaho and Wyoming meet and are in the Great Basin classification of Indigenous People. They lived in the Rocky Mountains dur ...

. In the legend, the two fought to decide hunting rights in the

Wind River Range The Wind River Range (or "Winds" for short) is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in western Wyoming in the United States. The range runs roughly NW–SE for approximately . The Continental Divide follows the crest of the range and inclu ...

. Chief Washakie slew Chief Robber, but was so impressed with his courage, he cut out Robber's heart and placed it on the end of his lance.

References

{{authority control Native American leaders Crow people