Edison Real Bird was the

chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

of the

Crow Nation The Crow, whose Exonym and endonym, autonym is Apsáalooke (), also spelled Absaroka, are Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans living primarily in southern Montana. Today, the Crow people have a federally recognized tribe, th ...

Tribal Council from 1966 to 1972. While in that position, he implemented several key democratic reforms, and oversaw the election of

Pauline Small Pauline Small (November 30, 1924 – March 9, 2005) was the first woman to be elected to office in the Crow Nation, Crow Tribe of Indians. In 1966 she was elected to Crow Tribal Administration, Vice-Secretary of the Crow Tribal Council, hol ...

, the first woman to be elected in the Crow Nation. He was photographed at the signing of the Crow Tribal Agreement, with

Stewart Udall Stewart Lee Udall (January 31, 1920 – March 20, 2010) was an American politician and later, a federal government official. After serving three terms as a congressman from Arizona, he served as Secretary of the Interior from 1961 to 1969, unde ...

and

Arnold Olsen Arnold Olsen (December 17, 1916 – October 9, 1990) was a U.S. Democratic politician who served as the Attorney General of Montana from 1949 to 1957, and as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Montana's 1st congressiona ...

, in 1961. "In 1967, during the Edison Real Bird Administration the Crow Cultural Commission, chaired by Henry Old Coyote, began a plan to design the Crow Tribal emblem and flag." The Crow Central Education Commission of the Crow Tribe of Indians, which was authorized and funded in 1972, "during the Edison Real Bird administration," became the parent organization of today's

Little Big Horn College Little Big Horn College is a public tribal land-grant community college on the Crow Indian Reservation in Crow Agency, Montana. It has an open admissions policy and welcomes enrollment from any adult with a high school diploma or GED. The student ...

. The Edison Real Bird Memorial Complex in

Crow Agency, Montana Crow Agency ( cro, awaasúuchia) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Big Horn County, Montana, United States and is near the actual location for the Little Bighorn National Monument and re-enactment produced by the Real Bird family known as B ...

, named in his honor, is the site of many events that are a part of

Crow Fair The Crow Fair was created in 1904 by Crow leaders and an Indian government agent to present the Crow Tribe of Indians as culturally distinct and modern peoples, in an entrepreneurial venue. It welcomes all Native American tribes of the Great Plai ...

Notes and references

External links

* Programs-Edison Real Bird Administration, Native American leaders Crow tribe Chairpersons of the Crow Nation 20th-century Native Americans Year of birth missing Year of death missing {{NativeAmerican-politician-stub