Two Strike (Numpkahapa, 1831–1915) was a
Brulé Lakota
The Brulé are one of the seven branches or bands (sometimes called "sub-tribes") of the Teton (Titonwan) Lakota American Indian people. They are known as Sičhą́ǧu Oyáte (in Lakȟóta) —Sicangu Oyate—, ''Sicangu Lakota, o''r "Burnt T ...
chief born in the
White River Valley The White River Valley is a region in central Vermont, United States. The area is a natural river valley of the White River.
As defined by the valley's chamber of commerce, it includes eleven towns: Bethel, Braintree, Brookfield, Chelsea, Han ...
in present-day
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
. He earned his Lakota name "Nomkahpa", meaning "Knocks Two Off" in a battle with
Utes, when he knocked two off their horses with a single blow of his war club.
Two Strike fought in various battles against the U.S. Army during the early conflict of the Plains Indian wars and of the Great Sioux wars with Chief
Crow Dog and Chief
Crazy Horse
Crazy Horse ( lkt, Tȟašúŋke Witkó, italic=no, , ; 1840 – September 5, 1877) was a Lakota war leader of the Oglala band in the 19th century. He took up arms against the United States federal government to fight against encroachment by wh ...
as well as various war exploits and atrocities against the
Pawnee.
Two Strike and his band were present along with bands of the
Southern Cheyenne, at the
Battle of Summit Springs on July 11, 1869, when the U.S. Fifth Cavalry and 50
Pawnee scouts made a surprise attack against their camp.
Buffalo Bill Cody
William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), known as "Buffalo Bill", was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman. He was born in Le Claire, Iowa Territory (now the U.S. state of Iowa), but he lived for several years in ...
was present at the battle serving in the capacity as chief scout. Chief
Tall Bull
Tall Bull (1830 - July 11, 1869) (''Hotóa'ôxháa'êstaestse'') was a chief of the Cheyenne Dog Soldiers. Of Cheyenne and Lakota parentage, like some of the other Dog Soldiers by that time, he identified as Cheyenne.Hyde 1968, p. 339.
He was sho ...
of the Southern Cheyenne along with 51 members of the combined Lakota-Cheyenne encampment were killed and 17 women and children were taken prisoner, the rest of the
Lakota and Cheyenne managed to escape. The soldiers then burned their camp including their
tipis and supplies.
Chief Two Strike was one of the principal chiefs of combined
Oglala
The Oglala (pronounced , meaning "to scatter one's own" in Lakota language) are one of the seven subtribes of the Lakota people who, along with the Dakota, make up the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Seven Council Fires). A majority of the Oglala live o ...
and
Brulé war party of over a thousand braves that attacked a band of
Pawnee Indians, old hated enemies that had left their reservation in
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
to hunt
buffalo on August 5, 1873. More than 70 to 100
Pawnee were killed in the battle/massacre which occurred in and along a bluff in present-day
Hitchcock County, Nebraska
Hitchcock County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 2,616. Its county seat is Trenton, Nebraska, Trenton.
In the Vehicle registration plates of Nebraska, Neb ...
near the republican river. The incident was subsequently named
Massacre Canyon
The Massacre Canyon battle took place in Nebraska on August 5, 1873 near the Republican River. It was one of the last hostilities between the Pawnee and the Sioux (or Lakota) and the last battle/massacre between Great Plains Indians in North Ame ...
.
[Paul, R. Eli. The Nebraska Indian Wars reader, 1865-1877. University of Nebraska Press (April 1, 1998). p. 88 ]
References
Brulé people
Lakota leaders
Native American people of the Indian Wars
1915 deaths
People from South Dakota
1831 births
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