Crow Foot (c. 1876 – December 15, 1890) was the son of Sitting Bull of the

Lakota Lakota may refer to: * Lakota people, a confederation of seven related Native American tribes *Lakota language, the language of the Lakota peoples Place names In the United States: * Lakota, Iowa * Lakota, North Dakota, seat of Nelson County * La ...

. His mother was either Seen by Her Nation or Four Robes. He had sisters named Standing Holy and Lodge; he also had brothers named Henry, Little Soldier, Red Scout, and Theodore. He was a twin and was born just before the

Battle of the Little Bighorn The Battle of the Little Bighorn, known to the Lakota and other Plains Indians as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, and also commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota Sioux, Nor ...

in 1876. He was named in honor of Crow Foot, the Blackfeet chief in Canada. Crow Foot was recalled in his father's obituary as "'bright as a dollar with eyes that fairly snap like whips'". His father, who believed Indian children needed to learn to read and write, placed Crow Foot and his other children in a

Congregational Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...

day school. Crow Foot was reportedly Sitting Bull's favorite son. Crow Foot was said to be "a solemn youth of seventeen" who "displayed a wisdom remarkable for one so young". According to Robert Higheagle, "Crow Foot was not like the rest of the boys. He did not get out and mingle with the boys and play their games. He grew old too early'". In 1881 he participated alongside his father in the surrender at

Fort Buford Fort Buford was a United States Army Post at the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers in Dakota Territory, present day North Dakota, and the site of Sitting Bull's surrender in 1881.Ewers, John C. (1988): "When Sitting Bull Surrendere ...

, handing his father's

Winchester rifle Winchester rifle is a comprehensive term describing a series of lever action repeating rifles manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Developed from the 1860 Henry rifle, Winchester rifles were among the earliest repeaters. The Mo ...

to Major Brotherton. Crow Foot was killed along with his father on December 15, 1890, by a group of

Indian agent In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with American Indian tribes on behalf of the government. Background The federal regulation of Indian affairs in the United States first included development of t ...

s. One of the police later reported that Crow Foot told his father, "You always called yourself a brave chief. Now you are allowing yourself to be taken by the Ceska maza" (police). The first military and police chronicles of the arrest do not mention Crow Foot saying this. Lone Man found him hiding in a pile of blankets. Crow Foot said, "'My uncles, do not kill me. I do not wish to die'". Some sources say that the policemen killed him at the instruction of dying Bull Head, who said, "Do what you like with him. He is one of them that has caused this trouble". Other sources state that Bull Head said he didn't care what they did. Lone Man "smashed Crow Foot across the forehead with a rifle butt, which sent him reeling across the room and out the door. There Lone Man and two others, tears streaming down their cheeks, pumped bullets into him."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crow Foot 1870s births 1890 deaths Lakota people Murdered Native American people People murdered in South Dakota Year of birth uncertain 19th-century Native Americans

Further reading

References