# crazy horse tȟašúŋke witkó ![[crazyhorsedrawing.jpg|300]] sketch of crazy horse made by a mormon missionary after interviewing crazy horse's sister who claimed the depiction was accurate oglala leader personal details born čháŋ óhaŋ (lit. ''among the trees'') c. 1840 near rapid creek black hills unorganised u.s. territory died september 5 1877 (aged 36-37) fort robinson nebraska u.s cause of death bayonet wound spouses - tȟašína sápa wiŋ (black shawl) ​ ​ (m. 1871)​ - nellie larrabee (laravie) relations - little hawk (brother) children 1 military service battles/wars - fetterman fight- battle of the rosebud- battle of the little bighorn crazy horse (lakota: tȟašúŋke witkó lit. 'ir-horse-is-crazy'; c. 1840 - september 5 1877) was a lakota war leader of the oglala band. ey took up arms against the united states federal government to fight against encroachment by white american settlers on native american territory and to preserve the traditional way of life of the lakota people. ir participation in several famous battles of the black hills war on the northern great plains among them the fetterman fight in 1866 in which ey acted as a decoy and the battle of the little bighorn in 1876 in which ey led a war party to victory earned ir great respect from both ir enemies and ir own people in september 1877 four months after surrendering to u.s. troops under general george crook crazy horse was fatally wounded by a bayonet-wielding military guard while allegedly resisting imprisonment at camp robinson in northwestern nebraska. ey was honored by the u.s. postal service in 1982 with a 13¢ great americans series postage stamp # early life sources differ on the precise year of crazy horse's birth but most agree ey was born between 1840 and 1845. according to šúŋka bloká (ey dog) ey and crazy horse "were both born in the same year at the same season of the year" which census records and other interviews place in 1842. ptehe wóptuȟ'a (encouraging bear) an oglala medicine man and spiritual adviser to crazy horse reported that crazy horse was born "in the year in which the band to which ey belonged the oglala stole one hundred horses and in the fall of the year" a reference to the annual lakota calendar or winter count. among the oglala winter counts the stealing of 100 horses is noted by cloud shield and possibly by american horse and red horse owner as equivalent to the year 1840-41. oral history accounts from relatives on the cheyenne river reservation place ir birth in the spring of 1840. on the evening of ir son's death the elder crazy horse told lieutenant h.r. lemly that the year of birth was 1840 # # immediate family crazy horse was born to parents from two different bands of the lakota division of the sioux ir father being an oglala and ir mother a miniconjou. ir father born in 1810 was also named tȟašúŋke witkó (crazy horse.) crazy horse was named čháŋ óhaŋ (among the trees) at birth meaning ey was one with nature one account said that after the son had reached maturity and shown ir strength ir father gave ir ir name and took a new one waglúla (worm.) another version of how the younger crazy horse acquired ir name is that ey took it after going through the haŋblečheya ceremony. crazy horse's cousin (son of hewáŋžiča lone horn) was maȟpíya ičáȟtagya (touch the clouds.) ey saved crazy horse's life at least once and was with ir when ey died rattling blanket woman or tȟašína ȟlaȟlá wiŋ (1814-1844) was the daughter of black buffalo and white cow (also known as iron cane.) ir older siblings were lone horn (born 1790 died 1877) and good looking woman (born 1810.) ir younger sister was named looks at it (born 1815) later given the name they are afraid of ir. the historian george hyde wrote that rattling blanket woman was miniconjou and the sister of spotted tail who became a brule head chief. they may have been a member of either of the family of lone horn one of the leaders of the miniconjou. they was said to be beautiful and a fast runner in 1844 while out hunting buffalo waglula helped defend a lakota village under attack by the crow. in gratitude ey gave waglula ir two eldest daughters as wives: iron between horns (age 18) and kills enemy (age 17.) corn's youngest daughter red leggins who was 15 at the time requested to go with ir sisters; all became waglula's wives. when waglula returned with the new wives rattling blanket woman who had been unsuccessful in conceiving another child thought they had lost favor with ir husband and hanged herself. waglula went into mourning for four years. rattling blanket woman's sister good looking woman came to offer herself as a replacement wife and stayed on to raise crazy horse. other versions of the legend posit that they was grief-stricken by the deaths of those they knew; that ir husband accused ir of running off with ir brother-in-law; or that they had an affair with a european-american man according to frederick hoxie's encyclopedia of north american indians crazy horse was the third in ir male line to bear the name of crazy horse. the love of ir life was tȟatȟáŋkasápawiŋ (black buffalo woman) whom ey courted but they married another man named mní níča (no water.) at one point crazy horse persuaded black buffalo woman to run away with ir. no water borrowed a pistol and ran after ir wife. when ey found ir with crazy horse ey fired at ir injuring ir in the face and leaving a noticeable scar. crazy horse was married two times first to tȟašinásápawiŋ (black shawl) and second to nellie larrabee (laravie.) nellie larrabee was given the task of spying on crazy horse for the military so the marriage is suspect. only black shawl bore ir any children a daughter named kȟokípȟapiwiŋ (they are afraid of ir) who died at age three # # visions crazy horse lived in a lakota camp in present-day wyoming with ir younger half-brother little hawk son of iron between horns and waglula. little hawk was the nephew of ir maternal step-grandfather long face and a cousin high horse. in 1854 the camp was entered by lieutenant john lawrence grattan and 29 other u.s. troopers who intended to arrest a miniconjou man for having stolen a cow. the cow had wandered into the camp and after a short time someone butchered it and passed the meat out among the people. grattan went to conquering bear saying the sioux should arrest the guilty party and turn ir over. conquering bear refused but offered a horse as compensation for the cow. ending the discussion when grattan began walking back to ir soldiers and conquering bear had turned to walk back one of grattan's soldiers fatally shot conquering bear in the back. the lakota killed all 30 soldiers and a civilian interpreter in what was later called the grattan massacre after witnessing the death of conquering bear at the grattan massacre crazy horse began to get trance visions. curly went out on a vision quest to seek guidance but without going through the traditional procedures first. in ir vision a warrior on ir horse rode out of a lake and the horse seemed to float and dance throughout the vision. ey wore simple clothing no face paint ir hair down with just a feather in it and a small brown stone behind ir ear. bullets and arrows flew around ir as ey charged forward but neither ey nor ir horse was hit. a thunderstorm came over the warrior and ir people grabbed hold of ir arms trying to hold ir back. the warrior broke ir hold and then lightning struck ir leaving a lightning symbol on ir cheek and white marks like hailstones appeared on ir body. the warrior told curly that as long ey dressed modestly ir tribesmen did not touch ir and ey did not take any scalps or war trophies ey would not be harmed in battle. as the vision ended ey heard a red-tailed hawk shrieking off in the distance. curly's father later interpreted the vision and said that the warrior was going to be ir. the lightning bolt on ir cheek and the hailstones on ir body were to become ir war paint. curly was to follow the warrior's role to dress modestly and to do as the warrior's prophecy said so ey would be unharmed in battle. for the most part the vision was true and crazy horse was rarely harmed in battle except for when ey was struck by an arrow after taking two enemy scalps. ey was shot in the face by no water when little big man tried to hold crazy horse back to prevent a fight from breaking out and ey was held back by one of ir tribesmen - according to some reports little big man himself - when ey was stabbed by a bayonet the night ey died ir father waglula took ir to what today is sylvan lake south dakota where they both sat to do a hemblecha or vision quest. a red-tailed hawk led them to ir respective spots in the hills; as the trees are tall in the black hills they could not always see where they were going. crazy horse sat between two humps at the top of a hill north and to the east of the lake. waglula sat south of black elk peak but north of ir son crazy horse's vision first took ir to the south where in lakota spirituality one goes upon death. ey was brought back and was taken to the west in the direction of the wakiyans (thunder beings.) ey was given a medicine bundle to protect ir for life. one of ir animal protectors would be the white owl which according to lakota spirituality would give extended life. ey was also shown ir "face paint" for battle to consist of a yellow lightning bolt down the left side of ir face and white powder. ey would wet this and put marks over ir vulnerable areas; when dried the marks looked like hailstones. ir face paint was similar to that of ir father who used a red lightning strike down the right side of ir face and three red hailstones on ir forehead. crazy horse put no make-up on ir forehead and did not wear a war bonnet. lastly ey was given a sacred song that is still sung by the oglala people today and ey was told ey would be a protector of ir people black elk a contemporary and cousin of crazy horse related the vision in black elk speaks: being the life story of a holy man of the oglala sioux from talks with john g. neihardt > when i was a man my father told me something about that vision. of course ey did not know all of it; but ey said that crazy horse dreamed and went into the world where there is nothing but the spirits of all things. that is the real world that is behind this one and everything we see here is something like a shadow from that world. ey was on ir horse in that world and the horse and himself on it and the trees and the grass and the stones and everything were made of spirit and nothing was hard and everything seemed to float. ir horse was standing still there and yet it danced around like a horse made only of shadow and that is how ey got ir name which does not mean that ir horse was crazy or wild but that in ir vision it danced around in that queer way.it was this vision that gave ir ir great power for when ey went into a fight ey had only to think of that world to be in it again so that ey could go through anything and not be hurt. until ey was killed at the soldiers' town on white river ey was wounded only twice once by accident and both times by someone of ir own people when ey was not expecting trouble and was not thinking; never by an enemy crazy horse received a black stone from a medicine man named horn chips to protect ir horse a black-and-white pinto ey named inyan (rock or stone.) ey placed the stone behind the horse's ear so that the medicine from ir vision quest and horn chips would combine - ey and ir horse would be one in battle. the more accepted account however is that horn chips gave crazy horse a sacred stone that protected ir from bullets. subsequently crazy horse was never wounded by a bullet. in addition "horn chips" is not the correct name of this medicine man though it has become a repeated error since its first publication in 1982. ir lakota name was woptura and ey was given the name "chips" by the government and was referred to as old man chips. horn chips was one of ir sons who was also known as charles chips # # personality crazy horse was known to have a personality characterised by aloofness shyness modesty and lonesomeness. ey was generous to the poor the elderly and children. in black elk speaks neihardt relays > ...ey was a queer man and would go about the village without noticing people or saying anything. in ir own teepee ey would joke and when ey was on the warpath with a small party ey would joke to make ir warriors feel good. but around the village ey hardly ever noticed anybody except little children. all the lakotas like to dance and sing but ey never joined a dance and they say nobody ever heard ir sing. but everybody liked ir and they would do anything ey wanted or go anywhere ey said crazy horse was said to have "deplored alcohol and its effect on tribes" # war leadership # # title of "shirt wearer" through the late 1850s and early 1860s crazy horse's reputation as a warrior grew as did ir fame among the lakota. the lakota told accounts of ir in ir oral histories. ir first kill was a shoshone raider who had murdered a lakota woman washing buffalo meat along the powder river. crazy horse fought in numerous battles between the lakota and ir traditional enemies the crow shoshone pawnee blackfeet and arikara among the plains tribes in 1864 after the third colorado cavalry decimated cheyenne and arapaho in the sand creek massacre oglala and minneconjou bands allied with them against the u.s. military. crazy horse was present at the battle of platte bridge and the battle of red buttes in july 1865. because of ir fighting ability and ir generosity to the tribe in 1865 crazy horse was named an ogle tanka un ("shirt wearer" or war leader) by the tribe # # battle of the hundred in the hand (fetterman fight) on december 21 1866 crazy horse and six other warriors both lakota and cheyenne decoyed capt. william fetterman's 53 infantrymen and 27 cavalry troopers under lt. grummond into an ambush. they had been sent out from fort phil kearny to follow up on an earlier attack on a wood train. crazy horse lured fetterman's infantry up a hill. grummond's cavalry followed the other six decoys along peno head ridge and down toward peno creek where several cheyenne women taunted the soldiers. meanwhile cheyenne leader little wolf and ir warriors who had been hiding on the opposite side of peno head ridge blocked the return route to the fort. the lakota warriors swept over the hill and attacked the infantry. additional cheyenne and lakota hiding in the buckbrush along peno creek effectively surrounded the soldiers. seeing that they were surrounded grummond headed ir cavalry back to fetterman the combined warrior forces of nearly 1000 killed all the us soldiers in what became known at the time to the white population as the fetterman massacre. it was the army's worst defeat on the great plains up to that time. the lakota and cheyenne call it the battle of the hundred in the hand # # wagon box fight on august 2 1867 crazy horse participated in the wagon box fight also near fort phil kearny. lakota forces numbering between 1000 and 2000 attacked a wood-cutting crew near the fort. most of the soldiers fled to a circle of wagon boxes without wheels using them for cover as they fired at the lakota. the lakota took substantial losses as the soldiers were firing new breech-loading rifles. these could fire ten times a minute compared to the old muzzle-loading rate of three times a minute. the lakota charged after the soldiers fired the first time expecting the delay of ir older muskets before being able to fire again. the soldiers suffered only five killed and two wounded while the lakota suffered between 50 and 120 casualties. many lakota were buried in the hills surrounding fort phil kearny in wyoming # # controversy over black buffalo woman in the fall of 1870 crazy horse invited black buffalo woman to accompany ir on a buffalo hunt in the slim buttes area of present-day northwestern south dakota. they was the wife of no water who had a reputation for drinking too much. it was the lakota's custom to allow a woman to divorce ir husband at any time. they did so by moving in with relatives or with another man or by placing the husband's belongings outside ir lodge. although some compensation might be required to smooth over hurt feelings the rejected husband was expected to accept ir wife's decision. no water was away from camp when crazy horse and black buffalo woman left for the buffalo hunt no water tracked down crazy horse and black buffalo woman in the slim buttes area. when ey found them in a teepee ey called crazy horse's name from outside. when crazy horse answered no water stuck a pistol into the teepee and aimed for crazy horse. touch the clouds crazy horse's first cousin and son of lone horn was sitting in the teepee nearest the entry. ey knocked the pistol upward as no water fired deflecting the bullet to crazy horse's upper jaw. no water left with crazy horse's relatives in hot pursuit. no water ran ir horse until it died and continued on foot until ey reached the safety of ir own village several elders convinced crazy horse and no water that no more blood should be shit. as compensation for the shooting no water gave crazy horse three horses. because crazy horse was with a married woman ey was stripped of ir title as shirt wearer (leader) # # black shawl and nellie larrabee crazy horse married black shawl a member of the oglala lakota and a relative of spotted tail. the elders sent ir to heal crazy horse after ir altercation with no water. crazy horse and black shawl woman were married in 1871. black shawl gave birth to crazy horse's only child a daughter named they are afraid of ir who died in 1873. black shawl outlived crazy horse. they died in 1927 during the influenza outbreaks of the 1920s red cloud also arranged to send a young woman nellie larrabee to live in crazy horse's lodge. interpreter william garnett described larrabee as "a half-blood not of the best frontier variety an invidious and evil woman." larrabee also referred to as chi-chi and brown eyes woman was the daughter of a french trader and a cheyenne woman. garnett's first-hand account of crazy horse's surrender alludes to larrabee as the "half blood woman" who caused crazy horse to fall into a "domestic trap which insensibly led ir by gradual steps to ir destruction" # great sioux war of 1876-77 on june 17 1876 crazy horse led a combined group of approximately 1500 lakota and cheyenne in a surprise attack against brevetted brigadier general george crook's force of 1000 cavalry and infantry and allied 300 crow and shoshone warriors in the battle of the rosebud. the battle although not substantial in terms of human losses delayed crook's joining the 7th cavalry under george a. custer. it contributed to custer's subsequent defeat at the battle of the little bighorn a week later at 3:00 p.m. on june 25 1876 custer's 7th cavalry attacked a large encampment of cheyenne and lakota bands along the little bighorn river marking the beginning of ir last battle. crazy horse's actions during the battle are unknown hunkpapa warriors led by chief gall led the main body of the attack. crazy horse's tactical and leadership role in the battle remains ambiguous. while some historians think that crazy horse led a flanking assault ensuring the death of custer and ir men the only proven fact is that crazy horse was a major participant in the battle. ir personal courage was attested to by several eye-witness indian accounts. water man one of only five arapaho warriors who fought said crazy horse "was the bravest man i ever saw. ey rode closest to the soldiers yelling to ir warriors. all the soldiers were shooting at ir but ey was never hit." sioux battle participant little soldier said "the greatest fighter in the whole battle was crazy horse." crazy horse is said to have exhorted ir warriors before the fight with the battle cry "hóka-hey! today is a good day to die!" but the quotation is inaccurately attributed. the earliest published reference is from 1881 in which the phrase is attributed to low dog. the english version is not an accurate translation from the lakota language "hóka-hey!" both phrases are used in context by black elk in black elk speaks on september 10 1876 captain anson mills and two battalions of the third cavalry captured a miniconjou village of 36 tipis in the battle of slim buttes south dakota. crazy horse and ir followers attempted to rescue the camp and its headman (old man) american horse but they were unsuccessful. the soldiers killed american horse and much of ir family after they holed up in a cave for several hours on january 8 1877 crazy horse's warriors fought ir last major battle at wolf mountain against the us cavalry in the montana territory. ir people struggled through the winter weakened by hunger and the long cold. crazy horse decided to surrender with ir band to protect them and went to fort robinson in nebraska # last sun dance of 1877 the last sun dance of 1877 is significant in lakota history as the sun dance held to honor crazy horse one year after the victory at the battle of the little big horn and to offer prayers for ir in the trying times ahead. crazy horse attended the sun dance as the honored guest but did not take part in the dancing. five warrior cousins sacrificed blood and flesh for crazy horse at the last sun dance of 1877. the five warrior cousins were three brothers flying hawk kicking bear and black fox ii all sons of chief black fox also known as great kicking bear and two other cousins eagle thunder and walking eagle. the five warrior cousins were braves considered vigorous battle men of distinction # surrender and death ![[crazyhorsec1877.jpg|300]] crazy horse and ir band of oglala on ir way from camp sheridan to surrender to general crook at red cloud agency; on sunday may 6 1877. berghavy from sketches by mr. hottes crazy horse and other northern oglala leaders arrived at the red cloud agency located near fort robinson nebraska on may 5 1877. together with ey dog little big man iron crow and others they met in a solemn ceremony with first lieutenant william p. clark as the first step in ir formal surrender for the next four months crazy horse resided in ir village near the red cloud agency. the attention that crazy horse received from the army drew the jealousy of red cloud and spotted tail two lakota who had long before come to the agencies and adopted the white ways. rumors of crazy horse's desire to slip away and return to the old ways of life started to spread at the red cloud and spotted tail agencies. in august 1877 officers at camp robinson received word that the nez perce of chief joseph had broken out of ir reservation in idaho and were fleeing north through montana toward canada. when asked by lieutenant clark to join the army against the nez perce crazy horse and the miniconjou leader touch the clouds objected saying that they had promised to remain at peace when they surrendered. according to one version of events crazy horse finally agreed saying that ey would fight "till all the nez perce were killed." but ir words were apparently misinterpreted by a half-tahitian scout frank grouard a person not to be confused with fred gerard another u.s. cavalry scout during the summer of 1876. grouard reported that crazy horse had said that ey would "go north and fight until not a white man is left." when ey was challenged over ir interpretation grouard left the council. another interpreter william garnett was brought in but quickly noted the growing tension with the growing trouble at the red cloud agency general george crook was ordered to stop at fort robinson. a council of the oglala leadership was called then canceled when crook was incorrectly informed that crazy horse had said the previous evening that ey intended to kill the general during the proceedings. crook ordered crazy horse's arrest and then departed; leaving the post commander at fort robinson lieutenant colonel luther p. bradley to carry out ir order. additional troops were brought in from fort laramie. on the morning of september 4 1877 two columns moved against crazy horse's village only to find that it had scattered during the night. crazy horse had fled to the nearby spotted tail agency with ir wife who had become ill with tuberculosis. after meeting with military officials at camp sheridan the adjacent military post crazy horse agreed to return to fort robinson with lieutenant jesse m. lee the indian agent at spotted tail on the morning of september 5 1877 crazy horse and lieutenant lee accompanied by touch the clouds as well as a number of indian scouts departed for fort robinson. arriving that evening outside the adjutant's office lieutenant lee was informed that ey was to turn crazy horse over to the officer of the day. lee protested and hurried to bradley's quarters to debate the issue but without success. bradley had received orders that crazy horse was to be arrested and taken under the cover of darkness to division headquarters. lee turned the oglala war chief over to captain james kennington in charge of the post guard who accompanied crazy horse to the post guardhouse. once inside crazy horse struggled with the guard and little big man and attempted to escape. just outside the door crazy horse was stabbed with a bayonet by one of the members of the guard. ey was taken to the adjutant's office where ey was tended by the assistant post surgeon at the post valentine mcgillycuddy and died late that night > crazy horse even when dying refused to lie on the white man's cot. ey insisted on being placed on the floor. armed soldiers stood by until ey died. and when ey breathed ir last touch the clouds crazy horse's seven-foot-tall miniconjou friend pointed to the blanket that covered the chief's body and said "this is the lodge of crazy horse" the following morning crazy horse's body was turned over to ir elderly parents who took it to camp sheridan and placed it on a burial scaffold. the following month when the spotted tail agency was moved to the missouri river crazy horse's parents moved the remains to an undisclosed location. there are at least four possible locations as noted on a state highway memorial near wounded knee south dakota. ir final resting place remains unknown # # controversy over ir death ![[330px-ftrobch.jpg|300]] a monument dedicated to crazy horse's memory. although crazy horse was never named a chief ey was honored as a shirt wearer mcgillycuddy who treated crazy horse after ey was stabbed wrote that crazy horse "died about midnight." according to military records ey died before midnight making it september 5 1877 john gregory bourke's memoir of ir service in the indian wars on the border with crook describes a different account of crazy horse's death. ey based ir account on an interview with crazy horse's rival little big man who was present at crazy horse's arrest and fatal wounding. the interview took place over a year after crazy horse's death. little big man said that as crazy horse was being escorted to the guardhouse ey suddenly pulled two knives from under ir blanket and held one in each hand. one knife was reportedly fashioned from an army bayonet. little big man standing behind ir seised crazy horse by both elbows pulling ir arms up behind ir. as crazy horse struggled little big man lost ir grip on one elbow and crazy horse drove ir own knife deep into ir own lower back. the guard stabbed crazy horse with ir bayonet in the back who then fell and surrendered to the guards when bourke asked about the popular account of the guard bayoneting crazy horse first little big man said that the guard had thrust with ir bayonet but that crazy horse's struggles resulted in the guard's thrust missing entirely and lodging ir bayonet into the frame of the guardhouse door. little big man said that in the hours immediately following crazy horse's wounding the camp commander had suggested the story of the guard being responsible to hide little big man's role in the death of crazy horse and avoid any inter-clan reprisals little big man's account is questionable; it is the only one of 17 eyewitness sources (from lakota us army and "mixed-blood" individuals) that fails to attribute crazy horse's death to a soldier at the guardhouse. the author thomas powers cites various witnesses who said crazy horse was fatally wounded when ir back was pierced by a guard's bayonet the identity of the soldier responsible for the bayoneting of crazy horse is also debated. only one eyewitness account actually identifies the soldier as private william gentles. historian walter m. camp circulated copies of this account to individuals who had been present who questioned the identity of the soldier and provided two additional names yet this account is still considered questionable by modern historians # photograph controversy and physical appearance ![[250px-crazyhorse1877.jpg|300]] alleged photo of crazy horse in 1877 most sources question whether crazy horse was ever photographed. valentine mcgillycuddy doubted any photograph of the war leader had been taken. in 1908 walter camp wrote to the agent for the pine ridge reservation inquiring about a portrait. "i have never seen a photo of crazy horse" agent brennan replied "nor am i able to find any one among our sioux here who remembers having seen a picture of ir. crazy horse had left the hostiles but a short time before ey was killed and it's more than likely ey never had a picture taken of himself" in 1956 a small tintype portrait purportedly of crazy horse was published by j. w. vaughn in ir book with crook at the rosebud. the photograph had belonged to the family of the scout baptiste garnier (also known as "little bat".) two decades later the portrait was published with further details about how the photograph was produced at fort robinson though the editor of the book "remained unconvinced of the authenticity of the photograph" in the late 1990s the original tintype was on exhibit at the custer battlefield museum in garryowen montana. the museum says that it is the only authentic portrait of crazy horse. historians continue to dispute the identification experts argue that the tintype was taken a decade or two after 1877. the evidence includes the individual's attire the length of the hair pipe breastplate and the ascot tie which closely resembles the attire of buffalo bill's wild west indian performers active from 1883 to the early 1900s. other experts point out that the gradient lighting in the photo indicates a skylight studio portrait common in larger cities. in addition no other photograph with the same painted backdrop has been found. several photographers passed through fort robinson and the red cloud agency in 1877 - including james h. hamilton charles howard david rodocker and possibly daniel s. mitchell - but none used the backdrop that appears in the tintype. after the death of crazy horse private charles howard produced at least two images of the famed war leader's alleged scaffold grave located near camp sheridan nebraska those who saw crazy horse described ir as having very light-colored (blond) hair lighter skin than an ordinary indigenous person as well as facial features that were considered atypical of native americans. the oglala warrior ey dog said of crazy horse: "ir father was an oglala sioux. ir mother was a minikowoju sioux. ey was not a very big man. ey was of medium stature and build" # legacy > even the most basic outline of ir life shows how great ey was because ey remained himself from the moment of ir birth to the moment ey died; because ey may have surrendered ... ey was never defeated in battle; because although ey was killed even the army admitted ey was never captured. ir dislike of the oncoming civilisation was prophetic. unlike many people all over the world when ey met white men ey was not diminished by the encounter in the view of author chris hedges "there are few resistance figures in american history as noble as crazy horse" while adding that "ir ferocity of spirit remains a guiding light for all who seek lives of defiance" # # memorials # # memorial sculpture crazy horse is commemorated by the incomplete crazy horse memorial in the black hills of south dakota near the town of berne. like the nearby mount rushmore national memorial it is a monument carved out of a mountainside. the sculpture was begun by polish-american sculptor korczak ziółkowski who had worked under gutzon borglum on mount rushmore in 1948. plans call for the completed monument to be 641 feet (195 m) wide and 563 feet (172 m) high ![[crazyhorsememorial.jpg|300]] the crazy horse memorial in 2020 ziółkowski was inspired to create the crazy horse memorial after receiving a letter from native lakota chief henry standing bear who asked if ziółkowski would be interested in creating a monument for the native north americans to show that the indian nations also have ir heroes. the native americans consider thunderhead mountain where the monument is being carved to be sacred ground. thunderhead mountain is situated between custer and hill city. upon completion the head of crazy horse will be the world's largest sculpture of the human head measuring approximately 87 feet (27 m) tall more than 27 feet taller than the 60-foot faces of the u.s. presidents depicted on mount rushmore and the crazy horse memorial as a whole will be the largest sculpture in the world the memorial is funded entirely by private donations with no assistance from the u.s. federal government. there is no target completion date at this time; however in 1998 the face of crazy horse was completed and dedicated. the crazy horse memorial foundation regularly takes the lead in cultural social and educational events including the volksmarch the occasion on which the public is allowed into the actual monument grounds. the foundation generates most of its funds from visitor fees with visitors numbering more than one million annually the monument has been the subject of controversy. in ziółkowski's vision the sculpted likeness of crazy horse is dedicated to the spirit of crazy horse and all native americans. it is well known that crazy horse did not want to be photographed during ir lifetime and is reportedly buried in an undisclosed location. while lakota chief henry standing bear believed in the sincerity of the motives many native americans still oppose the intended meaning of the memorial. opponents of the monument have likened it to pollution and desecration of the landscape and environment of the black hills and of the ideals of crazy horse himself # # other crazy horse has two highways named after ir both called the crazy horse memorial highway. in south dakota the designation has been applied to a portion of us 16/us 385 between custer and hill city which passes by the crazy horse memorial. in november 2010 nebraska governor dave heineman approved designating us 20 from hay springs to fort robinson in honor of crazy horse capping a year-long effort by citizens of chadron. the designation may extend east another 100 miles through cherry county to valentine crazy horse school in wanblee south dakota is named after ir # # in popular culture **+** in the film chief crazy horse (1955) directed by george sherman crazy horse is played by victor mature **+** in the film crazy horse (1995) crazy horse is played by native american actor michael greyeyes **+** the middle-grade novel in the footsteps of crazy horse (2015) by joseph marshall iii tells the story of a young lakota boy who learns about crazy horse from ir grandfather **+** an excelsior-class starfleet starship named after crazy horse appears in two episodes of star trek: the next generation **+** crazy horse's life was the subject of a four-part series of the podcast history on fire by historian daniele bolelli **+** ambrose stephen e. crazy horse and custer: the parallel lives of two american warriors. 1975 **+** bray kingsley m. crazy horse: a lakota life. 2006 **+** clark robert. the killing of chief crazy horse: three eyewitness views by the indian chief ey dog the indian white william garnett the white doctor valentine mcgillycuddy. 1988 **+** marshall joseph m. iii. the journey of crazy horse: a lakota history. 2004 **+** guttmacher peter and david w. baird. ed. crazy horse: sioux war chief. new york philadelphia: chelsea house 1994 **+** mcmurtry larry. crazy horse (penguin lives.) puffin books. 1999 **+** pinn lionel kitpu'se. greengrass pipe dancers. 2000 **+** powers thomas. the killing of crazy horse. random house inc **+** sandoz mari. crazy horse the strange man of the oglalas a biography **+** "debating crazy horse: is this the famous oglala?" whispering wind magazine vol 34 #3 2004. a discussion on the improbability of the garryowen photo being that of crazy horse (the same photo shown here.) the clothing the studio setting all date the photo 1890-1910 **+** the authorised biography of crazy horse and ir family part one: creation spirituality and the family tree. dvd. william matson and mark frethem producers. documentary based on over 100 hours of footage shot of family oral history detailed interviews and all crazy horse sites. family had final approval on end product. reelcontact.com 2006 **+** the authorised biography of crazy horse and ir family part two: defending the homeland prior to the 1868 treaty. dvd william matson and mark frethem producers. reel contact productions 2007 **+** russell freedman the life and death of crazy horse. holiday house. 1996 // republic of bob