Crazy Horse, a Man of Principle
Crazy Horse, known for his leadership and bravery, was a famous Native American war chief of the Sioux tribe. Born around 1840 in South Dakota, he was given his name by his father, a medicine man, after proving his skill and bravery in combat.
During the 1800s, the U.S. Army conducted military operations to drive the Native Americans off the land and onto reservations. Crazy Horse firmly believed that the settlers were a threat to the Native Americans’ way of life, and in his early twenties, he began combating U.S. soldiers in an effort to preserve Native American culture. During many battles, Crazy Horse acted as a decoy to draw soldiers away from their defense. Crazy Horse joined with Sitting Bull in the late 1870s to defend their land in the Black Hills. The Army had a three-pronged plan to defeat the Sioux. Crazy Horse and his men confronted the troops led by Gen. George Crook at Rosebud Creek on June 17, 1876, and emerged victorious. After this battle, the Sioux rode to Little Bighorn and joined forces with Sitting Bull’s men. Eight days later, Gen. George Custer and his men attacked the camp. Although Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull were victorious in this battle also, the military continued to fight for the land.
With the continuing wars, Sitting Bull fled to Canada. Crazy Horse tried to hold areas of Yellowstone but also grew tired of fighting. He decided to move to the reservation he was promised and turned himself in on May 6, 1877, near Fort Robinson. While he spent the summer waiting to be transferred to the reservation, many rumors about him spread. Because one rumor claimed that Crazy Horse was planning to escape, he was arrested on the fifth of September. Realizing that the captors were also going to lock him into a guardhouse, Crazy Horse struggled against them, but was tragically stabbed to death.
Crazy Horse was a great hero who fought bravely out of loyalty to his people and love of his culture. His spirit is honored in the Black Hills of South Dakota at the Crazy Horse Memorial, a grand sculpture that has been under construction for well over half a century.
