The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-11-17
DEATH OF A BIG INDIAN.
The Hereditary Chief of the Sioux
Nation.
How Young Man Afraid-of- ms i"rseS
-. III oueer Name-An Important
Figure in Government
Records.

There was a funeral at the Pine
Dilo, Agency a few weeks ago of an
Iniian chief. who was brave warrior,
and as great in diplomacy as ne was IN
battle.
Ills name was Young Man -Afraid-of-
IIis-IJorses. and he was the hereditary
chief of the whole Sioux nation. ne
wa, Gftv-eight years of age at the time
of his death, and was son OF the IA
,.,.,us old warrior -Man-Afraid-ot-
His-Horses." who died in les9 at tiie
age, of ninety-two, and whose me Il
intimately connected with the lr"l'It'
history of this country since the carry
davs of the century.
When an Indian wants To emphasize
a fact strongly. he says the exact OPP
posite of what he means, and 50 the
name of the dead chief is specimen
of Indian satire.
His father, in his fights with other
Indians. adopted the tactics OF the
whites The usual method of the IN
dians is to ride in circles around the
object of attack, narrowing the diam
eter of the circle as the fight proceeds.
Rut the father used the regulation
,.,v,Ir.,- charge-a method of warfare
that at once distinguished him, and ne
was given a name which meant "a
man of whose horses the enemy Is
afraid" The Sioux satirist thought to
improve on this and condensed II 10;
..A-Man- A fraid-Of-His-
The old mans son, the chief now
dead. continued his fathers system OF
tactics. and. with the chieftaincy, was
given the title: ~ oung- -Afraid-of-
lIis-llOrSes.'
lie was contemporaneous as chief
tain of the Sioux with such Indians as
Red Cloud, Sitting Bull, spotted Tail,
American Horse, Black Bear, Lone
Wolf. Red Leaf and White Thunder,
all of whom were men of undoubted
courage and natural leaders of their
people.
He occupied a peculiar position as
chief. His Indian subjects believed
that he had great influence with the
whites. and they were constantly ask
ing him To have their grievances re
dressed.
On the other hand, Gems. Crook and
Miles recognized that his sway was
less disputed than that of any other
Indian chief, and they used him to ac-
complish results which, without him,
could only have been secured by
threats and hard fighting.
He recognized the great strength of
the whites. and became wise medi-
ntor. Tie was also possessed of eXcep-
ti0nal ability. and saw that there was
Greater honor to himself and benefit To
his people by living i'll peace, both with
the white and the red men, than in be-
ing in constant conflict with them.
At one time. he had a habit of going
ont on a hunt with small force, meet
ing a superior IOrce OF trOwS or Paw
nees. giving them battle and coming
of victorious.
But about twelve years ago, ne and
a band of Sioux went to the Little Mis-
souri, on u buffalo hunt. Spotted Horse
and Crazy Head, two of the biggcs;
chiefs of the Crows were also there
with a party of their people. Young
Man-Afraid, instead of fighting his
hereditary enemies, arranged Il peace
treaty. and since that time the two ma
tions have been the best of friends.
He recognized the fact that with the
disappearance of the buffalo the In
dian of the plains would no longer he
tiou, and, although Il great buffalo
hunter. he made strong effort to pre-
serve that animal.
But when its determination was as
sured, he advocated peace with the
whites, and was ever friendly with
them, although sometimes strongly
tempted otherwise.
In 1890 and 1891. when the Messiah
craze was at its height, and the Sioux
were engaged in ghost DANCES. the
dead chief did not encourage them. ana
could not see that they would get any
benefit from their actions, but he held
that no one had right to interfere
with them unless they committed some
act of violence.
lie was absent at the time of tn.
battle of Wounded Knee, but returned
soon aftcrward, and east the weight ot
hIs great influence with the indians
for peace.
When he went back TO his people
after his first visit to Washington. i'm
lNIG, he dcacrihed TO them what he had
seen and heard on the journey. He
told them about the iron horse which
carried him. They understood all that.
1t was " hite mans medicine. He told
them about talking wires (tclcrraph)
and they understood that also; it was
white man : magic
But when he told them about build
ings six and seven stories high, that
was too much, and he would have to
take it back. But he would not. and
as they could not doubt his sincerity.
they came to the conclusion that the
whites had given him a draught to
drink which had bewitched him For
time there was much talk of getting
a new chief
The Sioux believe that Young-Man-
Afraid-of-lIis had some brothers
living. An effort will be made to find
them. and if it is successful one of
them will be made the chief by natural
Jaw If the search is a failure. there
viii be an election for the chief. in
which all the Sioux people will en-