Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1935-08-31

gestion and caught butterflies ant
smeared their wings on his feet, thu
capturing the magic Of their swift
flight.
MY mother was wise" he said. "Shc
knew there was no magic in butterfly
wings, but she also new that the dis
cipline of chasing and catching then
would teach me to run swiftly"
And so, even in play, Plenty Coups
was laying the foundation for his tut
ure greatness. While still lad there
came to him his first deep sorrow, the
loss Of his older, foster brother, who
was killed by the Sioux on Blue creek
a few miles south Of the present site OF
Billings. After that the boys life was
dominated by one emotion-the urge
for revenge-the code Of man Of al
times-blood for blood But, before q
Grow could attain manhood and be-
come a warrior and fight the enemy,
he must go up on the mountains and
''See visions" There was reverence and
awe in the old chiefs face as he told
of that unforgettable experience on
the mountain top. 'I stayed I'D there
two days and nights, alone, without
food or water" he said, "and I was
afraid. I thought was going to die.
And then, while waited, an eagle came
down to me from the blue. Since then
the eagle has always been my strong
medicine. Many times, when in battle,
when danger has threatened me, an
ed my life. And that day, while I was
on the mountain, white man also
came to me from the blue. And so the
white man has always been my broth
err"
It was after his experience on the
mountain top that Plenty Coups, then
a lad of about H. stole into Sioux
hunting camp and killed a Sioux and
took his scalp, thereby revenging his
brothers death and making his first
coup. In those days, when tribe was
always at war against tribe, a mans
fitness for leadership was based pr1-
marily on physical valour. The bravest
man, the warrior who made most
cOupS, proved himself the ableSt leader.
There are many ways whereby an In
dian may make coup, all hazardous, all
involving danger. He makes coup when
he steals into an enemy camp and takes
q picketed horse; when he kills an
enemy, or when he strikes a fallen
enemy with his war club while in the
thick Of battle. So now A-leek-chea-
ahoos was entitled to wear In his
headdress feather, to the tip Of which
was attached a tuft Of red dyed horse
hair, denoting that he had killed an
enemy and was first to strike him
with his club. After that, in rapid sue
cession, he added many feathers, barred
with vermillion, to his headdress, for
he soon distinguished himself as one
Of the bravest Of the tribe.
The next adventure was to lead a
band of warriors against the Sioux
up in Big Horn canyon and re-captlre
many horses stolen from the Crows.
Thus. step by step, the young Crow
earned his title: PLENTY CoupS," and
climbed up from warrior 10 tribal coun-
Gilman, to sub-ckief under Chief
Pretty Eagle, until ultimately he was
chosen chief Of his tribe. Then, by sell
ection at Washington, endorsed by the
vote Of representatives OF the various
tribes, he was made chief OF all tne
the last time I visited with him: "A
man cannot be made CHER. he mas 10
make himself one"
If Plenty Coups we're a brave war
rior only, he could not nave become
the truly great man that he was. AL
though he could neither read nor write !
and never learned the English langu-
are. he possessed fine mind, a poets |
vision. together with an ambition that
was not wholly personal, but involved
all his people, and political shreWd-
ness. wary diplomacy. Many tongue
battle he waged for the tribal rights
against shrewd politicians at Washing
ton. SorCrwt1IB he Recognized the
times as period Of enforced read1ust-
nent for the Indian, and though at
heart a warrior, deploring the glory
Of vanished buffalo ranges and the
wild. free life, and fiercely fought bat
lies between tribes, he Was wise enough
to preach the lesson Of read uStment.
The last time I talked to him,
through our interpreter, Simon Bulltail,
asked him: what future do you for
see for the Crows. What do you want
for your people2"
He sighed His face was grave.
"I want" he said, that my young
men should go to white mans school
and then come back home and work
their land. But want them to con-
tinue to go up on the mountain top
and see visions. Too many Of them
are using fire-water or the peyote bean
which makes them see visions, but not
rood visions. I want them to under
stand that the day Of the warrior Is
zone and that the day Of the farmer is
1ere."
plenty Coups not only advised read
llstment but had set an example for
IS people. In his prime he was a sue
.essful farmer. He was proud Of the
Exhibits he brought down to the yell
0wstone County fair. True to his ac-
.epked c0de-"Not only as good as the
est. but the best he gloried Ia rails
ng Ehe biggest potatoes, the best wheat.
he fastest horses And he felt a naive
.xiaa 50 owning the only kWo-story
lNsIBa GA the reservation. When ] vis-
- his bowun I found "a a dark. bare.