death_date tribe birth_date article_title name
december 1981 northern cheyenne 12 november 1909 john woodenlegs
 john woodenlegs
john woodenlegs

john woodenlegs -lrb- 12 november 1909 - december 1981 in billings , montana -rrb- was an author , educator , and the tribal president of the northern cheyenne from 1955 to 1968 .
in 1975 , he founded chief dull knife college , a community college located in lame deer , montana .
woodenlegs was the grandson of wooden leg , who fought against general george a. custer 's troops at the battle of little big horn in 1876 .
during his life , woodenlegs also worked as a cowboy , road worker , coal miner and rancher .
he was also the first american indian to receive an honorary degree from the university of montana .
whitney smith , a u.s. vexillologist , credits woodenlegs with having designed the flag of the northern cheyenne , which was approved for display in 1964 .
in 1967 , woodenlegs was the sole american indian member of the national advisory commission on rural poverty convened by president lyndon b. johnson .
a quote from woodenlegs appears in `` going rogue '' by sarah palin , though she mistakenly attributes it to basketball coach john wooden .
