Nebraskaland

4 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2015 Otters I had to laugh when I saw the "Other than Otters" article by Eric Fowler in the December issue of NEBRASKAland, and read about his frustrations of getting a picture of an otter. I snapped these pictures with my phone of an otter that I encountered last summer while fishing a secluded Sandhills lake. The otter was apparently very curious as to what I was because he would swim straight toward me, stop, look at me for a bit then turn around and dive and swim out farther, only to repeat this process. Every time he swam in to check me out he would get a little bit closer, until finally he would approach to within about 10 feet of me. After getting a good look at his teeth I really started to debate how close I wanted to let him get! Scott Buss Via email Interesting Article I have been reading NEBRASKAland Magazine for the past three years. I have enjoyed the articles about Native Americans. I especially liked the piece in the December issue about Crazy Horse. As a Native American myself, I am proud of our heritage and am so glad to see an article about my ancestors and their spirit written in such a positive light. Talia Villalpando, Ponca Tribe of Nebraska Norfolk, Nebraska Public Land Christmas As an out-of-state reader of your publication for years, I wanted to share with you this picture of my son and I after a successful afternoon of pheasant hunting on walk-in land near Sidney. I moved to western Nebraska in February to work for Cabela's and my son is home from his first semester at UN-L and this was our first opportunity to pheasant hunt together. It was a very special Christmas gift for me! Michael Seay Via email Thanks to Ami Sheffield We appreciate the recent collection of photos sent to our office, including these two white-tailed deer. RCH 2015 these two white tailed deer. I t was the year of the stealing of 100 horses, as the Lakota winter count keeper Horn Chips (Ptehé Wóptuh'a) would describe 1840-41, when Miniconju Lakota Rattling Blanket Woman (Tasina Hlahla Win) gave birth to a son near Rapid Creek in present-day South Dakota. Though the child received the name In The Wilderness (Cha-O-Ha) at birth, he would eventually take on the name of his Oglala Lakota father, His Horse Is Crazy (Tašúke Witkó), and would be better known as Crazy Horse. Though no known photo of him exists, even at an early age the appearance of the young Crazy Horse was said to be striking. He had fair skin to match his curly, light colored hair, for which he was given the nickname, Curly (Gigi) by relatives. In 1854, the young Crazy Horse witnessed the opening engagement of war between the U.S. Army and Lakota warriors near Fort Laramie in present-day Wyoming. It was the start of nearly a quarter-century of warfare that would forever change the nations who called the Great Plains home. The incident, known as the Grattan Fight, began when a detachment of soldiers was sent to arrest an indian who had killed a cow that had wandered into camp. When a soldier immediately opened fire on the peaceful people, killing Chief Conquering Bear (Mató Wayúhi), Lakota warriors fought back and killed the remaining combatants. A decade later, Crazy Horse grew to be revered as a leader following his brave acts in war. He led warriors at the Battle of Rosebud in 1876, when General George Crook's army was halted by Lakota and Northern Cheyenne forces. Crazy Horse was also a war leader in the Battle of Little Bighorn on June 25-26, 1876. Commonly referred to as "Custer's Last Stand," united tribes including Lakota, Arapahoe and Cheyenne warriors overwhelmingly defeated the U.S. 7th cavalry led by General George Armstrong Custer, who was killed in the battle. With victory came much celebration, but life on the open prairie would soon change dramatically for Plains tribes. After the harsh winter of 1877 weakened his band, Crazy Horse made the difficult decision to surrender to federal troops on May 6, in order to protect his people. They camped awaiting relocation to the reservation on the Powder River as promised to him by the U.S. government. However, amid rumors of an escape, he was brought to Fort Robinson to be arrested on September 5, 1877. Crazy Horse had been apprehensive to go, but did not fully resist soldiers until he was led to be confined at the Fort's guardhouse. Accounts of this historic moment vary. When the warrior realized he was entering a jail, he struggled for his freedom. A great commotion ensued, during which Crazy Horse was stabbed twice with a bayonet. His second cousin, Oglala Lakota holy man Nicholas Black Elk (Hehaka Sapa), described the death of Crazy Horse to Nebraskan writer John G. Neihardt, as translated in Black Elk Speaks: They took him to a little prison with iron bars on the windows, for they By Amy Kucera The death of Crazy Horse at Fort Robinson, depicted as ledger art by Amos Bad Heart Bull (Wanblí Wapháha), an Oglala Lakota witness to the event. A group of young riders cut a trail alongside a stretch of the Crazy Horse Memorial Highway near Chadron on the first day of the 17th annual Crazy Horse Memorial Ride. Crazy Horse Rides On Beyond his untimely death at Fort Robinson, the legendary Oglala Lakota warrior lives on. 40 NEBRASKAland • DECEMBER 2014 DECEMBER 2014 • NEBRASKAland 41 NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 11055-2241-18 PHOTO BY AMY KUCERA Michael Seay and his son, Bradley, found success pheasant hunting on walk-in land near Sidney.

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