Crazy Horse

Also known as His-Horse-Is-Crazy, Tȟašúŋke Witkó, Among the Trees

Oglala Sioux chief (1840–1877)

AI overview

Crazy Horse was an Oglala Sioux chief who lived from 1840 to 1877 and became one of the most famous Native American leaders in history. He is remembered for his resistance to U.S. government efforts to force Native Americans onto reservations and for his role in significant battles during the Indian Wars of the Great Plains.

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Wikidata facts

Instance of: human
Gender: male
Place of birth: South Dakota
Place of death: Fort Robinson
Occupation: traditional leader or chief
Languages spoken: Sioux
Native language: Sioux
Participant in: Battle of the Little Bighorn
Field of work: Sioux
Conflict: Great Sioux War of 1876
Image: Crazy Horse in Fiedler Museum.JPG
Residence: South Dakota

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Commons category: Crazy Horse
date of death: 1877-09-05
date of birth: 1849-12-04
described by source: Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography
name in native language: Tȟašúŋke Witkó
cause of death: stab wound
ethnic group: Sioux

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Encyclopedic overview

Crazy Horse (Lakota: Tȟašúŋke Witkó [tˣaˈʃʊ̃kɛ witˈkɔ], lit. 'His-Horse-Is-Crazy'; c. 1840 – September 5, 1877) was a Lakota war leader of the Oglala band and one of the most renowned Native American figures of the nineteenth century. Known for his commitment to defending Lakota lands and lifeways, he emerged as a central figure in the northern Great Plains during a period of intense conflict with the United States. Crazy Horse resisted U.S. expansion into the Powder River Country, rejecting treaty settlements and reservation life, and became widely respected for both his tactical skill and his personal humility, which included a lifelong avoidance of being photographed.

He played leading roles in several major engagements, including the 1866 Fetterman Fight, in which a combined Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho force annihilated a U.S. Army detachment, and the 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn, where he helped lead the combined Native forces that defeated the 7th Cavalry under George Armstrong Custer. His reputation as a warrior and strategist earned him admiration among his own people and grudging respect from his adversaries.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Crazy Horse” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.