Native American Legends
The Sioux who married the Crow Chief's Daughter
A Sioux Legend
A war party of seven young men, seeing a lone tepee standing on
the edge of a heavy belt of timber, stopped and waited for darkness,
in order to send one of their scouts ahead to ascertain whether
the camp which they had seen was the camp of friend or enemy.
When darkness had settled down on them, and they felt secure in
not being detected, they chose one of their scouts to go on alone
and find out what would be the best direction for them to advance
upon the camp, should it prove to be an enemy.
Among the scouts was one who was noted for his bravery, and many
were the brave acts he had performed. His name was Big Eagle. This
man they selected to go to the lone camp and obtain the information
for which they were waiting.
Big Eagle was told to look carefully over the ground and select
the best direction from which they should make the attack. The other
six would await his return. He started on his mission, being careful
not to make any noise. He stealthily approached the camp. As he
drew near to the tent he was surprised to note the absence of any
dogs, as these animals are always kept by the Sioux to notify the
owners by their barking of the approach of anyone. He crawled up
to the tepee door, and peeping through a small aperture, he saw
three persons sitting inside.
An elderly man and woman were sitting at the right of the fireplace,
and a young woman at the seat of honor, opposite the door.
Big Eagle had been married and his wife had died five winters previous
to the time of this episode. He had never thought of marrying again,
but when he looked upon this young woman he thought he was looking
upon the face of his dead wife. He removed his cartridge belts and
knife, and placing them, along with his rifle, at the side of the
tent, he at once boldly stepped inside the tepee, and going over
to the man, extended his hand and shook first the man's hand, then
the old woman's, and lastly the young woman's. Then he seated himself
by the side of the girl, and thus they sat, no one speaking.
Finally, Big Eagle made signs to the man, explaining as well as
possible by signs, that his wife had died long ago, and when he
saw the girl she so strongly resembled his dead wife that he wished
to marry her, and he would go back to the enemy's camp and live
with them, if they would consent to the marriage of their daughter.
The old man seemed to understand, and Big Eagle again made signs
to him that a party were lying in wait just a short distance from
his camp. Noiselessly they brought in the horses, and taking down
the tent, they at once moved off in the direction from whence they
had come. The war party waited all night, and when the first rays
of dawn disclosed to them the absence of the tepee, they at once
concluded that Big Eagle had been discovered and killed, so they
hurriedly started on their trail for home.
In the meantime, the hunting party, for this it was that Big Eagle
had joined, made very good time in putting a good distance between
themselves and the war party. All day they traveled, and when evening
came they ascended a high hill, looking down into the valley on
the other side. There stretched for two miles, along the banks of
a small stream, an immense camp. The old man made signs for Big
Eagle to remain with the two women where he was, until he could
go to the camp and prepare them to receive an enemy into their village.
The old man rode through the camp and drew up at the largest tepee
in the village. Soon Big Eagle could see men gathering around the
tepee. The crowd grew larger and larger, until the whole village
had assembled at the large tepee. Finally they dispersed, and catching
their horses, mounted and advanced to the hill on which Big Eagle
and the two women were waiting. They formed a circle around them
and slowly they returned to the village, singing and riding in a
circle around them.
When they arrived at the village they advanced to the large tepee,
and motioned Big Eagle to the seat of honor in the tepee. In the
village was a man who understood and spoke the Sioux language. He
was sent for, and through him the oath of allegiance to the Crow
tribe was taken by Big Eagle. This done he was presented with the
girl to wife, and also with many spotted ponies.
Big Eagle lived with his wife among her people for two years, and
during this time he joined in four different battles between his
own people (the Sioux) and the Crow people, to whom his wife belonged.
In no battle with his own people would he carry any weapons, only
a long willow coup-stick, with which he struck the fallen Sioux.
At the expiration of two years he concluded to pay a visit to his
own tribe, and his father-in-law, being a chief of high standing,
at once had it heralded through the village that his son-in-law
would visit his own people, and for them to show their good will
and respect for him by bringing ponies for his son-in-law to take
back to his people.
Hearing this, the herds were all driven in and all day long horses
were brought to the tent of Big Eagle, and when he was ready to
start on his homeward trip, twenty young men were elected to accompany
him to within a safe distance of his village. The twenty young men
drove the gift horses, amounting to two hundred and twenty head,
to within one day's journey of the village of Big Eagle, and fearing
for their safety from his people, Big Eagle sent them back to their
own village.
On his arrival at his home village, they received him as one returned
from the dead, as they were sure he had been killed the night he
had been sent to reconnoiter the lone camp. There was great feasting
and dancing in honor of his return, and the horses were distributed
among the needy ones of the village.
Remaining at his home village for a year, he one day made up his
mind to return to his wife's people. A great many fancy robes, dresses,
war bonnets, moccasins, and a great drove of horses were given him,
and his wife, and he bade farewell to his people for good, saying,
"I will never return to you again, as I have decided to live the
remainder of my days with my wife's people."
On his arrival at the village of the Crows, he found his father-in-law
at the point of death. A few days later the old man died, and Big
Eagle was appointed to fill the vacancy of chief made by the death
of his father-in-law.
Subsequently he took part in battles against his own people, and
in the third battle was killed on the field. Tenderly the Crow warriors
bore him back to their camp, and great was the mourning in the Crow
village for the brave man who always went into battle unarmed, save
only the willow wand which he carried.
Thus ended the career of one of the bravest of Sioux warriors who
ever took the scalp of an enemy, and who for the love of his dead
wife, gave up home, parents, and friends, to be killed on the field
of battle by his own tribe.
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