Great Leader: Little Raven of the Southern Arapaho, c 1810-1889
Chiefs of the various Plains tribes not only had to keep peace with White and sometimes Mexican settlers, they also had to be alert to quickly tamp down rivalry with other tribes. A war chief was often a skilled diplomat in order to survive. Little Raven, c 1810-1889, who also went by the name Hosa or Young Crow, was all of the above.
Little Raven was born about 1810 on the banks of the Platte River in what is now Nebraska. How he rose to prominence among his people isn't known but by 1840, he mediated a peace between the Southern Arapaho, Cheyenne, Kiowa and Kiowa-Apache. At the time he was about 30, but already known as a commanding and convincing orator. By 1857, he understood that the traditional nomadic life of hunting buffalo on the Plains was coming to an end and his people would have to supplement their resources. Little Raven requested agricultural tools and instruction from U.S. authorities. The Pike's Peak Gold Rush of 1858 soon occupied his attention. Gold miners quickly settled the town of Denver in Colorado. Little Raven and other chiefs visited the miners, at first hoping to remain friendly. He learned from the miners how to smoke cigars and eat with utensils. The miners felt welcome enough that the first county in Colorado was named Arapaho in honor of Little Raven's tribe.
Little Raven was a signatory of the Fort Wise Treaty of 1861, along with three other Arapaho leaders and 6 Cheyenne. Like most Native leaders who'd tried to put their best foot forward with the newcomers, he was soon fed up with the encroachment on Native land. In 1863, he wen to Washington, D.C. to put his concerns directly to President Lincoln. He was also careful to keep his band of Arapaho as far away from settlements and railroad areas as possible, just in case. His forethought saved his people from the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864, and he was able to keep his warriors neutral. Little Raven was signatory to two other treaties, Little Arkansas in October, 1865, and Medicine Lodge in 1867. During the negotiations for Medicine Lodge, he wouldn't sign his name until the Cheyenne delegation had signed the treaty. The treaty granted the Arapaho a reservation between the Arkansas and Cimarron Rivers in Oklahoma.
Following the Battle of the Washita in 1868, Little Raven led his people to Fort Sill in Oklahoma for protection and they were later granted land in western Oklahoma. By 1871, Little Raven toured Washington and several large Eastern cities. President Grant offered him a peace medal, which Little Raven politely declined, stating that he never had been at war with the U.S. His influence kept the Southern Arapaho neutral during the Red River War of 1874-75. He eventually settled at what is now Canton, Oklahoma and died there in 1889. In Denver, Little Raven Street is named in his honor.
Little Raven was born about 1810 on the banks of the Platte River in what is now Nebraska. How he rose to prominence among his people isn't known but by 1840, he mediated a peace between the Southern Arapaho, Cheyenne, Kiowa and Kiowa-Apache. At the time he was about 30, but already known as a commanding and convincing orator. By 1857, he understood that the traditional nomadic life of hunting buffalo on the Plains was coming to an end and his people would have to supplement their resources. Little Raven requested agricultural tools and instruction from U.S. authorities. The Pike's Peak Gold Rush of 1858 soon occupied his attention. Gold miners quickly settled the town of Denver in Colorado. Little Raven and other chiefs visited the miners, at first hoping to remain friendly. He learned from the miners how to smoke cigars and eat with utensils. The miners felt welcome enough that the first county in Colorado was named Arapaho in honor of Little Raven's tribe.Little Raven was a signatory of the Fort Wise Treaty of 1861, along with three other Arapaho leaders and 6 Cheyenne. Like most Native leaders who'd tried to put their best foot forward with the newcomers, he was soon fed up with the encroachment on Native land. In 1863, he wen to Washington, D.C. to put his concerns directly to President Lincoln. He was also careful to keep his band of Arapaho as far away from settlements and railroad areas as possible, just in case. His forethought saved his people from the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864, and he was able to keep his warriors neutral. Little Raven was signatory to two other treaties, Little Arkansas in October, 1865, and Medicine Lodge in 1867. During the negotiations for Medicine Lodge, he wouldn't sign his name until the Cheyenne delegation had signed the treaty. The treaty granted the Arapaho a reservation between the Arkansas and Cimarron Rivers in Oklahoma.
Following the Battle of the Washita in 1868, Little Raven led his people to Fort Sill in Oklahoma for protection and they were later granted land in western Oklahoma. By 1871, Little Raven toured Washington and several large Eastern cities. President Grant offered him a peace medal, which Little Raven politely declined, stating that he never had been at war with the U.S. His influence kept the Southern Arapaho neutral during the Red River War of 1874-75. He eventually settled at what is now Canton, Oklahoma and died there in 1889. In Denver, Little Raven Street is named in his honor.
Comments
Post a Comment