Chief Red Fox facts for kids
Chief Red Fox (whose Lakota name was Tokála Luta) was an important Oglala Lakota Sioux performer and actor. He also worked to protect the rights of Native American people. He was born on June 11, 1870, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in what was then the Dakota Territory. He was also the nephew of the famous Sioux war leader, Crazy Horse. Chief Red Fox lived a very long life, passing away on March 1, 1976.
Joining Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show
In 1893, a famous showman named William Frederick Cody, known as Buffalo Bill, visited the Pine Ridge Reservation. He was looking for Native American performers for his popular Wild West show. This show traveled around, performing for many people.
Buffalo Bill met Chief Red Fox and asked him to join the group. They were going to perform at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, also called the Chicago World's Fair. Chief Red Fox agreed to help. His job was to translate for the Native American performers and manage them. He worked for Buffalo Bill for many years, not just translating but also acting in the show.
Chief Red Fox in Movies
Chief Red Fox also became a movie actor! He appeared in many early silent western films. These movies were shown in special theaters called Nickelodeons. One of his most notable roles was in the film The Round Up (1920).
Some of the films Chief Red Fox appeared in include:
- War on the Plains
- When the Heart Calls
- Daughters of the Tribe
- Toll of the Warpath
- Red Fox and Wild Flower
- Perils of the Plains
- Medicine Boy
- The Covered Wagon
- The Vanishing American
- Desert Gold
- The Wild Horse Massacre
- The Flaming Arrow
- The Law of Crippled Creek
- The Round Up
