Eddie Little Sky facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Eddie Little Sky
Eddie Little Sky as "Chief of Crow" in the 1965 western The Hallelujah Trail
Born	Edsel Wallace Little (1926-08-15)August 15, 1926 Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota, USA
Died	September 5, 1997(1997-09-05) (aged 71) Pennington, South Dakota, USA
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1957–1979
Spouse(s)	Dawn Gates (19??-19??); 5 children

Eddie Little Sky (born August 15, 1926 – died September 5, 1997) was an important actor from the Oglala Lakota tribe. He was also known as Edward Little. He appeared in many movies and TV shows, mostly playing Native American characters in westerns.

Eddie Little Sky was one of the first Native American actors to play these roles. Before him, Hollywood often used white actors dressed up as Native Americans. His work helped change this, making movies more real.

Eddie Little Sky's Early Life and Career

Eddie Little Sky was born as Edsel Wallace Little. His birthplace was the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Shannon County, South Dakota. Both of his parents were Oglala Lakota.

As a child, he went to the Holy Rosary Indian Mission school. After school, he joined the United States Navy. He served during World War II.

From Rodeo to Acting

After leaving the Navy, Eddie Little Sky became a rodeo rider. He was good at riding bulls and bareback horses.

In 1955, he worked on a movie called Chief Crazy Horse. Another actor, Audie Murphy, saw his talent. Murphy told Eddie Little Sky that he should become a professional actor.

This was a big step for Native American actors. Along with Jay Silverheels and Chief Dan George, Eddie Little Sky helped break new ground. They were among the first Native Americans to play Native American roles in Hollywood films.

Famous Roles in TV and Movies

Eddie Little Sky's first TV role was in 1957. He appeared in an episode of the series Cheyenne.

After that, he had many roles in popular Western TV shows. These included Gunsmoke, Bat Masterson, The Rifleman, and Bonanza. He also appeared on Gilligan's Island as a Pacific islander.

He acted in many movies too. Some of his films were The Light in the Forest and Paint Your Wagon. He is especially remembered for playing Black Eagle in the 1970 movie A Man Called Horse. He also helped as a technical adviser for the movie Soldier Blue.

Later Life and Family

Eddie Little Sky stopped acting in the late 1970s. He then became the director of the Oglala Lakota Tribal Parks and Recreation Authority. This job involved managing parks and fun activities for his tribe.

He married Dawn Gates, who also became an actress. She was known as Dawn Little Sky. They had five children together.

Death

Eddie Little Sky passed away on September 5, 1997. He was 71 years old. He died in Pennington County, South Dakota. He was buried in the Little's Flat Family cemetery in Oglala, South Dakota.

Filmography