Henry Crow Dog facts for kids
Henry Crow Dog (September 2nd, 1899-1985) is known for being one of the last traditional Lakota in the way he did everything, even down to the way he was born. He was a great medicine man who taught his son Leonard Crow Dog all he knew, and helped in the revival of the Ghost Dance of 1974. He was dedicated to helping his people, the Brule tribe and the rest of the Oc̣eti Ṣakowiƞ.
Background
Henry Crow Dog was born sometime around 1899-1903 on the Rosebud Reservation to John Crow Dog and Jumping Elk in the traditional Lakota way. He was born around the time everyone was very poor on the reservations, eating whatever he could find, and having to hunt for every meal, even at a young age. Schools on the reservations at that time weren't good at all, making it almost impossible for anyone to get an education. "I didn't speak a word of English, and the teacher didn't speak a word of Sioux, so how could we learn?" "Also they went only to the fourth grade, so I was in fourth grade for a few years." The teachers would even punish the kids if they spoke, sung, or prayed in Lakota. The school systems also didn't protect the Lakota kids from the white or mix-blooded kids, they would harass Henry quite often so he would fight back but the teachers and school superintendent always said "That Indian boy's always fighting." implying it was never the fault of a non-indian, eventually getting Henry sent to a school in Pierre.
His father (John Crow Dog) taught Henry all he knew, from traditional Lakota beliefs, to using "white man's" tools.
Marriage
He was married to Mary Gertrude, another full-blooded Lakota, in June of 1921. When they got married, Mary's mother gave her and Henry two horses and a wagon. They had 12 children together, but almost all died before them, with only three, Leonard, Diane, and Christine outliving them. They lived at the Little White River in a log house Henry made himself, with plenty of room to have all kinds of ceremonies, peyote meetings, yuwipi ceremonies, dog feasts, or giveaways. They always invited many guests over to live in a more traditional lifestyle, always cooking to feed the guests and letting them sleep in the house during ceremonies.
1934 to 1950
During the time of 1934-1950, Henry worked in the state of Nebraska near Saint Francis doing WPA work as a farmer to make $2-$3 dollars a day. During this time whenever Henry would try and do a traditional ceremony, if the priests heard him drumming and singing they would chase him away. Henry had nothing on his allotment of land and had to live in a tent, so he build his own house with his own two hands from wooden crates, logs, and other pieces of wood or even metal sheets he would find that people threw out. On August 18th, 1942, his son Leonard Crow Dog was born.
Henry Crow Dog and Dennis Banks
In 1970, Henry Crow Dog introduced Dennis Banks, a Leech Lake Indian Reservation Ojibwe and leader of the American Indian Movement, about Lakota religion. Dennis Banks sought out Henry Crow Dog for this purpose after he realized that he and most of AIM had very little Native American spiritual knowledge or guidance. Crow Dog then taught Banks the Inipi, Yuwipi, and Sun Dance ceremonies. Henry Crow Dog's son, Leonard Crow Dog, soon became the spiritual leader of AIM and Crow Dog's Paradise soon became a meeting place for the organization.
