John Woodenlegs facts for kids

John Woodenlegs (born November 12, 1909 – died December 1981) was an important Native American leader. He was a writer and an educator. From 1955 to 1968, he served as the tribal president for the Northern Cheyenne people. In 1975, he started Chief Dull Knife College. This is a community college located in Lame Deer, Montana.

Who Was John Woodenlegs?

John Woodenlegs was the grandson of Wooden Leg. His grandfather was a famous warrior. Wooden Leg fought against General George A. Custer's soldiers. This happened at the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876.

During his life, John Woodenlegs had many different jobs. He worked as a cowboy and a road worker. He was also a coal miner and a rancher. He was the first American Indian person to receive an honorary degree. This special award came from the University of Montana.

Designing the Northern Cheyenne Flag

Whitney Smith was an expert in flags. He said that John Woodenlegs designed the flag for the Northern Cheyenne tribe. This flag was officially approved for display in 1964.

Working with the President

In 1967, John Woodenlegs was chosen for a special group. This group was called the National Advisory Commission on Rural Poverty. President Lyndon B. Johnson created this commission. Woodenlegs was the only American Indian member of the group.

He passed away in Billings, Montana. He was 72 years old.

His Legacy and the Cheyenne Autumn Trail

John Woodenlegs is a main character in a short film. It is a 19-minute documentary called Cheyenne Autumn Trail. This film was made in late 1964. It came out around the same time as a big movie. That movie was Cheyenne Autumn by director John Ford. The film Cheyenne Autumn tells the story of the Northern Cheyenne Exodus of 1878–79. This was when the Cheyenne people traveled a long distance.

In the documentary, actor James Stewart tells the story. John Woodenlegs, as the Northern Cheyenne Council president, takes a trip. He drives in a recreational vehicle. He wants to follow the historic Cheyenne Autumn Trail. Two other people join him. One is Williamette Youpee, who was Miss Indian America in 1963. The other is twelve-year-old Richard Roundstone. Richard was an honor student at the reservation school.

During their journey, Woodenlegs shares stories. He explains how the Cheyenne people were taken to Oklahoma. Many became sick there. Some younger people died. They wanted to return to Montana. They wished to go back north fifteen hundred miles. There, they could live and hunt.

They stop at South Dakota's Bear Butte. This is a very special place for the Cheyenne people. It has been sacred for many generations. Woodenlegs explains that "medicine men of the tribe, they go up to the mountain to offer prayers to the spirits before war... go up there and fast and ask the spirits... the good spirits... for the blessings." The Cheyenne Autumn Trail documentary is included as an extra feature. You can find it on the Cheyenne Autumn DVD, which came out in 2006.