Leonard Crow Dog facts for kids

Leonard Crow Dog (born August 18, 1942 – died June 5, 2021) was an important medicine man and spiritual leader. He became well known during a major event in 1973. This event was when Lakota people took over the town of Wounded Knee. It happened on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

Through his writings and teachings, he worked to bring Native American people together. He practiced traditional herbal medicine. He also led important Sun Dance ceremonies. Crow Dog was dedicated to keeping Lakota traditions alive for future generations.

Early Life and Heritage

Leonard Crow Dog was born on August 18, 1942. His family was Sicanju Lakota. They lived on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. He came from a long line of medicine men and leaders. The name Crow Dog is a simple translation of Kangi Shunka Manitou. This means "crow coyote" in his language.

His parents believed he would become a healer. Because of this, they did not send him to school. So, he grew up without learning to read or write. When he was seven years old, four medicine men began his training. He went on his first vision quest at the age of 13. This is a special spiritual journey.

Joining the American Indian Movement

In 1970, a Native American activist named Dennis Banks met Crow Dog. Banks was looking for a spiritual leader. He wanted one for the American Indian Movement (AIM). AIM had started in 1968 among Native Americans living in cities. Crow Dog was already working to unite people on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. He wanted them to organize and work together on issues affecting their communities.

AIM helped organize a big march in 1972. It was called the Trail of Broken Treaties. The march went to Washington, D.C.. Its goal was to get the president's attention on Native American issues. They also worked for Native American veterans. These veterans were not getting the help they needed. Crow Dog also led protests in Rapid City and Custer, South Dakota. These protests called for fairness after unfair actions against the Lakota people.

Crow Dog's ideas helped shape a very important law. It was called the Native American Self-Determination and Education Act. This law was signed in 1975. It moved away from forcing Native Americans to change their ways. Instead, it showed more respect for their cultural traditions.

The Wounded Knee Occupation

Life on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation became very difficult. This reservation is next to Rosebud. The tribal chairman, Dick Wilson, was thought by many to have been unfairly elected. He had gained a lot of power. He even created his own police group. They were called the Guardians of the Oglala Nation (GOONs). This group was used to stop people who disagreed with him.

People on Pine Ridge were tired of unfairness in their tribal government. They were also tired of bad treatment from others. So, they gathered to protest. In 1973, the Oglala Lakota people of Pine Ridge took over the village of Wounded Knee. They demanded fairness from the government. They also wanted Wilson's time as chairman to end.

The takeover of Wounded Knee was very meaningful for Crow Dog. His great-grandfather, Jerome Crow Dog, was a Ghost Dancer. After a spiritual vision, Jerome had warned some dancers to stay away from a large gathering in 1890. This warning saved them from being victims of the terrible Wounded Knee Massacre. When Leonard Crow Dog went to Wounded Knee in 1973, he felt a deep connection. He later shared his feelings:

Standing on the hill where so many people were buried in a common grave, standing there in that cold darkness under the stars, I felt tears running down my face. I can't describe what I felt. I heard the voices of the long-dead ghost dancers crying out to us.

Challenges and Support

After the Wounded Knee event ended, the government began to take legal action against AIM leaders. In September 1975, many law enforcement officers arrived at Crow Dog's Paradise. They were looking for Leonard Peltier. Crow Dog was arrested. He was held in a high-security prison for some time. Later, he was moved to different prisons.

Many people and groups supported Crow Dog. The National Council of Churches helped his case. They raised a lot of money for his appeal. Vine Deloria, Jr. was one of the lawyers who helped him. Even though his first appeal was not successful, support continued to grow. When his defense team asked a judge to reduce his sentence, they saw many letters and requests. These came from all over the world, showing support for Crow Dog. The judge then ordered that Crow Dog be released right away. He had already spent almost two years in prison.

Family Life

Crow Dog married his first wife, Francine, in the Native American Church. He took the name "Defends His Medicine." This name referred to the sacred peyote plant.

After the Wounded Knee events, Crow Dog married his second wife. She was Mary Ellen Moore, later known as Brave Bird. They had a special pipe ceremony for their marriage. They lived at Crow Dog's Paradise. Crow Dog's parents lived there too. He had three children from his first marriage, and Mary had a son named Pedro. His son, Leonard Alden Crow Dog, is an artist and spiritual leader. Jancita Eagle Deer was his step-daughter.

Leonard Crow Dog passed away on June 5, 2021. He was 78 years old. He died in Rapid City, South Dakota from liver cancer. Philip Yenyo, who leads the American Indian Movement of Ohio, said Crow Dog's death was a "huge loss" for Indigenous people and for the American Indian Movement.

His Written Works

Crow Dog's book, Crow Dog, tells his family's story. It covers four generations of the Crow Dog family. The book talks about ghost dancers. These were people who brought a "new way of praying" to connect with spirits. It also tells about Jerome Crow Dog, Leonard's great-grandfather. Jerome was the first Native American to win a case in the Supreme Court. This case was called ex parte Crow Dog.

The book also shares stories about Leonard's father, Henry. Henry introduced peyote for sacred use to the Lakota Sioux people. Crow Dog also describes Lakota tribal ceremonies and their meanings. Finally, it shares Leonard's own views on the 1972 march on Washington and the 1973 events at Wounded Knee.