Old Chief Smoke facts for kids

Old Chief Smoke (in Lakota: Šóta, pronounced Sho-tah) was an important leader of the Oglala Sioux people. He was born in October 1774 and lived until September 1864. He became a head chief of his people.

Who Was Chief Smoke?

In 1849, Chief Smoke moved his Wágluȟe camp near Fort Laramie, Wyoming. The Wágluȟe were seen as a forward-thinking group of Lakota.

In his younger days, Chief Smoke was known as a skilled horse catcher and a brave warrior. As he grew older, he quickly became a respected and well-known leader. The Lakota people and their council chose him as one of their main chiefs.

Around 1797, after the death of another chief named Stone Knife, Old Chief Smoke became the head chief of one of the largest and most powerful Lakota groups. This group was first known as the Teton Húŋkpa’ti′la. Later, they became known as the Oglala Lakota Sioux Nation. Chief Smoke led them from about 1797 until 1864.

He is especially remembered for helping to name the Oglala tribe in 1834. The name "Oglala" means "Those Who Scatter Their Owns." When Smoke became chief in 1797, the tribe became more organized. However, it later split into two groups.

In 1834, Chief Smoke's cousin, Bull Bear, tried to take over as the main chief. Bull Bear did not succeed. Instead, Chief Smoke divided the tribe into two new groups: the Kiyaska and the Itéšiča bands. Bull Bear became the first chief of the Eastern Oglalas. The Kiyaska were called "Cut Offs" because Chief Smoke told Bull Bear and his followers they were cut off from the main tribe. The Itéšiča were called "Bad Faces." This name came from when Bull Bear threw dust in Chief Smoke's face after being told he was cut off. Chief Smoke had a long disagreement with Bull Bear, which ended with Bull Bear's death in 1841 by Red Cloud.

Chief Smoke's headdress was very special. It was designed with the finest and longest eagle feathers. It was even longer than Chief Touch the Clouds's headdress. This headdress was highly honored and sacred among the Lakotas. When Chief Smoke wore it, a magnificent train of eagle feathers trailed many feet behind him on the ground. He earned each of these feathers. The Lakota people gave him this headdress because he was a great warrior and had done many good deeds for his people. Chief Smoke was a tall and strong man, standing 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighing at least 250 pounds.

Chief Smoke's Family

In 1864, Old Chief Smoke died and was placed on a scaffold near Fort Laramie, Wyoming.

Chief Smoke had five wives from different tribes. They were Looking Cloud Woman, Comes Out Slow Woman, Burnt Her Woman, Yellow Haired Woman, and Brown Eyes Woman.

He had many children, including a daughter named Ulala. His sons included Spotted Horse Woman, Chief Man Afraid of His Horses I, Chief Bull Bear III, Chief Solomon "Smoke" II, Chief American Horse I, Chief Big Mouth, Chief Blue Horse, and No Neck. Chief Red Cloud was his "nephew" and was raised by Smoke after his parents passed away. Eight of Chief Smoke's nine sons became important chiefs of Lakota bands. Big Mouth and Blue Horse were twin brothers, born in the same year as their cousin Chief Red Cloud, in 1822.

The Smoke family was one of the most well-known and respected Lakota families during the 1700s and 1800s. Chief Smoke was also one of the last great "Shirt Wearers." This was a very important and respected warrior society among the Lakota. In 1864, before he died, Chief Smoke gave his War Shirt as a gift to Colonel William O. Collins. Colonel Collins later sent the shirt to the Smithsonian Institution in 1866. Today, the shirt is kept in the collections of the National Museum of Natural History.

The last chiefs in the original line of Oglala leaders from Chief Smoke were Frank Afraid of His Horses (who was chief from 1900–1943) and Wendell Smoke (who was chief from 1895–1920).

Later Life and Legacy

Chief Smoke passed away in 1864 near Fort Laramie, Wyoming. He was 89 years old and died of old age. A few days after his death, an Army Surgeon named Lt. Colonel Henry Schell, who was at Fort Laramie, took Chief Smoke's body and sent it to the Smithsonian Institution Museum. Many years later, in 1994, Chief Smoke's remains were returned to the Smoke family. They buried him near the town of Porcupine, South Dakota.

See also

• Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
• Chief Lone Horn
• Chief Young Man Afraid of His Horses
• Chief Little Wound
• Chief White Bull