The legacy of the Lakota warrior, Crazy Horse.

 By: Eryn Peterson

 

When Floyd Clown first decided to write a book about his grandfather, Crazy Horse, it was for the purpose of their family oral history being passed on to their family of 3,000 people. Crazy Horse was the war leader for the Lakota people and led them to victory in the Battle of Little Bighorn. He was known for his wisdom, bravery, and guidance among his people and has been deeply admired as time has passed. With residents of a government named reservation called Pine Ridge claiming to be the descendants of Crazy Horse, the Lakota people were eager to let the truth of their bloodline be known and tell the real stories of Crazy Horse. At ten years old, Floyd Clown knew he would one day tell the true story of Crazy Horse. His grandmothers and grandfathers who passed years before him came back to call him up as the family member who would tell the truth of Crazy Horse and who he belonged to. Clown said, “My grandfather told me the Europeans brought three things to this continent that never existed before: jealousy, greed and selfishness. That’s when I knew I wanted to give the truth.”

It took Clown 11 years to write the book. Many factors played into why it took so long to publish. Clown and his brother, Doug War Eagle, traveled to all of the places that were named to verify the stories. One of the most memorable and important parts of their journey was visiting Owl Rock. Crazy Horse sketched out the ending of his life, 18 months before his death, on this rock and it now sits on privately owned land by a farmer. His markings are still on these rocks today and affirmed the family stories that were passed down.

Once Floyd Clown and Doug War Eagle finished traveling the path of Crazy Horse’s life, they met with native Oregonian, William Matson, to help write the book. One year later, the three of them took the manuscript into the sweat lodge on the Lakota’s land to seek approval from their ancestors who have gone before them. Clown said, “In our culture, we can still communicate with our relatives who left before us, so we asked our grandfathers and grandmothers who lived back then to look at our story and tell us it is right.” This affirmed their call to publish the truth of Crazy Horse. William Matson, the writer, was invited into the ceremonial sweat lodge where Floyd Clown and seven other elders asked their ancestors to come and verify their story. Matson said, “They do come. I doubted it, I doubted them…but out of the rocks, five of them came. I remember it vividly.”

With donations only, they plan on finishing their book tour with about 50 more cities left on their list. Their only wish it to spread the truth through the eyes of the Lakota people. Once complete, they will work with the local museum in Helena, Montana to set up an exhibit that focuses on the Lakota people, the true bloodline of Crazy Horse.