Joe Medicine Crow

Joe Medicine Crow was a Crow leader.

He was a wise man. He wrote many books. He told stories about his people.

Joe was a soldier in a big war. He wore special paint under his clothes. He even wore a yellow feather. He was a brave scout.

Joe did hard tasks to become a chief. He once took a weapon from an enemy. He also led a group to take horses. This made him a war chief.

He was the last war chief for his tribe.

He helped keep Crow stories alive. He was a great historian.

Many people honored him for his life. A president gave him a special medal. He was a very good man.

Joe Medicine Crow was a leader of the Crow Tribe.

He was born in 1913 in Montana. He was a writer and a historian. This means he studied and told the stories of his people.

Joe was a brave soldier in World War II. He served as a scout in the U.S. Army. He wore red paint and a yellow feather under his uniform. To become a war chief, he had to do four hard tasks. He once took a weapon from an enemy soldier. He also led a group to take fifty horses from a camp.

Because of his work, he won the Bronze Star medal.

Joe helped keep Crow history alive. He was the last war chief of his tribe. He wrote many books about his culture. In 2009, President Barack Obama gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

This is a very high honor in the United States. Joe lived to be 102 years old.

Joe Medicine Crow was a very important leader for the Crow Tribe.

He was a writer and a historian who kept his people's stories safe. He was also a war chief. This is a special leader in the Crow Tribe. He was the last war chief of the Crow people. He was also the last Plains Indian war chief. His life was full of many big adventures and hard jobs.

To become a war chief, a person must finish four specific tasks. First, they must touch an enemy without hurting them. This is called counting coup. Second, they must take a weapon from an enemy. Third, they must lead a successful group of warriors. Finally, they must steal an enemy's horse. Joe Medicine Crow did all these things during World War II.

He once touched a young German soldier and took his weapon. He also led a group to take fifty horses from a camp.

Joe was born in 1913 near Lodge Grass, Montana.

His Crow name was High Bird. He grew up learning stories from his step-grandfather, White Man Runs Him. This man was a scout for General George Armstrong Custer. Joe went to many schools to study. He went to Bacone College in Oklahoma. Later, he studied at Linfield College. He even earned a master's degree from the University of Southern California. He was the first member of the Crow tribe to earn a master's degree.

Joe received many special awards for his brave work. He served in the 103rd Infantry Division of the U.S. Army.

For his service, he won the Bronze Star Medal. He also won the Légion d'honneur from France.

In 2009, President Barack Obama gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

This is the highest honor a civilian can get in the United States. He lived to be 102 years old.

Joe's work helped many people learn about the Crow people. He helped start the Little Bighorn Battlefield Museum in 1953.

He wrote books for adults and books for children. One book for kids is called Brave Wolf and the Thunderbird. Today, many places are named after him to show respect. There is a middle school and a clinic named for him. His story shows how one person can protect a whole culture's history.

Joseph Medicine Crow was a significant figure in Native American history. He served as a writer, a historian, and a war chief for the Crow Tribe.

He was the last war chief of the Crow Tribe and the last Plains Indian war chief. His work helped preserve the traditions and stories of his people. Through his books and lectures, he ensured that Crow culture remained understood by others.

To reach the rank of war chief, a person must complete four specific tasks. The first task is called counting coup. This means touching an enemy without killing him. The second task is taking an enemy's weapon. The third task is leading a successful war party. The final task is stealing an enemy's horse.

Medicine Crow completed all four tasks while serving in World War II.

Medicine Crow achieved these feats while serving in the 103rd Infantry Division of the U.S. Army. During battle, he wore traditional war paint under his uniform. He also wore a sacred yellow painted eagle feather beneath his helmet. He once encountered a young German soldier and touched him without killing him. He also disarmed the soldier. Later, he led a successful war party that stole fifty horses from a Waffen SS camp. He even sang a traditional Crow honor song as he rode away.

His early life was deeply connected to Crow history. He was born in 1913 on the Crow Indian Reservation near Lodge Grass, Montana. His Crow name was High Bird. His family followed a matrilineal kinship system. This means social status and property passed through the mother's line. His grandfather, Chief Medicine Crow, was a distinguished war chief. His step-grandfather, White Man Runs Him, was a scout for General George Armstrong Custer.

White Man Runs Him provided Medicine Crow with oral history about the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Medicine Crow was also a highly educated scholar. He attended Bacone College in Oklahoma and earned an Associate of Arts degree in 1936. He later studied sociology and psychology at Linfield College. In 1939, he earned a master's degree in anthropology from the University of Southern California. He was the first member of the Crow tribe to earn a master's degree. His thesis examined how European culture contact affected the economic and religious life of the Crow Indians.

His service in World War II earned him several high honors. He received the Bronze Star Medal for his bravery.

He was also awarded the Légion d'honneur from France.

In 2009, President Barack Obama presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

This is the highest civilian honor in the United States. He also held the Combat Infantryman Badge and the World War II Victory Medal.

As a historian, Medicine Crow acted as a "keeper of memories" for his tribe. He helped found the Little Bighorn Battlefield Museum in 1953.

He also helped found Little Bighorn College and the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. He wrote many books, including *Crow Migration Story* and *From the Heart of Crow Country*. He even wrote a book for children called *Brave Wolf and the Thunderbird*. His archives included many tribal stories and photographs.

Medicine Crow's legacy continues through many institutions. He lived to be 102 years old, passing away in 2016. Today, Medicine Crow Middle School is named in his honor. A Veteran Administration Clinic in Billings is also named after him. The University of Southern California established a scholarship for Native American students in his name. His life connected the ancient traditions of the Plains Indians with the modern world.