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Crawler

Blackfoot

 

 

[Above:] This is a wonderful portrait of Crawler. It was taken by Scott in the late 1880s/early 1890s. Here is Scott's complete cabinet card:

Crawler

Crawler may have lived well into the 20th century. See Fiske's photo of him as an older man [right]. — Hans Karkheck

In the Sitting Bull Surrender Census, taken at the Standing Rock Agency in the fall of 1881, Crawler (Slohan) gave his age as 51, putting his birth at about 1830. During the Great Sioux War of 1876-77, Crawler was leader of a small band of Blackfeet Lakota, closely allied with the Hunkpapa and camped within their tribal circle at the LBH. His daughter Walking Robe (or Mary Crawler) later told of her role in the battle.

Crawler and his band joined Sitting Bull in Canada and then surrendered at Fort Buford. Transferred to the Standing Rock Agency in 1881, his band numbered at the time 23 families or about 113 people (including Sitting Bull's brother-in-law, Grey Eagle). By 1885, his band had decreased to 13 families with 51 people. — Ephriam Dickson

Crawler Beside Gall
Here is Crawler beside Gall (2nd from left) in a 1881 photograph by Frank Haynes.

Here is additional information about Crawler from the Standing Rock Tourism site:

"Chief Crawler, Slohan, Blackfeet. His wife was Sun Flower Face, He was born around 1830 on the Moreau River. He was from the family of a Chief and he attained great note and influence among the Teton. He lived at Laughlining Woods on the Grand River some eight miles above the location of Bullhead. This is the exact place where Mrs. Frances Wiggins Kelly was bought of the Hunkpapas from Brings Plenty, who owned her at the time. Crawler was the man who went into the tipi and offered the horses for her. The Blackfeet got away with her and turned her over to the whites at Fort Sully in the fall of 1864. Crawler was a member of he Fool Soldier Society. Chief Crawler had 14 lodges and 62 people under him according to the 1885 Ration list for Standing Rock. Crawler fought in the Little Big Horn. He is the Father of Moving Robe Woman aka Mary Crawler who also fought in the Little Big Horn and son Deeds who was the first to die in the Little Big Horn. (Tasunke Ciqala) His Little Horse, (Wannonpayapi) Shot With Two Arrows, (Mato Rabya) Drive Away the Bear, (Pehin Sakiya) Paints His Hair Red, (Mila Wakan) Sword, (Zintkalu Luta) Red Bird, (Mato Kokipapi) Afraid of the Bear, (Tahunska Tanka) Big Leggings, (Wakteka) Good Hunter, (Heyoka) Clown, (Wi-Iya-rpaye) Woman Grabber, (He Sani Maza) One Iron Horn, (Tatanka Onjinca) Bob Tail Bull, (Ota Agli) Brought Plenty"

The names at the end are family heads of his band in the 1885 Standing Rock records.

It's interesting that he was a member of the Fool Soldier Society, like Martin Charger (Sans Arc) or Four Bears (Two Kettle), who rescued the Shetak captives. Dietmar Schulte-Möhring

According to an Autobiography written by Mary Collins, Crawler live into the 1920s on Standing Rock. She petitioned the Commissioner of Indian Affairs for compensation for the Fool Soldier Band that rescued the Lake Shetek prisoners of the 1862 Santee War in Minnesota. She was bitter toward the government for not rewarding Crawler and his band for the rescue. Autobiography of Mary Collins, Missionary to the Western Sioux, edited by Richmond L. Clow.

Crawler was buried in Old Kenel, South Dakota, which was under water due to Oahe Dam. LaDonna Brave Bull Allard

 

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