My great grandfather Quick Bear (Mato
Ohanko), who was of the Wozhazha band (Brule), was
often listed in error as Mato Luza (which means
"Swift Bear" & "Fast Bear"). In
fact there was a Swift Bear (Corn Band) who also was a Brule.
Swift Bear, himself, was for a long time (treaties) listed
in error as Mato Ohanko while Quick Bear was listed as Mato
Luza (Swift/Fast) But both Quick Bear and Swift Bear were
eventually assigned the correct Indian names matching their
English names in 1877-1883 for the Rosebud leader pictures.
All the pictures after 1883 were corrected. (Both Quick
Bear and Swift Bear were in photos together as Delegates
to Washington DC.)
However,
there's a 1868 picture of both Fast Bear & Spotted Tail
(SIRIS). Fast Bear's picture exactly resembles the pictures
of Quick Bear as show re 1888/91 Washington Delegates. Also,
I inherited a picture of Quick Bear, never copyrighted (photographer
unknown), which resembles the 1868 Fast Bear/Spotted Tail
pictures (2). Importantly my recent analysis of Quick Bear's
1916 probate (1827-1916) papers indicates a witness on behalf
of Quick Bear stated he knew "Fast Bear" for the
past 10 years (1906-16). Person has name is was local to
the community. (It appears some people were calling Quick
Bear "Fast Bear"--probably due to the incorrect
Indian name assignment (Mato Luza).
Quick
Bear (Mato Ohanko) was a sub-chief of the Wozhazha
Band headed originally by Scattering Bear (1851 Treaty).
Scattering Bear was killed about 1852. His brother Red Leaf
then became leader--Quick Bear (who, in error, was assigned
the name Mato Luza (meaning Swift Bear) is listed on the
1868 treaty along with Red Leaf of the Wozhazha
band. Swift Bear was listed erroneously as Mato Hanko (meaning
Quick Bear). Along the way Quick Bear became head man during
(or after) the Custer battle. He settled in Rosebud where
there are pictures of him as representative of the Black
Pipe district (part of Rosebud) after the establishment
of reservations. (See Rosebud website--photos.)
According
to our family history, and as repeated in Archie Fire Lame
Deer book Gift of Power (grandson of Henry Quick Bear, brother
of chief Quick Bear), Quick Bear was active in all the battles
including the Bozeman Trail skirmishes, Fetterman's fiasco
and, of course, Custer's battle. Considering Quick Bear
was born in 1827 he would have been of age to participate
in all the Sioux battles during that era as stated by his
son, Henry Quick Bear.
There
was also another Swift Bear. He was documented as of the
Hunkpapa people one place and in another place as an Arapaho
(in the SIRIS picture.) This Swift Bear died in the Custer
Battle and generally not part of the above mix up.
— Shaw-lee Haynes
Spotted
Tail & Quick/Fast Bear at Fort Laramie in 1868
Quick Bear and Corn band leader Swift Bear among other Brule
at Laramie 1868:
standing l.t.r.: Quick Bear, Spotted Tail, White Eyes, Swift
Bear, Whirlwind Soldier, Long Mandan
Spotted
Tail chose Quick Bear to accompany him to Washington in
1870:
Sitting
left to right: Quick Bear, Spotted Tail, Swift Bear, Yellow
Hair (all Brule)
There
is also a John Anderson portrait of Quick Bear around 1899.
There
were only a few Brule at the LBH in 1876. Most of them were
Wazhazhas; we must have discussed this in an older
thread. So it's not unlikely that Quick Bear was there.
Here
is Quick Bear as a part of the Sioux delegation to Washington
in 1888:
Quick Bear is sitting third from left in
the front row.
—
Dietmar Schulte-Möhring