Chief Big Robber (died 1858 or 1866), also known as Big Shadow or Big Robert, was a 19th century

Crow A crow is a bird of the genus ''Corvus'', or more broadly, a synonym for all of ''Corvus''. The word "crow" is used as part of the common name of many species. The related term "raven" is not linked scientifically to any certain trait but is rathe ...

chief. He was a participant in the

Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 was signed on September 17, 1851 between United States treaty commissioners and representatives of the Cheyenne, Sioux, Arapaho, Crow Nation, Crow, Assiniboine people, Assiniboine, Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara N ...

. His name ''Big Shadow'' referred to his large stature.

Biography

Big Robber had a brother named Dancing White Horse, who was killed by the

Lakota Lakota may refer to: *Lakota people, a confederation of seven related Native American tribes *Lakota language Lakota ( ), also referred to as Lakhota, Teton or Teton Sioux, is a Siouan languages, Siouan language spoken by the Lakota people of ...

in 1844. As a result, Big Robber performed a seven-day long

Sun Dance The Sun Dance is a ceremony practiced by some Native Americans in the United States and Indigenous peoples in Canada, primarily those of the Plains Indians, Plains cultures, as well as a new movement within Native American religions. Members of ...

. In 1851, as leader of the Mountain Crow band, he participated in the Laramie Treaty. United States Commissioners appointed Big Robber as head chief of the entire nation. He negotiated with Chief

Red Fish Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–750 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondary ...

of the Lakota, who was also a participant in the 1851 Fort Laramie Treaty, to establish regional boundaries. After the treaty, Big Robber lost much respect and was disliked by other Crow bands. In 1858, the Lakota began to advance into Crow territory. Big Robber was killed that year after a battle that left 30 Crow dead. An alternate legend surrounding the death of Big Robber concerns the naming of Crowheart Butte in Wyoming. The butte was allegedly named after an 1866 duel between Big Robber and

Chief Washakie Washakie (1804/1810 – February 20, 1900) was a prominent leader of the Shoshone people during the mid-19th century. He was first mentioned in 1840 in the written record of the American fur trapper, Osborne Russell. In 1851, at the urging o ...

of the Eastern Shoshones. In the legend, the two fought to decide hunting rights in the

Wind River Range The Wind River Range (or "Winds" for short) is a mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in western Wyoming in the United States. The range runs roughly NW–SE for approximately . The Continental Divide follows the crest of the range and incl ...

. Chief Washakie slew Chief Robber, but was so impressed with his courage, he cut out Robber's heart and placed it on the end of his lance.

References

{{authority control Native American leaders Crow people