Red Crow ( 1830 – 28 August 1900), also known as Captured the Gun Inside, Lately Gone and Sitting White Bull, was a
Kainai
The Kainai Nation () (, or , romanized: ''Káínawa'', Blood Tribe) is a First Nations in Canada, First Nations band government in southern Alberta, Canada, with a population of 12,965 members in 2024, up from 11,791 in December 2013.
tra ...
leader.
Name
His native name Mi’k ai’stoowa ()
[ was sometimes romanized as Mékaisto or Mi’kasto or incorporated as John Mikahestow.
]
Biography
Red Crow was born in Kainai territory in modern Alberta
Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...
to Black Bear and Handsome Woman, and was a descendant of tribal chiefs. He earned a reputation as a warrior during raids against other Indigenous groups in the 1840s and 1850s.[ He succeeded to the chieftainship in 1870 after the death of his father from ]smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...
.Treaty 7
Treaty 7 is an agreement between the Crown and several, mainly Blackfoot, First Nation band governments in what is today the southern portion of Alberta. The idea of developing treaties for Blackfoot lands was brought to Blackfoot chief Cro ...
in 1877.[ In the period after the treaty was concluded, he led the development of agriculture on his reserve.][
In 1872, Red Crow murdered his brother Kit Fox by beating him repeatedly with a rock until he died. In response to this, Red Crow's surviving siblings (brothers Sheep Old Man and Not So Good, sisters Revenge Walker and Paper Woman) fled from Red Crow's band. After Revenge Walker discovered that her husband Running Bird abandoned her because Red Crow withheld horses he owed to Running Bird, Revenge Walker went to confront Red Crow but Red Crow had already left camp.
According to the '']Canadian Encyclopedia
''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; ) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with financial support by the federal Department of Canadian Heritage and Society of Co ...
'', Red Crow "remained a strong proponent of Indigenous culture and beliefs. In the wake of the disastrous effects of diseases and other external demands, he was a calm and wise leader who contributed to stability during a time of tremendous political and economic change".[
Red Crow Mountain in Glacier National Park, Montana, is named in his honour.][Joachim Fromhold, ''2001 Indian Place Names of the West, Part 2'', 2013, , page 60.] American actress Lily Gladstone
Lily Gladstone (born August 2, 1986) is an American actress. Raised on the Blackfeet Reservation, Gladstone is of Piegan Blackfeet, Nez Perce, and European heritage. She earned critical acclaim for portraying Mollie Kyle, an Osage woman who sur ...
is Red Crow's great-great grandchild.
References
{{Reflist
1830s births
1900 deaths
19th-century First Nations people
Kainai Nation people
Fratricides
Male murderers
Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada)
Indigenous leaders in Alberta
Year of birth uncertain