Two Strike (Numpkahapa, 1831–1915) was a Brulé Lakota chief born in the

White River Valley The White River Valley is a region in central Vermont, United States. The area is a natural river valley of the White River. As defined by the valley's chamber of commerce, it includes eleven towns: Bethel, Braintree, Brookfield, Chelsea, Han ...

in present-day

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the so ...

. He earned his Lakota name "Nomkahpa", meaning "Knocks Two Off" in a battle with Utes, when he knocked two off their horses with a single blow of his war club. Two Strike fought in various battles against the U.S. Army during the early conflict of the Plains Indian wars and of the Great Sioux wars with Chief

Crow Dog Crow Dog (also Kȟaŋǧí Šúŋka, Jerome Crow Dog; 1833 – August 1912) was a Brulé Lakota subchief, born at Horse Stealing Creek, Montana Territory. Family He was the nephew of former principal chief Conquering Bear, who was killed in 1854 i ...

and Chief

Crazy Horse Crazy Horse ( lkt, Tȟašúŋke Witkó, italic=no, , ; 1840 – September 5, 1877) was a Lakota war leader of the Oglala band in the 19th century. He took up arms against the United States federal government to fight against encroachment by ...

as well as various war exploits and atrocities against the

Pawnee Pawnee initially refers to a Native American people and its language: * Pawnee people * Pawnee language Pawnee is also the name of several places in the United States: * Pawnee, Illinois * Pawnee, Kansas * Pawnee, Missouri * Pawnee City, Nebraska ...

. Two Strike and his band were present along with bands of the

Southern Cheyenne The Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes are a united, federally recognized tribe of Southern Arapaho and Southern Cheyenne people in western Oklahoma. History The Cheyennes and Arapahos are two distinct tribes with distinct histories. The Cheyenne (Tsi ...

, at the

Battle of Summit Springs The Battle of Summit Springs, on July 11, 1869, was an armed conflict between elements of the United States Army under the command of Colonel Eugene A. Carr and a group of Cheyenne Dog Soldiers led by Tall Bull, who was killed during the engag ...

on July 11, 1869, when the U.S. Fifth Cavalry and 50

scouts made a surprise attack against their camp.

Buffalo Bill Cody William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), known as "Buffalo Bill", was an American soldier, Bison hunting, bison hunter, and showman. He was born in Le Claire, Iowa, Le Claire, Iowa Territory (now the U.S. state of Iowa), but ...

was present at the battle serving in the capacity as chief scout. Chief Tall Bull of the Southern Cheyenne along with 51 members of the combined Lakota-Cheyenne encampment were killed and 17 women and children were taken prisoner, the rest of the

Lakota Lakota may refer to: * Lakota people, a confederation of seven related Native American tribes *Lakota language, the language of the Lakota peoples Place names In the United States: *Lakota, Iowa *Lakota, North Dakota, seat of Nelson County *Lakot ...

and Cheyenne managed to escape. The soldiers then burned their camp including their

tipi A tipi , often called a lodge in English, is a conical tent, historically made of animal hides or pelts, and in more recent generations of canvas, stretched on a framework of wooden poles. The word is Siouan, and in use in Dakhótiyapi, Lakȟ� ...

s and supplies. Chief Two Strike was one of the principal chiefs of combined

Oglala The Oglala (pronounced , meaning "to scatter one's own" in Lakota language) are one of the seven subtribes of the Lakota people who, along with the Dakota, make up the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Seven Council Fires). A majority of the Oglala live ...

and

Brulé The Brulé are one of the seven branches or bands (sometimes called "sub-tribes") of the Teton (Titonwan) Lakota American Indian people. They are known as Sičhą́ǧu Oyáte (in Lakȟóta) —Sicangu Oyate—, ''Sicangu Lakota, o''r "Burnt ...

war party of over a thousand braves that attacked a band of

Pawnee Indians The Pawnee are a Central Plains Indian tribe that historically lived in Nebraska and northern Kansas but today are based in Oklahoma. Today they are the federally recognized Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, who are headquartered in Pawnee, Oklahoma. ...

, old hated enemies that had left their reservation in

to hunt buffalo on August 5, 1873. More than 70 to 100

were killed in the battle/massacre which occurred in and along a bluff in present-day

Hitchcock County, Nebraska Hitchcock County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 2,616. Its county seat is Trenton. In the Nebraska license plate system, Hitchcock County is represented by the prefix 67 ( ...

near the republican river. The incident was subsequently named

Massacre Canyon The Massacre Canyon battle took place in Nebraska on August 5, 1873 near the Republican River. It was one of the last hostilities between the Pawnee and the Sioux (or Lakota) and the last battle/massacre between Great Plains Indians in North Ame ...

.Paul, R. Eli. The Nebraska Indian Wars reader, 1865-1877. University of Nebraska Press (April 1, 1998). p. 88

References

Brulé people Lakota leaders Native American people of the Indian Wars 1915 deaths People from South Dakota 1831 births {{NorthAm-native-stub