In the Heart of Crow Country, Courage and Honor

CrowNews.Net

The man who grew up in the Valley of the Chiefs and later performed the deeds needed to become a Crow chief was nominated Wednesday for one of the nation’s highest honors.

Dr. Joe Medicine Crow, a leading voice on Crow history and culture, has been selected as a choice candidate for the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and former Sen. Alan Simpson, R-Wyo. 

“In Montana, we are fortunate to have many present-day reminders of a land and a people of former times,” Tester wrote in his nomination letter to President Bush. “Joe is not only one such reminder, but a shining case.”

Medicine Crow, 94, is a lifelong resident of Lodge Grass and entered the Army during World War II. While in Europe, he performed the four war deeds, or "coups," required to become a Crow chief: capture a horse from an enemy camp, touch the first fallen enemy during battle, take the weapon of an enemy, and lead a successful party into battle.

"All four requirements for chieftain-ship were difficult to accomplish," Medicine Crow wrote in his  2006 memoir "Counting Coup." "Attempting any one of them could mean putting your own life on the line."

He is known to be the first tribal member to earn a master's degree and the last to accomplish the four acts during combat. His war stories became known among tribal members when returned to the reservation in 1946, and he chronicled the experience six decades later in his autobiography. Last fall, he shared the story with millions of PBS viewers when he appeared in "The War," a documentary by filmmaker Ken Burns.

He completed the first of the acts when he was assigned a command job to lead six members of his division into enemy fire, and returned with his group having accomplished the mission.

Two more deeds were counted when he entered hand-to-hand combat with a German soldier, and moved to take the man's rifle but not his life. Near the end of the war, he captured some 50 horses from a German camp and after riding towards safety sang a Crow praise song.

Since the end of World War II, Medicine Crow has earned three honorary PhDs. He has written several books about Crow history and culture, including the "From the Heart of Crow Country: The Crow Indians' Own Stories."

He is a founding member of the advisory board at the Plains Indian Museum at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, Wyo., according to the museum's website, and has been a frequent guest speaker there. He is a scholar, anthropologist, teacher and tribal historian who has also spoken close to home at Little Big Horn College, throughout the country at numerous universities and in New York at the United Nations.

"The list goes on and on," said Aaron Murphy, a Tester spokesperson. "He's a remarkable guy and that was evident."

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian honor that is given by a U.S. president, and while it's a civilian medal, it is often awarded for military heroism.

Past recipients include Muhammad Ali, Pope John Paul II, Rosa Parks and actress Carol Burnett. Montana recipients include former Sen. Mike Mansfield and actress Martha Reye, who was born in Butte, according to Tester.

Tester and Simpson received letters of support from politicians and artists nationwide to support Medicine Crow's nomination, which has been sent to President Bush. Letters were submitted by Sen. Max Baucus, Gov. Brian Schweitzer, Ken Burns, Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, and retired Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, R-Colo.

The president is expected to announce recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom later this year.

Comments

[Otis]

No one deserves the medal of honor more than Joe Medicine Crow. He makes us Crows proud.

[Dale Kindness]

Great story, Mary! Joe has been one of my living legends and heroes for decades. I'm happy to learn of his nomination for Medal of Freedom, a very fitting and appropriate honor for Joe, and I hope he brings yet another honor back to our beautiful Crow Rez! Also, it is great news to learn of this website - didn't know about it til I was surfing earlier this morning. My day has been made already, before 8 a.m.!

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You go "Joe"!!!

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