Crawler
may have lived well into the 20th century. See Fiske's photo
of him as an older man [right]. —
Hans Karkheck
In
the Sitting Bull Surrender Census, taken at the Standing
Rock Agency in the fall of 1881, Crawler (Slohan) gave his
age as 51, putting his birth at about 1830. During the Great
Sioux War of 1876-77, Crawler was leader of a small band
of Blackfeet Lakota, closely allied with the Hunkpapa and
camped within their tribal circle at the LBH. His daughter
Walking Robe (or Mary Crawler) later told of her role in
the battle.
Crawler
and his band joined Sitting Bull in Canada and then surrendered
at Fort Buford. Transferred to the Standing Rock Agency
in 1881, his band numbered at the time 23 families or about
113 people (including Sitting Bull's brother-in-law, Grey
Eagle). By 1885, his band had decreased to 13 families with
51 people. — Ephriam Dickson
Here
is additional information about Crawler from the Standing
Rock Tourism site:
"Chief
Crawler, Slohan, Blackfeet. His wife was Sun Flower Face,
He was born around 1830 on the Moreau River. He was from
the family of a Chief and he attained great note and influence
among the Teton. He lived at Laughlining Woods on the Grand
River some eight miles above the location of Bullhead. This
is the exact place where Mrs. Frances Wiggins Kelly was
bought of the Hunkpapas from Brings Plenty, who owned her
at the time. Crawler was the man who went into the tipi
and offered the horses for her. The Blackfeet got away with
her and turned her over to the whites at Fort Sully in the
fall of 1864. Crawler was a member of he Fool Soldier Society.
Chief Crawler had 14 lodges and 62 people under him according
to the 1885 Ration list for Standing Rock. Crawler fought
in the Little Big Horn. He is the Father of Moving Robe
Woman aka Mary Crawler who also fought in the Little Big
Horn and son Deeds who was the first to die in the Little
Big Horn. (Tasunke Ciqala) His Little Horse, (Wannonpayapi)
Shot With Two Arrows, (Mato Rabya) Drive Away the Bear,
(Pehin Sakiya) Paints His Hair Red, (Mila Wakan) Sword,
(Zintkalu Luta) Red Bird, (Mato Kokipapi) Afraid of the
Bear, (Tahunska Tanka) Big Leggings, (Wakteka) Good Hunter,
(Heyoka) Clown, (Wi-Iya-rpaye) Woman Grabber, (He Sani Maza)
One Iron Horn, (Tatanka Onjinca) Bob Tail Bull, (Ota Agli)
Brought Plenty"
The
names at the end are family heads of his band in the 1885
Standing Rock records.
It's
interesting that he was a member of the Fool Soldier Society,
like Martin Charger (Sans Arc) or Four Bears (Two Kettle),
who rescued the Shetak captives. —
Dietmar Schulte-Möhring
According
to an Autobiography written by Mary Collins, Crawler live
into the 1920s on Standing Rock. She petitioned the Commissioner
of Indian Affairs for compensation for the Fool Soldier
Band that rescued the Lake Shetek prisoners of the 1862
Santee War in Minnesota. She was bitter toward the government
for not rewarding Crawler and his band for the rescue. Autobiography
of Mary Collins, Missionary to the Western Sioux, edited
by Richmond L. Clow.
Crawler was buried in Old Kenel, South Dakota, which was
under water due to Oahe Dam. —
LaDonna Brave Bull Allard
