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Red Dog

Oglala

 

 

Born a Hunkpapa, Red Dog married into the Oglala tribe probably in the late 1830s, his wife being one of Red Cloud's sisters. He became a headman in the Oyuhpe band. An accomplished orator he shaped Oglala consensus for going to war with the USA in 1864, but in 1867-68 he seems to have been one of the Lakota leaders who facilitated treaty negotiations. In 1870 he was one of the key leaders favouring dialogue with the USA, settling at Red Cloud Agency two years later. He was a regular spokesman at the agency, and won the support of the Kit-Fox Society in the Black Hills negotiations of 1875 - he demanding subsistence and annuities for seven generations ahead. His influence waned, but he seems to be the old holy man, Red Dog or Fox Belly, who helped young Black Elk stage his vision ceremony at Pine Ridge ca. 1883. He died about 1885. His personal kindred of the Oyuhpe band was by then known as the Makaicu (Takes the Earth) band, probably satire on Red Dog's pro-treaty ideology.

Red Dog's ledger book is in the National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution. Several of the images are downloadable on the NAA website, depicting some of Red Dog's own war exploits in the 1830's-50's. — Kingsley Bray

Here are three pictures of Red Dog himself. The one in the cap is dated 1872; I'm not sure about the others but the one in the cloth shirt must be 1877, and from his face, I'm guessing the group photo is from the period between the other two (I have seen another photo of him in the same - or similar earrings, but offhand, I don't know where).

Red Dog

Red Dog

Red Dog

— Grahame Wood

1. The first photograph was indeed taken in 1872, by Alexander Gardner; it is one of I think three portraits of Red Dog from this period.

2. The second photograph was taken in the fall of 1877 by D. S. Mitchell.

3. The third photograph, a group photograph, is the only photograph known from the 1870 delegation to Washington D.C., taken by Mathew Brady. — Ephriam Dickson

Here are another couple of photos of Red Dog. The first is an 1880 delegation picture by Charles Bell. Red Dog's 'accommodationist' outlook perhaps reflected by his dress. L to R: Red Dog, Little Wound (wearing the shirt in which several leaders were photographed during the 1877 delegation; Red Cloud also wore it during this one for what is probably his most famous photo), Red Cloud, American Horse and Red Shirt.

Red Dog

The second is to be found in Hinman's Oglala Sources on the Life of Crazy Horse, in Nebraska History and seems to feature several men decked out for an 1874 trip to Red Cloud agency in hats and fine blankets - the central standing figure seems to be wearing a quilled robe, but this is scan of a photocopy of a damaged photo, so it's not easy to tell. Red Dog is No. 2; none of the other Indians are named. Anyone know the photographer or whether there were more images taken at the time?

Red Dog

— Grahame Wood

Red Dog in Carlisle
Red Dog in Carlisle

Hoyt & Hamilton photo of Red Dog, 1872
Hoyt & Hamilton photo of Red Dog from 1872

— Dietmar Schulte-Möhring

Here's Red Dog by Godkin:

Red Dog by Godkin

Here's the other Red Dog by Godkin. Note the cardigan!

Red Dog by Godkin

— Grahame Wood

Red Dog by Curtis, 1907:

Red Dog by Curtis, 1907

— Dietmar Schulte-Möhring

Following Red Dog's death, his son took his name. This Curtis photograph could be of the son. — Ephriam Dickson

There are 9 pages of ledger drawings in the Garrick Mallery Collection at the Smithsonian Institution, showing his exploits against the Mandan and Pawnee. Here's an example:

Ledger Drawing showing Red Dog

This ledger painting is from Treasures of the National Museum of the American Indian by Clara Sue Kidwell and Richard W. Hill, Sr. (Abbeville Press, NY, 1996):

Ledger Drawing by Red Dog showing Red Crow

 

 

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