The True Story of the Native American People of the Great Plains and the Fearless Warrior Buffalo Calf Road Woman

Buffalo Calf Road Woman

 The Fight Where the Girl Saved Her People

A Hero

 

(Wikipedia)

Not much was entirely known about Buffalo Calf Road Woman for over a century up until recently, due to the fact that, according to The League of Extraordinary Ladies, much of her story has been kept in secrecy for many years by her fellow people.  Born approximately in 1844 in Wyoming as a Northern Cheyenne Native American, Buffalo Calf Road Woman from early childhood came to know and understand tragedy and loss (League).

The Cheyenne tribes lived scattered across the Great Plains Western States such as Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Nebraska, and Kansas, and lived there for many centuries prior to invading colonization of European descendants (League), feeding primarily on a hunting diet of wild buffalo, as described in the article,"A Young Mother at the Rosebud and Little Bighorn Battles," found at montanawomenshistory.org.  During the time of her birth, the Cheyenne tribe lived under the Treaty of 1825, in which the Cheyenne agreed to the "supremacy" of the United States government, and this included obeying several trade restrictions (League).  The United States "allowed" them to live in their homelands as they pleased and things seemed peaceful, but not for very long, because hundreds of thousands of white settlers came rushing through the indigenous peoples' territory under the authority known as "Manifest Destiny".  This gave rights to white settlers passing through Cheyenne territories to get to gold-rush states such as California (League).  This created problems because the settlers were using much of the tribe's local resources, and they also brought with them a deadly infectious disease known as cholera (League).  Buffalo Calf Road Woman and her brother, Comes In Sight survived this epidemic, but they lost between one third to one half of their people (League).  As you can imagine, this harbored much resentment within the remaining Cheyenne people towards the settlers and the United States government. 

Seeing what was left of their tribe and how the United States government treated the Cherokee, the Cheyenne began to resist and much more bloodshed occurred, specifically where more Native American people were killed, including even children and elderly (League).  This dangerous and unsafe environment allowed Buffalo Calf Road Woman to learn at a young age to defend herself, and to know how to hunt for food, which meant she knew how to shoot a gun with precision (League).  She learned the warrior ways of her tribesmen, and although the Cheyenne tribes participated in similar gender roles such as the white man, having women cook and keep after the children while the men labored and hunted, this non typical behavior went without a question because of the hostile, violent situation many faced in this day (League).  

Another treaty was again offered to the Cheyenne people from the United States Army, in hopes to stop the bloodshed, called the Treaty of Fort Wise, where the tribe was offered a plot of land in Colorado one thirteenth the size of their current land (League).  Some of the peaceful elders proposed accepting this treaty, but much more of the Cheyenne people, including the very fed up Buffalo Calf Woman, firmly rejected it (League).  

Amidst the chaos, as Buffalo Calf Road Woman grew older she married a fellow warrior, Black Coyote, and they had two children (League).  During their marriage together they often fought side by side (Women's History), and as tensions rose between their people and the white man, it seemed both of them knew that there was not much hope left for them and their kin.  The treaties the white man gave fell through, and many of the Cheyenne that previously surrendered and moved, now faced starvation (League).  Buffalo Calf Road Woman, Black Coyote, and Comes In Sight began noticing a retaliation army led by Crazy Horse, a Lakota Native American, and quickly joined forces, leaving her child behind in the care of her tribe (League).  

The first large battle they fought together against the U.S. Army was called, "The Battle at Rosebud Creek", where Buffalo Calf Road Woman gained her warrior reputation by rushing on horseback in the heat of battle to save her injured brother as the warrior tribesmen were retreating, since it seems no one else had the courage to retrieve him (Women's History).  The warriors were so moved by her rescue, that the army rallied and ended up winning the battle.  The Cheyenne also call this battle, "The Battle Where the Girl Saved Her Brother" (Women's History).  This wasn't the last heroic deed of Buffalo Calf Road Woman, though.  She also fought in, "The Battle of the Little Bighorn", again alongside her husband that same year, which they too won (League).  According to various Native American accounts, Buffalo Calf Road Woman knocked the leader of the opposing army, General Custer, off his horse which led quickly to his defeat (League).  Buffalo Calf Road Woman inspired both men and women of Native American tribes to keep fighting and although she was one of the few women courageous enough to actively participate in battle, she clearly encouraged women of her kind to be fearless in any circumstance. 

After the Battle of the Little Bighorn, the Natives spent most of their days on the run from the U.S. Army, and during this time period Buffalo Calf Road Woman had her second child (League).  Months passed by and facing starvation, however, the Cheyennes eventually had to surrender.  The rest of the story is even more grim than the beginning.  Instead of allowing the Cheyenne to return to a nearby Sioux reservation, the United States forced them to march fifteen hundred miles to Indian territory, where they were held prisoners, and on this journey many more had perished (League).  Buffalo Calf Road Woman ended up dying the winter of 1879 of diphtheria, and then a heartbroken and imprisoned, Black Coyote, committed suicide (League).

Although this story does not have a happy ending, it is a story that must be told and heard by young people across the nation.  Not only is our government guilty of mistreating the Natives of this land, but warrior heroes are not all men.  Buffalo Calf Road Woman proves a woman can fight successfully in battle, guns and ammunition and all, and can even inspire and lead thousands.  It is so important to note that a woman is capable of doing so, because we often find these women go unaccredited in our history books.  Her fearlessness and love of her sisters and brothers lives on forever in spirit.  Buffalo Calf Road Woman was not just a warrior, but also a wife, a mother, a sister, and a friend.  She had no trouble being all of those things together; being married didn't stop her from fighting and having children didn't keep her from battle, because she did what was absolutely necessary in attempts to save her people.  I might not truly know Buffalo Calf, or really understand the true character that she was, but it is enough to know the heroic deeds she performed during such violent, dark times did somewhat save the Cheyenne tribesmen.  They will live on forever in honor and spirit, known for fighting in dignity, entirely more than the white men.  I always knew women were capable of such heroic acts, but now I can spread the word and tell the story about the fight where the girl defended and saved her people.  

 

 

 

Works Cited

“Buffalo Calf Road Woman: Custer's Killer.” The League of Extraordinary Ladies, 3 Apr. 2015, theleagueofextraordinaryladies.com/2015/04/buffalo-calf-road-woman-custers-killer/.  

 

Buffalo Calf Road Woman. 28 Oct. 2017, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_Calf_Road_Woman. 

 

F., L. K. “A Young Mother at the Rosebud and Little Bighorn Battles.” Women's History Matters, 28 Oct. 2017, montanawomenshistory.org/a-young-mother-at-the-rosebud-and-little-bighorn-battles/.