What did Plenty Coups do?

Plenty Coups (Crow: Alaxchíia Ahú, “many achievements”; 1848 – 1932) was the principal chief of the Crow Nation (“Apsáalooke”) and a visionary leader. He very much wanted the Crow to survive as a people and their customs and spiritual beliefs to carry on.

What spiritual power is Plenty Coups to receive from the chickadee?

For Plenty Coups, the dream-vision revealed a way for the Crow people to begin again after cultural genocide: follow the listening way of the chickadee. The Chickadee-person is described as “least in strength but strongest of mind amongst his kind. He is willing to work for wisdom.

How did Chief Plenty Coups get his name?

His name was given to him by his grandfather, from a dream that the boy would count many coups (a war deed), live to an old age, and become a chief. At some point in his life, he was also given the name Bull That Goes Into (or Against) the Wind.

When was Chief Plenty Coups born?

1848
One of these leaders was Chief Plenty Coups who was born in 1848, a time of great change for the tribe.

Where did Plenty Coups get his coups from?

Plenty Coups started learning early in life the ways of an Indian warrior. Constant attacks by neighboring tribes provided many opportunities to prove his valor, and he quickly started earning coups. He spent his youth fighting and learning alongside many other young warriors, including Medicine Crow (Sacred Raven), who would also become a chief.

How old was Plenty Coups when he had his vision?

Later, when he was 11 years old, Plenty Coups (along with other young men of the Crow Nation) was challenged to have a vision which might guide his people’s future. After fasting and spending several days in the Crazy Mountains, he had a vision in which he saw many buffalo coming out of a hole. They spread over the plains, then disappeared.

When was Plenty Coups Chief of the Crows published?

The resulting book of Plenty Coup’s life was published as American: The Life Story of a Great Indian: Plenty-coups, Chief of the Crows (New York: John Day, 1930). In 1962, it was reprinted as simply Plenty-Coups: Chief of the Crows (Bison Books) and is still in print under that title.

How many feathers did Plenty Coups have on his coup stick?

Plenty Coups was named a chief of the Mountain Crow at age 28. As a young man and chief, he was a fierce and well-respected warrior. He was thought to have between 50 and 100 feathers on his coup stick, each one representing an act of valor.