Frank Bird Linderman (1869–1938)
Author of Pretty-shield: Medicine Woman of the Crows
About the Author
Frank B. Linderman (1869-1938) spent his adult life in Montana, first as a trapper and then as an author, politician, and businessman. He lived closely with the Salish, Blackfeet, Crows, and other Native peoples in the region
Image credit: Frank Bird Linderman posed for this portrait in Helena, Montana, c. 1905. Library of Congress, LC-DIG-ggbain-37519
Works by Frank Bird Linderman
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Other names
- Co-skee-see-co-cot
- Birthdate
- 1869-09-25
- Date of death
- 1938-05-12
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Place of death
- Santa Barbara, California, USA
- Places of residence
- Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Brandon, Montana, USA
Butte, Montana, USA
Sheridan, Montana, USA
Helena, Montana, USA
Kalispell, Montana, USA (show all 7)
Santa Barbara, California, USA - Education
- Oberlin College
- Occupations
- trapper
hunter
cowboy
public official
hotel owner
assayer (show all 8)
politician
insurance agent - Organizations
- Montana State Legislature (1903-1905)
Montana Secretary of State (1905-1907)
Guardian Insurance Company of America - Awards and honors
- Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame (2009)
Members
Reviews
Lists
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 23
- Also by
- 2
- Members
- 680
- Popularity
- #37,181
- Rating
- 3.8
- Reviews
- 8
- ISBNs
- 63
- Languages
- 3
Most of the book is Plenty-Coups’ stories of his early life – raids against the Sioux, the Cheyenne, and the Arapahoe – sometimes all at once. There are tales of sneaking into an enemy camp to steal horses, and of hand-to-hand battles. One thing I found interesting is Plenty-Coups is always full of praise for his enemies – “that Sioux was a good warrior”; “that Cheyenne fought well” – before killing them. In time, Plenty-Coups became the archetypical “wise old Indian chief” and was chosen to represent all Native Americans at the dedication of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in 1921. He’s quoted as advising the Crow “Get a white man’s education; without it you are a white man’s victim, with it you are his equal”. When he died in 1932, the Crow unanimously voted never to elect another principal chief; he willed his house and land to Montana as a state park.
An easy, interesting, and exciting read. Pictures of Plenty-Coups and various aspects of Crow life. Introduction and afterword to this (2002) edition by Crow. Maps of Plenty-Coups’ world and a glossary of Crow words (which notes the native name for Crow is Apsáalooke, which translates as “Children of the Large Beaked Bird, and for Plenty-Coups is Alaxchíiahush, “Many War Deeds”). For more on the Crow, see Absaraka, Home of the Crows and The Crow Indians.… (more)