Crazy Horse

Crazy Horse, in Lakota Tasunke Witko, meaning His-Horse-Is-Crazy (c. 1840 to September 5, 1877), was a Lakota war leader of the Oglala band and one of the most renowned Native American figures of the nineteenth century. Known for his commitment to defending Lakota lands and lifeways, he emerged as a central figure in the northern Great Plains during a period of intense conflict with the United States. He played leading roles in the 1866 Fetterman Fight and the 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn, where he helped lead the combined Native forces that defeated the 7th Cavalry under George Armstrong Custer. After months of pursuit during the Great Sioux War of 1876-1877, Crazy Horse surrendered to U.S. forces in May 1877, and in September 1877 he was fatally wounded by a bayonet while confined at Camp Robinson in northwestern Nebraska.