Red Hawk of the Oglala Sioux Tribe on horseback, 1905

Red Hawk of the Oglala Sioux Tribe on horseback, 1905 (Color version)

Red Hawk, Oglala, went on his first war party at the age of eleven. He eventually participated in twenty battles, including the battle against Custer at the Little Bighorn in 1876. He fasted twice. The second time, after two days and a night, he had a vision of four women mourning as they circled the camp, followed by a warrior singing the death song. His grandfather then appeared to him and told him to arise. With that, he awoke. He looked eastward and saw the sun peeping above the horizon so he took his pipe and held it to the rising sun as he offered a prayer, “Let my people with glad hearts behold a good day.” Unfortunately, a few days later, four men were killed in a raid, and their wifes circled the camp mourning, while the survivor of the battle followed them, singing the death song. This piece was inspired by accounts and photos taken by Edward Curtis, 1907.

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I can add a few additional details to the life story of Red Hawk Cetan Luta (c1856-1928). 

As already noted, he was born about 1856 or 1857. Red Hawk is listed as a "brother" of Iron Thunder (who was a "brother" of Hump) suggesting that he was born Minneconjou. As a young man, Red Hawk remained out with the non-treaty bands. He was present for the Battle of the Little Bighorn in June 1876 (see Nick Ruleau interview in Ricker Interviews and in Michael Donahue's book, Drawing Battle Lines: The Map Testimony of Custer's Last Fight.)

As Kingsley noted, there is a Red Hawk listed with Crazy Horse's band surrendering in May 1877; I suspect that this is our man or his father. Dr. James Irwin, agent at Red Cloud, listed Red Hawk as a Minneconjou on his list of transfers to the Spotted Tail Agency on September 1, 1877. Red Hawk was probably then part of the bands that fled the Red Cloud and Spotted Tail Agencies in late 1877, eventually arriving in Canada. He married about 1877-78.

Red Hawk later recalled that he surrendered at Fort Keogh, probably in 1880. He worked as a scout there for about six months and led a delegation north to persuade his brother Iron Thunder to surrender (which he did on Aug. 7, 1880). He was part of the bands transferred to the Standing Rock Agency in 1881 and does appear in the Sitting Bull Surrender Census in the band of his brother Hump. Red Hawk was then transferred to the Pine Ridge Agency in 1882 where he lived the remainder of his life.

During the Ghost Dance troubles, Red Hawk enlisted as an Indian scout. He later served in the Indian Police. He said he had been a headman since about 1896 (death of his father?).

He attended the 1926 Little Bighorn Anniversary. Red Hawk died on March 29, 1928.

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