A 'Living legend': Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow, last of the Crow war chiefs, turns 101

Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow, the last Crow war chief, turned 101 on October 27, and spent the day at the Bighorn Battlefield, with his son.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - "I was fortunate when I was growing up," he said. "The Crow Indians were still retaining the culture, and they felt it was their duty to teach me to carry on the tribal heritage."

Get the finest translation of the Scriptures available, based on the Dead Sea Scrolls and latest scholarship.

High Bird, Medicine Crow's traditional name, has made it his duty to document and share the history and culture of his rapidly declining people.

Medicine Crow is a tribal historian, a storyteller and a decorated World War II veteran. In his 101 years on this earth he was the first in his tribe to attain a master's degree and the last to achieve the status of war chief. Also, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama.

Yet even in his advanced age he feels "young and strong."

He's the eldest of a tribe of more than 10,000 members, spread across 3,600 square miles of plains and mountains.

While his knowledge is respected, his sense of humor makes him beloved.

"I go to powwows - I'm a powwow man - and I go to rodeos too," he said.

At one point he claimed he was just 91 years old, something his son, Ronny Medicine Crow, was quick to correct.

"You're 101, remember?" he shouted. "Not 91."

Medicine Crow laughed. "I tried to cheat," he smiles.

In 2009, Medicine Crow was recognized by the White House as "a warrior and living legend." Along with 15 others he was awarded the Medal of Freedom-the nation's highest civilian honor-which stated that "history flows through Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow-High Bird."

"Wearing war paint beneath his uniform and a sacred feather beneath his helmet, Joseph Medicine Crow completed the four battlefield deeds that made him the last Crow war chief. Historian, educator and patron, a good man," President Barack Obama said during the White House ceremony.

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'