The Journey of Crazy Horse, a Lakota History by John M. Marshall III

Viking, New York, 2004

Reproduced from Montana, the Magazine of Western History, Winter 2005

Love it or hate it, for four decades Mari Sandoz's Crazy Horse, Strange Man of the Oglala stood as the only comprehensive Crazy Horse biography. Many tried to improve upon it, but with no diaries or letters to unearth and her oral sources long since passed away, future attempts ended as slight variations on her version or mere speculation.

For the most part they ignored one major potential source-- the Lakota oral histories that continue to be passed down through the generations. While some scholars still dismiss oral histories as unreliable, an ever-growing number recognize the vital role they play in the knowledge and understanding of indigenous cultures.

Joseph M. Marshall III, whose first language is Lakota, grew up on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation listening to his grandfathers' stories about Crazy Horse. But The Journey of Crazy Horse is more than a compilation of heroic tales. During his adult life Marshall interviewed scores of elders until, in his words, "[he came to] know Crazy Horse as a man first and a legend second, a very distant second." (xii) The result, as noted in the title, is not just a biography of Crazy Horse, but "a Lakota history" in which Marshall seamlessly interweaves events in the life of the famed warrior with Lakota culture, past and present, and ruminations on the man and his times.

While I would certainly qualify The Journey of Crazy Horse as the best Crazy Horse biography to date, readers should note that this is primarily a work by Lakota for Lakota and other American Indians, and only secondarily for the enlightenment of non-Indians. Consequently, those unfamiliar with the history and chronology may find the moving back and forth in time somewhat confusing. Also, unlike, say, Richard G. Hardorff's Cheyenne Memories of the Custer Fight (University of Nebraska Press, 1995), this is not an adjunct to US military history. You won't find commentary on the actions of Marcus Reno or who went down the Deep Ravine. All battle depictions center on the planning and execution by the Lakota themselves and what victory or defeat meant to them and their way of life.

Those who know little or nothing about the Lakota warrior, Crazy Horse, might want to start with another book. In fact, Sandoz continues to serve well for this purpose. But in order to gain a better understanding of the man and his times from the Lakota perspective, follow it with The Journey of Crazy Horse.