Our Native American Heritage and the Significance of a Name

Crazy Horse, Squanto, Sitting Bull, Geronimo, Chief Sequoyah, Chief Joseph, Red Cloud and other Native Americans received a pretty raw deal back in the day. Well, with the exception of Sacagawea, Pocahontas, the “Indians” in Massachusetts and Sequoia most were perceived as pretty unreasonable savages. If you were “American,” you were taught manifest destiny and the massacre of Custer’s Battalion, part the US 7^th Cavalry at Little Big Horn. That was in the early fifties. I was a little kid then and Gabby Hayes was circling the wagons. Then came Fort Apache sets, cattle drives and the stories of Wild Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill Cody and Gunsmoke. In those days you had to love TV westerns and the life of the cowboy.

American History in the early sixties helped to refine my understanding of the plight of the American Indian with the Trail of Tears, my belief in the American way and fairness, but it was when my son was in high school in the eighties that my understanding of how my government treated Native Americans that many of my beliefs and understandings were fundamentally reshaped. What happened at Wounded Knee and to the plains Indians, and Native Americans like Crazy Horse was simply not right. Even now, the plight of Native Americans is not right. Removal from the places they historically occupied and then all the broken treaties we made with them. They deserved better. I think we could say, they are really “first order Americans.” We have been so culturally insensitive. The American Indian simply could not understand the European concept of “private land ownership.”

My wife and I took our two granddaughters to South Dakota recently. We not only wanted them to share time with one another but also to expose and stretch them in their understanding of American history, its people, culture and landscape. We took them to South Dakota to see Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial, Deadwood, the Badlands, Spearfish Canyon and Devils Tower. There were other things we wanted to see, but our time disappeared, like smoke before our eyes and did not see everything that deserved our attention.

We adopted fictitious Native American names. My wife renamed each us. I was no longer Lee but “Giant Tree” and our granddaughters become “Dancing Girl” and “Sunflower Maiden.” My wife became “Morning dew.” You can imagine why someone might be renamed “dancing girl” and you would be on course. I’ve included a photograph that will help you visualize what was going on. I guess you could say some of us used our imaginations.

We examined the memorial museums, not only of the Presidents but Indian peoples. Because I grew up the first 12 years of my life in southeast Michigan, I told my granddaughters about going to Custer Elementary School and the little museum that existed for him in his adopted home Town (Monroe, Michigan). I told them about going to West Point Military Academy, his service in the Union Army during the Civil War, fighting at Gettysburg and that he was at Appomattox with Generals Grant and Lee. I also told them about the controversy of the paintings of the generals in McLean House room at Appomattox. Yes, there are several paintings. Check out the ones by Tom Lovell (Surrender at Appomattox), Alfred R. Waud (Surrender of General Lee) and Ken Welsh ((The Surrender of General Lee to General Grant at Appomattox Courthouse). (Stop and seriously compare who is pictured in these images.) And then I told them that he continued serve the country in the American Indian Wars. These are just a few.

There is even a large statue of General George Armstrong Custer on a horse in Monroe. Because of his notoriety, it’s odd today for me to speak of Custer, knowing what happened at Little Big Horn (as known as Custer’s Last Stand) and his role in this page of history. When I hear his name every single thought I have of him jumps out of the pages of history. Bold and confident or recklessly incompetent? His name paints an enigmatic image of a backdrop of Indian removals and broken treaties, flawed US policy over many, many years against Native Americans.

Crazy Horse on the other hand, wasn’t called “Crazy Horse” when he was a little boy. He was called ”In the Wilderness” or “Among the Trees.” It wasn’t until he was a young adult when he went off as a young brave, had a formative vision and returned to his camp and given the name of Crazy Horse. It was the name of his father. His father then took another names. His vision and determination not to allow others to determine the fate of his people set him apart from his first name. He is remembered as “Crazy Horse.” He too was at Little Big Horn, leading a band of Lakota Sioux.

Look at the carving of Crazy Horse in the rock at the memorial. I must tell you this carving is huge! It is much bigger than the carving of the heads of the four presidents at Rushmore (Washington, Jefferson, T. Roosevelt and Lincoln). Yes, the memorial of Crazy Horse is not yet finished. They are still working on it without United States funding. And if you want to contribute toward its construction, go see it when you visit Mount Rushmore. It is only 12 miles away from the four presidents. You might say, “They are making a statement.”

 

The stage was then set for “Wild Bill” Hickok, “Calamity Jane” and the transformation of Deadwood when Custer announced the discovery of gold there. The story of the naming of Devils Tower also fell into place. Maybe there’s good reason the name for Wall Drug Store in Wall, South Dakota didn’t become Wal-Mart.

 

So, what’s in a name? Often times a powerful story! Your family may even have members who have been given nick names that have stuck. I know teachers who would never give one of their children a certain name. Names evoke many emotions and images.

Now, consider Scripture. What new names were given to Abram, Jacob, Saul, and Peter? There are wonderful stories of faith that hold significant meanings. We need to learn about the meanings they hold.

On this trip, my granddaughters only encountered glimpses of the American picture. We could only expose them to so much. Hopefully, middle school and high school will help them to connect the dots.

Scripture:

Genesis 17.4-5 – God changed Abram’s name to Abraham and tells him he will become the father of many nations.

Genesis 32.28 – God changes Jacob’s name to Israel after struggling with him during the night at Jabbok’s Ford.

Matthew 16.18 – Jesus changes Simon’s name to Peter, which means the “Rock.” Jesus in this passage refers to Peter’s faith as “The Rock” on which the church will be built.

Acts 13.9 – Saul, who in Acts 9.18 became a follower of Christ, became known as “Paul.”