Lame Deer
Lame Deer, named after his grandfather, was a prominent Native American figure who navigated the complexities of life between the Sioux reservation and mainstream white American society. Born into a heritage marked by conflict, including the death of his grandfather at the hands of U.S. cavalry forces, Lame Deer experienced significant personal loss when his mother died in 1920. He inherited livestock from his father, who had abandoned traditional ways, prompting Lame Deer to explore alternative paths such as participating in rodeos and learning from medicine men. Throughout his life, he embraced various roles, including rancher, rodeo rider, reservation policeman, and spiritual leader. His notable work, "Lame Deer: Seeker of Visions," published in 1976, helped him gain recognition as a voice for Native Americans, where he shared insights about his ancestry, the impact of broken treaties, and the challenges of government schooling. In this book, he critically examined both Native and white cultures, expressing a deep sense of loss regarding the traditional life of the prairies. Lame Deer remains an important figure for understanding the experiences of Native Americans in the 20th century, particularly the cultural tensions present in his life and work.
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Subject Terms
Lame Deer
- Born: c. 1895
- Birthplace: Near Pine Ridge, South Dakota
- Died: December 14, 1976
- Place of death: Denver, Colorado
Category: Medicine man, rancher
Tribal affiliation: Miniconjou Sioux
Significance: Lame Deer is remembered for his autobiography, which recounts his life growing up on a reservation and his protest against the white culture that had robbed the Indians of their land and culture
Named for his grandfather, a warrior for the Sioux who was killed by the United States cavalry in the 1890’s, Lame Deer lived his life between two worlds, that of the reservation and that of white America. After the death of his mother in 1920, Lame Deer inherited horses and cattle from his father, who at that time gave up the old ways. Lame Deer too gave up the old life, as he followed the rodeo circuit. He also received instruction from medicine men. Lame Deer moved between the white world and the world of the Indian on a reservation; he was a rancher, rodeo rider, reservation policeman, and holy man.
With the publication of Lame Deer: Seeker of Visions in 1976, written with Richard Erdoes, Lame Deer established himself as a spokesperson and a spiritual leader among Native Americans. In the book, he describes his ancestors and treaties that were broken, his upbringing on the reservation, and his forced schooling at government schools (where he had no choice but to repeat the third grade six times because there were no teachers beyond that level). He also recounts his experiences as a medicine man. The book evaluates both white and Indian culture, finding the suburban modern American culture spiritless and sterile. Lame Deer laments the loss of the prairie life.
Bibliography
Lame Deer, with Richard Erdoes. Lame Deer: Seeker of Visions. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1976.