12 Facts About Thomas Yellowtail

Thomas Yellowtail was a Medicine Man and Sun Dance chief of the Crow tribe for over thirty years prior to his death.

Thomas Yellowtail was born just south of Lodge Grass, Montana, on the Crow Indian reservation.

Thomas Yellowtail often recalled seeing the old warriors as they sat around the camp fires and performed sacred ceremonies.

When he was only six years old, Thomas Yellowtail received a great honor when one of the Crow Nation's most famous chiefs, Medicine Crow, gave Thomas Yellowtail his Indian name, Medicine Rock Chief.

Thomas Yellowtail's youth was shaped by these elders who had lived the traditional nomadic life.

Thomas Yellowtail's character was shaped by those traditional elders and he often said that it is those same traditional spiritual values which should be at the center of our lives today.

At the time of his death in November, 1993, Thomas Yellowtail was one of the most respected and revered Sun Dance chiefs and Medicine Men of the Crow tribe.

Thomas Yellowtail wanted every American Indian to learn about the spiritual traditions of their ancestors.

Thomas Yellowtail counseled the Native Americans who sought his guidance to follow the way of the Vision Quest, sweat lodge, and Daily Prayer with the Pipe under the guidance of a legitimate Sun Dance Chief.

Thomas Yellowtail encouraged American Indian youth to learn the language of their tribe and to seek out the spiritual leaders who followed the traditional ceremonies of their people.

Thomas Yellowtail wrote his autobiography as a means of preserving the ancient spiritual traditions he held sacred for future generations.

Thomas Yellowtail was a member of that pivotal generation that made the wrenching cultural transition into a new and bewildering world, while never forgetting the old ways.