Dr. Joe Medicine Crow - Memorial Day, 2008

Dr. Joe Medicine Crow outside his home at Lodge Grass, Montana on Memorial Day, 2008. Joe is 94 years old. He is wearing his army jacket. He still fits it quite well, don't you think? Joe is a World War 2 Veteran and proud of it! We salute you Joe!

 

HOH!!

 

Some details about Dr. Joe Medicine Crow:

1.. Joe served bravely and with distinguished honor in France during World

War 2, and he directed the surrender of German soldiers toward the end of the

war. Joe's wartime recollections were recorded in the Ken Burns' documentary

series, "The War."

2.. In the year 2000 Joe participated as a delegate in the United Nations'

Millennium World Peace Summit, singing the opening welcome song to the

gathering of over 2000 delegates come together in the interest of world

peace.

3.. Joe Medicine Crow, a Native American Crow Indian by birth, has made so

many contributions in cultural and historical preservation it is impossible

to list them all here. Some noteworthy ones are given. At the age of 94, Joe

is the last living person to have received oral history from participants in

the massacre of George Custer's 7th Cavalry at the Little Bighorn, June 25,

1876. Joe's grandfather, White Man Runs Him was one of George Custer's

Indian scouts, and was at the Little Bighorn. Joe's other grandfather,

Medicine Crow, was scouting for General George Crook at the Battle of the

Rosebud during the same campaign. Joe has been active throughout his long

life in the preservation of culture and history, especially as they relate

to the Crow Indian tribe.

4.. In 1947 and 1948, Joe assisted in the writing of the constitution and

bylaws for the Crow Tribal Council.

5.. In 1947 Joe was appointed the Crow Tribal Historian and Anthropologist

by the Crow Tribal Council, a position he has now held for 61 years. The

appointment was appropriate, as before the war Joe attended the University

of Southern California where he received his Master's Degree in

anthropology, and he was working on his doctorate when WWII intervened. When

Joe returned following the war, the department had been closed. Joe was the

first man in the Crow tribe to attend college.

6.. In May of 2003, Joe Medicine Crow finally received his honorary

Doctorate degree from USC, an event attended by 50,000 people, to whom Joe

invited to visit Montana. For this ceremony, Joe wore a 100 year old war

headdress. Joe has subsequently received two other honorary Doctorate

degrees.

7.. Joe has donated his time and talents freely to many cultural events

such as All American Indian Days, Crow Fair, in which Joe is Master of

Ceremonies, and the Custer Battle Reenactment, which Joe wrote the script

for and is visited by thousands annually since its inception.

8.. During Joe's directorship of the Crow Central Education Commission,

the Crow Tribal College was founded. Joe personally gave the college its

name, "Little Big Horn College," and has served as professor in sociology,

archaeology, and various Indian studies courses.

9.. Joe has devoted many hours of his own time, without any charge, to the

assistance of others, and to the development, as a whole, of his tribe and

his community.

10. Joe is currently in nomination for the following: United States Presidential Medal of Honor (the nomination has been submitted to President Bush), the Bronze Star, and the French Legion award.

Done