Native American Historian, Author, Veteran, Elder. The last surviving war chief of Montana's Crow Tribe, he was a recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal. A member of the Crow Tribe's Whistling Water clan, Chief Joseph was raised by his Grandfather, Yellowtail to be a warrior which he did during WWII. He became a war chief by having completed the required four war deeds while fighting for the 103rd Infantry in Germany during World War II. "Warfare was our highest art, but Plains Indian warfare was not about killing. It was about intelligence, leadership, and honor," Medicine Crow wrote in his 2006 book "Counting Coup." The National Parks Service claims Medicine Crow was "the last living person with a direct oral history from a participant of the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876." Medicine Crow in 1939 became the first of his tribe to receive a master's degree, in anthropology from the University of Southern California (USC). After this he became a Crow historian, collecting his nomadic tribe's history through firsthand accounts before 1884. His books include Crow Migration Story, Medicine Crow, the Handbook of the Crow Indians Law and Treaties, Crow Indian Buffalo Jump Techniques and From the Heart of Crow Country. He also authored a children's book entitled Brave Wolf and the Thunderbird. USC has renamed a building on its campus in his honor.

Native American Historian, Author, Veteran, Elder. The last surviving war chief of Montana's Crow Tribe, he was a recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal. A member of the Crow Tribe's Whistling Water clan, Chief Joseph was raised by his Grandfather, Yellowtail to be a warrior which he did during WWII. He became a war chief by having completed the required four war deeds while fighting for the 103rd Infantry in Germany during World War II. "Warfare was our highest art, but Plains Indian warfare was not about killing. It was about intelligence, leadership, and honor," Medicine Crow wrote in his 2006 book "Counting Coup." The National Parks Service claims Medicine Crow was "the last living person with a direct oral history from a participant of the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876." Medicine Crow in 1939 became the first of his tribe to receive a master's degree, in anthropology from the University of Southern California (USC). After this he became a Crow historian, collecting his nomadic tribe's history through firsthand accounts before 1884. His books include Crow Migration Story, Medicine Crow, the Handbook of the Crow Indians Law and Treaties, Crow Indian Buffalo Jump Techniques and From the Heart of Crow Country. He also authored a children's book entitled Brave Wolf and the Thunderbird. USC has renamed a building on its campus in his honor.

Bio by: Barbara Campbell