More about the artist and his art
I enjoy taking part in Native American art shows and supporting art auctions for children's groups like Parents Let's Unite for Kids (PLUK) in Billings, MT. I've also been able to travel to many schools to show my artwork and play my flutes for the students.
I talk about the importance of finding and sharing the unique talents and gifts the Creator has given each of us. Maheo has been extremely gracious to me including keeping me alive when I was born three months premature and healing me from Grave's disease when I was thirty-one. I enjoy playing the flute and learning stories about the Cheyenne and Crow people.
I am a descendant of the great Cheyenne war chief, Lame Whiteman, who led the Suicide Warriors and was the only Cheyenne chief to die in the Battle of the Little Bighorn. I am blessed to have two of my masterpieces hanging at the Souring Eagle Heritage Center in Ashland, MT where many of my tribal elders live. The portraits are of Cheyenne warrior chiefs Littlewolf and Morning Star who together with Iron Teeth led the Northern Cheyenne people back to Montana from imprisonment in Indian Territory and Fort Robinson, Nebraska. My Cheyenne elders enjoy seeing them and remembering the great sacrifices that were made while our ancestors fought for our homeland that we will keep forever!
My great-great-great-grandfather Chief Lame Whiteman, or Ve'ho'enohnenehe, was a Southern Cheyenne battle chief who fought at the Battle of the Little Big Horn, June 25, 1876 and was killed there. He was a survivor of the Sand Creek Massacre November 29, 1864 in Colorado and had a vendetta against the "long knife soldiers" and came north to join his Northern Cheyenne Brothers. He was the only chief in Cheyenne history to sit on the council of twelve with the Northern Cheyenne and the council of twelve with the Southern Cheyenne. He was also known as Bearded Man (to the Lakota) and Mad Hearted Wolf ("Hahk o ni"). He was the husband of Twin Woman and father to Red Hat and Crane Woman. One of his grandsons was Northern Cheyenne Tribal historian John Stands In Timber, author of "Cheyenne Memories."
Below is the marker of great Cheyenne war chief, Lame Whiteman, who led the Suicide Warriors and was the only Cheyenne chief to die in the Battle of the Little Bighorn
Red granite headstones honoring them include both their Cheyenne names and translations supplied by Linwood Tall Bull. Each bears the inscription:
"A Cheyenne warrior fell here on June 25, 1876, while defending the Cheyenne way of life.''
EMAIL : jon.beartusk@gmail.com