Famous Sioux Chiefs, Medicine Men, and Leaders
Leaders of the Sioux tribes are some of the most recognized names in native American history. There are links to in depth profiles at the bottom of the page.
Historical Leaders
Šóta (Old Chief Smoke) — an original Oglala Lakota head chief
Thaóyate Dúta (Little Crow/His Red Nation) — Mdewakanton Dakota chief and warrior
Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake (Sitting Bull) — Famous Hunkpapa Lakota chief and holy man
Tȟašúŋke Witkó (Crazy Horse) — Famous Oglala Lakota warrior
Maȟpíya Ičáȟtagye (Touch the Clouds) – Minneconjou Lakota chief and warrior
Maȟpíya Lúta (Red Cloud) — Famous Oglala Lakota chief and spokesperson
Heȟáka Sápa (Black Elk) — Famous Oglala Lakota medicine and holy man
Ité Omáǧažu (Rain-in-the-Face) — Hunkpapa Lakota war chief
Tȟáȟča Hušté (Lame Deer) — Mineconju Lakota holy man and spiritual preserver
Wi Sapa (Black Moon) — Miniconjou Lakota chief
Matȟó Héȟloǧeča (Hollow Horn Bear) — Sicangu (Brulé) Lakota leader
Phizí (Gall) — Hunkpapa Lakota war chief
Ógle Lúta (Red Shirt) — Oglala Lakota warrior and chief
Inkpaduta (Scarlet Point/Red End) — Wahpekute Dakota war chief
Waŋbdí Tháŋka (Big Eagle) — Mdewakanton Dakota chief
Tamaha (One Eye/Standing Moose) — Mdewekanton Dakota chief
Ota Kte (Luther Standing Bear aka Plenty Kill) — Oglala Lakota writer and actor
Numpkahapa (Two Strike) — Sicangu Lakota chief
Cetan Sápa (Black Hawk) — Itázipčho Lakota ledger artist
Tȟatȟóka Íŋyaŋke (Running Antelope) — Hunkpapa Lakota chief
Mato Watakpe (John Grass aka Charging Bear) — Sihasapa Lakota chief
Tȟatȟáŋka Ská (White Bull) — Miniconjou Lakota warrior and nephew of Sitting Bull
Wanbli Kte (Kill Eagle) — Sihasapa Lakota warrior and leader
Sunka Wakan To (Blue Horse) — Oglala chief, warrior, educator and statesman
Matȟó Wayúhi (Conquering Bear) — Sičháŋǧu Lakota chief
Čhetáŋ Kiŋyáŋ (Flying Hawk) — Oglala Lakota chief, philosopher, and historian
Matȟó Wanáȟtake (Kicking Bear) — Oglala born Miniconjou Lakota warrior and chief
Unpan Glešká (Spotted Elk aka Big Foot) — Miniconjou Lakota chief
Hehwongechat (Lone Horn) — Miniconjou Lakota chief
Kȟaŋǧí Yátapi (Crow King aka Medicine Bag That Burns) — Hunkpapa Lakota war chief
Wicasa Tankala (Little Big Man aka Charging Bear) — Oglala Lakota Warrior
Xunka Kuciyedano (Low Dog) — Oglala Lakota chief and warrior
Wašíčuŋ Tȟašúŋke (American Horse “The Younger”) — Oglala Lakota Chief
Wašíčuŋ Tȟašúŋke (American Horse “The Elder”) — Oglala Lakota Chief
Tȟašúŋke Kȟokípȟapi (Young Man Afraid Of His Horses) — Oglala Lakota Chief
Ištáȟba (Sleepy Eye) — Sisseton Dakota chief
Ohíyes’a (Charles Eastman) — Author, physician and reformer
Colonel Gregory “Pappy” Boyington — World War II Fighter Ace and Medal of Honor recipient; 1/4 Sioux
Charging Thunder (1877–1929), Blackfoot Sioux chief who was part of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show in 1903, but remained in England when the show returned to America. He married Josephine, an American horse trainer who had just given birth to their first child, Bessie, and together they settled in Darwen, before moving to Gorton. His name became George Edward Williams, after registering with the British immigration authorities to enable him to find work. Williams ended up working at the Belle Vue Zoo as an elephant keeper. He died from pneumonia on July 28, 1929. His interment was at Gorton’s cemetery.
Ota Kte (Luther Standing Bear) — Author, educator, philosopher and actor
Zitkala-Ša (Gertrude Simmons Bonnin) — Author, educator, musician and political activist
Horse’s Ghost – A Sioux Chief in Montana at the Fort Peck Indian Reservation who argued for Native American rights with members of President Taft’s administration.
Bigfoot (Not the same as Spotted Elk)
Little Thunder
Big Mouth
Red Thunder (also known as Shappa, the Beaver)
Waneta
Wizikute (a.k.a. Pine Shooter)
Red Fish
Crow Dog
Red Bird (Zitkaduta)
Big Curly
John Otherday (Aagpetu-tokecha)
Redwing
Walking Buffalo (Tatankamani)
Wamditanka (Great War Eagle)
Gray Iron
Shakopee (Shakpe, ‘six’)
Mankato (M-ak’-to, Blue Earth)
Old Mankato
Billy Mills – A famous Sioux Olympian athlete.
Napeshneeduta (Red Man Who Flees Not)
Famous Contemporary Sioux
Ella Carla Deloria (Anpetu Wastewin), Yankton Sioux (1888-1971), Author
Vine Deloria, Author
Susan La Flesche, Sioux (1865-1915)
Russell Means – (Nov. 10, 1939-Oct. 29, 2012) Extensive obituary. According to the New York times, he was the most famous Indian “since Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull.”
Russell Means Timeline
Chaske Spencer (born March 9, 1975) – Native American actor of Lakota, Nez Perce, Cherokee, Creek, French, and Dutch descent. He is a member of the Fort Peck tribe.
Chief Red Fox – Silent Film Actor. He was a nephew of the famous Sioux leader Chief Crazy Horse. He was six years old at the time of Custer’s Last Stand and gives a chilling account of it in his memoirs.
Floyd Red Crow Westerman – Actor, musician, activist
Floyd Red Crow Westerman passes to the spirit world
Sioux Tribes:
Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation
Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (F)
Crow Creek Sioux Tribe of the Crow Creek Reservation(South Dakota)(F)
Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe of South Dakota
Fort Belknap Indian Community of the Fort Belknap Reservation of Montana
Lower Brule Sioux Tribe of the Lower Brule Reservation
Lower Sioux Indian Community in the State of Minnesota
Oglala Sioux Tribe
Prairie Island Indian Community in the State of Minnesota
Rosebud Sioux Tribe of the Rosebud Reservation
Santee Sioux Nation
Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community of Minnesota
Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate of the Lake Traverse Reservation, South Dakota (F)
Spirit Lake Tribe (F)
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North & South Dakota (F)
Upper Sioux Community
Yankton Sioux Tribe
