Counting Coup: Becoming a Crow Chief on the Reservation and Beyond [Hardcover]

Joseph Medicine Crow (Author), Herman Viola (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Picture a Crow Indian elder, his wizened eyes catching yours in the ancient flicker of firelight. His mesmerizing stories span the ages, from Custer to World War II to the 21st Century. He is the last traditional chief of his people. He is over 90 years old. Now picture that same man lecturing at colleges nationwide, and addressing the United Nations on the subject of peace.


National Geographic presents the amazing life story of Joseph Medicine Crow, the man who begins life as Winter Man. Trained as a warrior by his grandfather, Yellowtail, he bathes in icy rivers and endures the ceremony of "counting coup"—facing fierce combat with an enemy Sioux boy.


An operation at the local hospital brings the young Crow face-to-face with his worst fears: a Sioux, a ghost, and a white man. He excels at the white man's school and is raised in the Baptist faith. He translates the stories of the elder chiefs, becoming the link to the ancient traditions of the pre-reservation generation. His own dramatic and funny stories span both ages, and the ancient Crow legends are passed on in the storytelling tradition.


Joseph Medicine Crow's doctorate degree was interrupted by the call to arms of World War II. On the battlefields of Germany he earned the ancient status of War Chief by completing the four war deeds required of the Crow warrior.


In 1948 the Crow Tribal Council appointed Joseph Medicine Crow (now called High Bird) their Tribal Historian and Anthropologist.


Counting Coup is a vibrant adventure narrative, bringing Native American history and culture alive for young readers. Joseph Medicine Crow's story illuminates the challenges faced by the Crow people as hurricanes of change raged through America. His epic story and its lessons are an essential legacy for us all.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6 Up–In this fascinating autobiography, the chief shares the events in his life, from his birth in 1914, to his training to be a Crow warrior when he was six or seven, to his World War II experiences. He tells his story with an elder's humor. Reminiscing about his first hospital visit to have his adenoids removed, he shares his fear of whites, of Sioux, and of ghosts. Experiences from Baptist, public, and boarding schools show the prejudices that he encountered. Four pages of color and black-and-white photos show his family and the Crow reservation in Montana. Using large print and short chapters, this informative yet entertaining read just might inspire children to interview their elders and write their stories.–Marlette Grant-Jackson, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. Joseph Medicine Crow was born in 1913 on the Crow Indian Reservation in southeastern Montana. Trained as a warrior by his grandfather and unaware of the struggles of the tribe, Medicine Crow fondly remembers a childhood filled with outdoor games, mud fights, and family gatherings. Despite a terrible experience at the Baptist mission school, he went away to boarding school in Oklahoma, and in 1938, he became the first male Crow Indian to graduate from college. He studied anthropology until he was inducted into the army in 1942. For Medicine Crow's bravery in World War II, he was declared a Crow war chief. Four pages of color photos show Medicine Crow in traditional regalia, several family members, and a drawing of Sioux and U.S. soldiers at the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Medicine Crow's straightforward style and gentle humor make his recollections easy to read and hard to forget, and they provide a cultural context and understanding that is rare in books about American Indians for middle readers. Karen Hutt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books (February 14, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0792253914
• ISBN-13: 978-0792253914
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 0.6 x 8.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,060,533 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An important story of early 20th century reservation life, February 15, 2007

By 

S. A. Topping (Boulder, CO) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Counting Coup: Becoming a Crow Chief on the Reservation and Beyond (Hardcover)

Joe Medicine Crow is a national treasure. Born on the Crow Reservation in the early years of the twentieth century, he was raised among Indians who lived during the buffalo hunting days. Grandparents Medicine Crow and Yellowtail were important Crow leaders whose homes were the place of many gatherings. Joe soaked up the stories like a sponge, and he has been an invaluable source of tribal stories. In this book, in particular, he talks about his own upbringing, as his people's traditions adapted to life in America in the new century. He writes of his life using compassion and humor, but the difficulties he faced are clear. That he has led such a strong life is testimony to the fine man that he is. I found this book tremendously enjoyable, and the glimpse it gave me into this forgotten era is priceless.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Living in Crow Country, June 3, 2007

By 

Dr. William Plank - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Counting Coup: Becoming a Crow Chief on the Reservation and Beyond (Hardcover)

Mr. Medicine Crow is an impressive man, about 90 years old now. The book is written in the brief and blunt sentences as he would speak English. He lived up to the old ways of the Crow when he stole fifty German horses from under their noses in World War II. A landmark in Indian literature.

3.0 out of 5 stars Counting Coup, March 1, 2011

By 

Mary E. Young "JanaRose1" (Covington, Georgia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Counting Coup: Becoming a Crow Chief on the Reservation and Beyond (Hardcover)

Born in 1913 on the Crow Indian Reservation, Joseph Medicine Crow recounts his childhood, training to become a Crow warrior and his experiences in World War II. I found this book to be, although interesting, a slow read. It was written in an unemotional matter-of-fact way, rather than in a story-telling manner. Overall, I believe a child would become bored with this book and turn to more adventure-type stories.