Broken Bear Ribs

[ladonna]

Mato Cuwiyuksa,Chief Broken Bear Rib In the 1885 Standing Rock Ration list Hunkpapa Chief Broken Bear Ribs had 19 lodges under him and 182 people in his care. Kangi Ota (Many Crows); Wanbli Wakua (Eagle Chasing); Ozuye (Warrior); Iokna Iyeyapi (Wounded In the Mouth); Tawahacanka Wakiyan (His Thunder Shield); Mato Wakua (The Bear Chasing); He Canraka (Brush Horns) I Weau (Blood from the mouth); Marpiya Oronko (Swift Cloud); Wi Ciqala (Little Moon); Maza (Iron); Unglake Wastewin (Moving Camp); Tawahacanka Maza (His Iron Shield); Wanbli Ciqana (Little Eagle); Cetan Wanbli (Hawk Eagle); Canku Waste (Good Road); Tasunke Topa (Her Four Horses); Tehan Wakua (Long Chasing); Kangi Locin (Hungry Crow);

[ladonna]

Standing Rock Census 1889

Chief BrokenBear Ribs age 48
wife- Pretty Woman age 37
son-First To Kill age 13
daughter-Kind age ?
Son-Icazopsni age ?
daughter-Girl age ?

[Dietmar]

From a website visitor:

Concerning the Hunkpapa sub-tribe , could you say me if the chiefs Broken Bear Ribs and Broken Ribs were the same men or not ?
I have the same question concerning the Hunkpapa Bear Head and Bear Face ?
I have not found the answer on your site!
Thank you !

[ladonna]

Broken Bear Ribs and Bear ribs are the same person, but
My family member Bear Face is not the same as Bear Head.
The spelling of the two
Ite Mato-Bear Face
Pa Mato-Bear Head

unless it was mistranslated some where

[bearsrib82]

it was broken rib bear not broken bear ribs.today it was shortened to bear ribs.he has only a few descendants the last one was the sherman j.bear ribs,sr family his grandfather james walter bear ribs was married to lucy (one feather was her married last name) sherman sr was married to elizabeth (one feather no relation to lucy since that was her married name before marrying james)james and lucy had three sons john,eugene,bernard,and a daughter jenny.lucy james's wife already had a son named andrew before she married james so andrew is not a bear ribs for more information contact [e-mail] she is a descendant of chief bear ribs

[Dietmar]

bearsrib82,

welcome and thanks for the information.

We haven´t posted that much on Bears Rib or Broken Rib Bear, but he was a very prominent man.

German artist Carl Wimar painted a wonderful portrait of him, actually he made several portraits during his visits on the Missouri in 1858 and 1859.

As far as I know, Carl Wimars pictures are the only likenesses of Bears Rib:


Bear Rib by Carl Wimar, around 1858


This is a small sketch Wimar made in 1859:


Bear Rib by Wimar, 1859

[Dietmar]

These are portraits of his son and successor Bears Rib II:


Bears Rib by Alexander Gardner 1872 (SIRIS)


Bears Rib by Alexander Gardner 1872 (SIRIS)


Bears Rib by Goff

[carlo]

Bear's Rib, the Hunkpapa leader that was appointed "head chief" by Harney in 1856, was murdered by other Lakotas in 1862 for his accommodating stance towards whites. Was his son, Bear's Rib II, the same one mentioned in the original post? If so, he would be about 31 years old in the Gardner pictures.

Does anyone have more details on Bear's Rib II, especially his warrior and political career and what year he died?

[gregor]

This is what I have on

Bear’s Rib I
Mato Chutuhu
(? – 1862)

Bear Ribs I, the accommodationist Hunkpapa leader recognized as head chief of all the Lakota by Gen. Harney in 1856, and assassinated by non-treaty Lakotas in 1862, was the father of Bear Ribs II (born ca. 1842), Two Bulls (born ca. 1846) and High Eagle (born ca. 1843). Therefore Bear Ribs could be a grandfather of Robert P. Higheagle. In 1856 Gen. Harney appointed Bear’s Rib head chief of all the Hunkpapa. Later that year he met Lieutenant G.K. Warren at the Black Hills. He warned Warren to enter the hills.

Bear’s Rib was converted to Catholicism by father DeSmet and he organized a Christian society [?]. in 1862 he was killed by a Mnikowozu or Sans Arc called Mouse near Fort Pierre (June 6th, 1862)

The band to which these men belonged was the Che-okhba or Droopy Prick band. Bear Ribs I was evidently 'brother' to Bear Face I (father of Bear Face II, Red Thunder et al. - LaDonna's Hunkpapa ancestors), of the same band, and to Running Antelope, of the related Sore Backs band.



Bear’s Rib II
Mato Chutuhu / Mato Cuwiyuksa
(1841 – abt. 1920)

In 1868 he (together with Running Antelope, Two bears, Sitting Crow and the Galpin’s) accompanied Father DeSmet to the hostile Hunkpapa camp of Black Moon and Sitting Bull.

Bears Rib was appointed as head Chief of the Hunkpapas in 1871. He camped on Moreau River Hunkpapa, had 21 lodges under him in 1873.

Bear Ribs signed the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 under the Hunkpapa band. His Story: “When I was young man the band with which I camped, just about where rapid city now stands. We had large camp there but were disturbed because there was some Crows not far away and we were uneasy about that. One time the Crows rushed into our camp and stampeded all of our horses but one. This one was a two years old colt which had never been ridden or trained but was tied close to my tipi. I don't know why I did this thing, but when the Crows were driving off our horses. I ran this colt, untied him and leaped upon his back. The Crow were some distance away by that time and there was much excitement in the camp. But I took after the fleeing herd and ran my horse into the herd. I yelled and scattered the horses, and the Crows being afraid of me there among the horses, all ran away and I brought all the horses back to our camp. This was the first time I had shown our people that I was a braver man and they all talked about me for that thing for a long time and I became a man among the people for that."

Bears Rib talking to Ross Anderson in Rapid City 1920. He is buried at Fort Pierre in the Catholic Cemetery.


Bear’s Rib had a son “Bear’s Rib Junior” (= Bear’s Rib III), born ca. 1860.

In September 1876, the following Hunkpapa bands were recorded at the Standing Rock Agency:

Thunder Hawk -- 15 lodges (95 people)
Bears Rib -- 4 lodges (30 people)
Running Antelope -- 13 lodges (75 people)
Iron Horn -- 3 lodges (20 people)
Belly Fat -- 6 lodges (40 people)
Long Soldier -- 4 lodges (25 people)

Toksha Gregor

[acollegestudent62700]

i was wondering if any of you can give me further information about my grandfather. does anyone know if theres a published book about him? im getting my final outline on my family history, and my father informed me about our lineage from his dad's side of the family. details have been hazy, so any stories or resources you can provide me ill be happy to use for my college assignment.
thank you,
Courtney Lewis
(father Terrance Matthew Bearribs II AKA Anthony Edwards Lewis[Foster Name])

[Dietmar]

Hi Courtney,

as far as I know there is no complete biography about Bear Ribs, but a useful book could be Doreen Chaky´s "Terrible Justice - Sioux Chiefs and U.S. Soldiers on the Upper Missouri, 1854-1868" (Norman, Oklahoma 2012). It has many details about Bear Ribs connections to traders and whites in general and an own chapter about how he died.

The perspective about him from the Lakota side is still missing though.

Best wishes

Dietmar