White Bird (aka Bald Forehead)

[Historian]

I am interested in learning more about the Northern Cheyenne man known as White Bird, also known as Bald Forehead. As a teen, he witnessed the battle at the Little Bighorn River in 1876, and drew a pictograph now held at the West Point Museum.


In addition, White Bird was photographed by Frank Albert Rinehart at the Trans-Mississippi International Exposition in Omaha, Nebraska in 1898. I've attached copies of these three photos taken there.


Anyone know anything else about him? Date of birth, date of death, names of parents, name of spouse, etc.

[Gary]

There seems to be some information on him in Powell's 'People of the Sacred Mountain'. It's always a good starting point.

[Dietmar]

I´m not sure if the White Bird we see in the Rinehart photos is actually the Northern Cheyenne, who was present at the Little Bighorn in 1876.
Not saying he´s not, but there are at least two or more White Birds.

A Southern Cheyenne of that name was a nephew (some sources say a son) of Chief Little Robe. He led a group of young men in a war party to New Mexico in 1873 and got wounded there during a skirmish with soldiers.

The Norther Cheyenne White Bird was already a prominent Elkhorn Scraper warrior in the 1870s. According to "People of the Sacred Mountain" by Powell, he was present in the 1868 Beecher Island fight, where Roman Nose was killed. He fought also in the Rosebud and Little Bighorn battles in 1876. He received a gunshot wound in the latter, but lived to an old age between Lame Deer and Busby.
In the John Stands-In-Timber interviews he is called "one of the bravest Cheyenne warriors". However, this sounds as if he was too old to be called a teen by 1876.

So who is in the Rinehart photos? I can´t say for sure, but there are other Cheyennes with him at the Indian Congress and the photo session who are clearly Southern Cheyennes: Wolf Robe, High Chief, Robert Burns.

[iantatton]

Feb 4, 2017 12:04:51 GMT -5 Historian said:

I am interested in learning more about the Northern Cheyenne man known as White Bird, also known as Bald Forehead. As a teen, he witnessed the battle at the Little Bighorn River in 1876, and drew a pictograph now held at the West Point Museum.


In addition, White Bird was photographed by Frank Albert Rinehart at the Trans-Mississippi International Exposition in Omaha, Nebraska in 1898. I've attached copies of these three photos taken there.


Anyone know anything else about him? Date of birth, date of death, names of parents, name of spouse, etc.

[rodthomas]

He actually painted three muslin depictions of the battle. Two are on display and the third - a large work - is in storage. All three are in my book Rubbing Out Long Hair as well as descriptions and some information on the artist.

Regards, Rod Thomas...

[zschippcher]

I'm looking for a White Bird drawing of the battle, where one (cheyenne?)warrior is wearing a dog soldier sash. I saw the drawing in "Artifacts of the Battle of Little Big Horn".

Regards,
André