Young Man Afraid of His Horses
About
My relative ancestor Young Man Afraid of His Horses was a highly regarded leader who took his name from his father, the influential Man Afraid of His Horses. He too lived during tumultuous times of the 19th century.
Early on Young Man Afraid of His Horses earned the prestigious honor of shirtwearer in a ceremony along with Crazy Horse, American Horse, and Sword. He participated in the Fetterman and Wagon Box battles of 1866 and 1867 respectively to protect their hunting grounds against the illegal intrusion of military forts and goldseekers travelling the Bozeman Trail. Then in 1868 he and his father signed the treaty at Fort Laramie that would establish a formal nation to nation relationship with the U.S. government and recognize a permanent homeland for all the Sioux tribes.
Young Man Afraid of His Horses was a progressive force in tribal politics and continued to work tirelessly for the Lakota people throughout his life. He even made peace with Lakota ancestral enemies... the Crow. He was largely responsible for implementing an all Indian police force at Pine Ridge and constantly served as a diplomat between Agency Supervisors and the Lakota people.