The Other Magpie
Encyclopedia
The Other Magpie was a Crow woman who fought in the Battle of the Rosebud
on the side of General Crook
against the Sioux
and Cheyenne
. Pretty Shield
, a Crow author and medicine woman, described her as being wild and attractive, but not having a man. She fought because her brother had recently been killed by the Sioux and she sought revenge against them. Most of the Crow carried rifles, but The Other Magpie carried only her belt knife and her coup stick. She counted coup
on a Sioux warrior and eventually killed and scalp
ed him. The scalp that she took was one of only eleven taken in the battle. Pretty Shield described her as having tied a feather on the end of her coup stick to symbolize her achievement. Later, she cut the scalp into pieces and gave them to the male warriors so they would have more scalps for the dance after the battle.
Battle of the Rosebud
The Battle of the Rosebud occurred June 17, 1876, in the Montana Territory between the United States Army and a force of Lakota Native Americans during the Black Hills War...
on the side of General Crook
George Crook
George R. Crook was a career United States Army officer, most noted for his distinguished service during the American Civil War and the Indian Wars.-Early life:...
against the Sioux
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
and Cheyenne
Cheyenne
Cheyenne are a Native American people of the Great Plains, who are of the Algonquian language family. The Cheyenne Nation is composed of two united tribes, the Só'taeo'o and the Tsétsêhéstâhese .The Cheyenne are thought to have branched off other tribes of Algonquian stock inhabiting lands...
. Pretty Shield
Pretty Shield
Pretty Shield was a medicine woman of the Crow Nation. Her autobiography was written with the help of Frank B. Linderman, who interviewed her using an interpreter and sign language. This book was perhaps the first record of the women’s side of Native American life...
, a Crow author and medicine woman, described her as being wild and attractive, but not having a man. She fought because her brother had recently been killed by the Sioux and she sought revenge against them. Most of the Crow carried rifles, but The Other Magpie carried only her belt knife and her coup stick. She counted coup
Counting coup
Counting coup refers to the winning of prestige in battle, rather than having to prove a win by injuring one's opponent. Its earliest known reference is from Shakespeare's "Hamlet" where Laertes and Hamlet conduct a mock swordfight before King Claudius and Queen Gertrude...
on a Sioux warrior and eventually killed and scalp
Scalp
The scalp is the anatomical area bordered by the face anteriorly and the neck to the sides and posteriorly.-Layers:It is usually described as having five layers, which can conveniently be remembered as a mnemonic:...
ed him. The scalp that she took was one of only eleven taken in the battle. Pretty Shield described her as having tied a feather on the end of her coup stick to symbolize her achievement. Later, she cut the scalp into pieces and gave them to the male warriors so they would have more scalps for the dance after the battle.