A Bridge Between Worlds: The Life and Times of Joe Medicine Crow, Last War Chief of the Crow Nation

The inspiring true story of the last Native American to earn the title of War Chief through combat—and his lifelong battle to preserve his people's culture.In 1945, a young Crow warrior named Joseph Medicine Crow returned from World War II having accomplished something no Native American had done since the 1800s: he had completed the four sacred war deeds required to become a War Chief. By touching a living enemy soldier, disarming an opponent, leading a successful war party, and stealing an enemy's horse (a Nazi SS officer's vehicle), he fulfilled ancient requirements in modern combat.But Medicine Crow's greatest battles were fought with different weapons—books, recordings, and testimony that would save the Crow culture from extinction.Born in 1913 on the plains of Montana to a grandfather who had scouted for Custer at Little Bighorn, Joseph Medicine Crow lived through the systematic suppression of his culture, the forced assimilation of his people, and two world wars. Yet he emerged as one of America's most decorated Native American soldiers and its first Native American anthropologist with a doctoral degree.This powerful biography traces Medicine Crow's remarkable journey from a reservation childhood where speaking Crow was forbidden, through the battlefields of Europe where he earned the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, to the halls of academia where he pioneered the preservation of oral histories, and finally to the White House where he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama in 2009.What readers will discover:• How a young Crow boy bridged two worlds without losing his identity• The incredible story of earning ancient warrior honors in World War II combat• His groundbreaking work preserving Native American culture and language• The untold history of Native Americans in World War II• A masterclass in maintaining cultural identity while achieving mainstream success• The wisdom of the last traditional War Chief of the Crow NationThis biography brings to life a man who counted coups against Nazi soldiers, earned a PhD from USC, advised Congress on tribal sovereignty, and ensured his people's stories would survive for future generations.More than a military hero or academic pioneer, Joe Medicine Crow represents the possibility of honoring tradition while embracing change. His story offers profound lessons about identity, resilience, and the power of cultural preservation in an ever-changing world.Order your copy today! Read more