Amos "Old Eagle" Clown

CRAZY HORSE'S youngest sister, IRON CEDAR and her husband, OLD EAGLE. When Old Eagle came to the agency they asked him who he was and he responded "Heyoka" which in Lakota Sioux is someone who heals people through laughter. The agents didn't have an English word for it so they gave him the name Amos Clown and Iron Cedar got the name Julia Clown.

This photo was taken by a local newspaper on the day they were receiving the bones of their oldest child, MOSES CLOWN, after he was killed in WWI. They gave his mother the flag and flowers. It was a sad day for both of them. The fact that this is the only known photo of them tells us that they cooperated with everyone as best they could, even allowing a newspaper to take a photo, to insure that there were no problems in claiming their beloved son.

• Notice both have made sure the camera doesn't catch their eyes (eyes closed or looking down). Native Americans believed the eyes were the window to the soul and did not trust the white man's cameras. Many would not be photographed at all & of those who did, many did not allow their eyes to be captured so as not to allow any of the white man's ways to affect any part of their souls in any way.

courtesy...Lisa Weston