Lame Beaver Notes

A boy mourns his father who was scalped by the Pawnee, preventing his entry to the hunting grounds.

The following stories detail Lame Beaver's coups and rise as a leader, though never a chief.

Context: 1764, Lame Beaver at seventeen, Our People desire horses like the Comanche, Pawnee, and Ute.
Problem: Lack of horses hinders war, bison hunting, and camp movement.
Cold Ears' Pledge: An old warrior vows to stake himself out in a raid against the Pawnee to acquire horses.
Lame Beaver joins the war party, marking the start of his first expedition.
The war party travels eastward for three days, preparing for battle.
Lame Beaver and another brave locate a small Pawnee hunting camp with horses.
The people went to sleep, however Cold Ears could not sleep as him and Lame Beaver spoke.
Before dawn, the warriors prepare to attack the Pawnee camp.
Cold Ears stakes himself out to frighten the horses.
Cold Ears performs a brave coup by dismounting a Pawnee chief.
The Pawnee retain their horses, forcing Our People to retreat.
Cold Ears remains staked; Lame Beaver returns to free him.
Lame Beaver and Cold Ears hold off the Pawnee, inspiring Our People.
The battle is remembered for Lame Beaver's courage, marking the beginning of his war against the Pawnee.
Lame Beaver receives public rebuke from the tribe; this deterred him from seeking acclaim or office.

Insight: Lame Beaver proposes raiding the Comanche for horses.
The tribe is preparing for winter and is in need of more Bison, especially with the lack of horses.
Lame Beaver notices Blue Leaf, daughter of Cold Ears.
The tribe locates a large body of bison.
The chiefs decide on a hunting strategy.
Lame Beaver is nominated one of the seven wolves.
Cold Ears volunteers to take the left point; this is the crucial decision.
The bison are stampeded towards the cliff, however veer towards the plains.
Cold Ears sacrifices himself to turn the bison towards the cliff, ensuring a successful hunt.
Lame Beaver recognizes the inefficiency of bison hunting without horses and resolves to raid the Comanche.
Lame Beaver chooses Red Nose and Cottonwood Knee, who vow to accompany him.
The tribal council grants permission for the raid, but warns of Comanche torture.
Lame Beaver promises a horse for Blue Leaf.
The three braves travel south to Comanche territory.
The braves locate a Comanche village with many horses.
They devised a plan to steal the horses.
They reach the south bank and wait for the night to pass.
The Comanche guards fail to fulfill their duties.
Our People tear away a portion of the fence.
They selected twenty-nine horses.
They drove the horses into the river before the Comanche were aware to what had happened.
The men were happy that they had a good mix of horses.

The arrival of the horse improves life for women, changes the system of wealth, and alters bison hunting methods.
Dogs are now pets.
Our People’s horses flourished.