Opinions expressed are the author’s own views and do not officially represent those of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

I’m sure many of us have heard of the great Sioux warrior, Crazy Horse who took part in the infamous Battle of the Little Big Horn in 1876 where Gen. Custer was defeated and killed. I’d like to tell you more about Crazy Horse. He was born in 1841 in the Black Hills of South Dakota. He was the son of the Oglala Sioux shaman, also called Crazy Horse and his wife, a member of the Brule Sioux. He was a fierce warrior in battles with the U.S. Cavalry over indigenous lands. After the Battle of the Little Big Horn, he eventually surrendered and began negotiating peace terms and land settlements. Due to what he felt was a betrayal of trust he sought to meet with military leaders in 1877 but was led to a jail cell. After an altercation he was stabbed and killed by guards and died on September 6, 1877.

Crazy Horse was also a visionary who was also a non-conformist regarding many accepted tribal practices. He had visions about what the future held for his people and the world. As we struggle today with so many issues that divide us and lead to uncertainty about the future of our world I’d like to share this with you which has been passed down for generations. It is a vision that Crazy Horse passed on to Chief Sitting Bull as they sat smoking the Sacred Pipe at Paha Sapa about four days before Crazy Horse died.

“Upon suffering beyond suffering; the Red Nation shall rise again and it shall be a blessing for a sick world. A world filled with broken promises, selfishness and separations. A world longing for light again. I see a time of seven generations when all the colours of mankind will gather under the Sacred Tree of Life and the whole Earth will become one circle again. In that day there will be those among the Lakota who will carry knowledge and understanding of unity among all living things, and the young white ones will come to those of my people and ask for this wisdom. I salute the light within your eyes where the whole universe dwells. For when you are at that centre within you and I am at that place within me, we shall be one.”

About the author:

Jim Paddon lives in London, Ontario, Canada and is a Canadian Vincentian. He is currently chair of the National Social Justice Committee of the Society in Canada. He is married to his dear wife Pat and they have six daughters and eleven grandchildren. Jim has been a member of the Society since the 1970’s.