Mary Crow Dog, a Lakota Woman, created a National bestseller book with the story of her courageous life Lakota Woman. Lakota Woman was dedicated to a man by the name of Richard Erdoes a photographer and an illustrator. She had created two books 15 years apart. The first book reveals her life from the time she was born to 1977, and the second book talks about the events and arguments for her and her people up to 1992.
Mary Crow Dog was born to Emily Brave Bird. Emily grew up in a tent in a village called He-Dog on the Rosebud Reservation. When Emily was five years of age she was taken away from her family and sent to the St. Francis Mission boarding school; there she was converted to Catholicism. Later on Emily Brave Bird went to Pierre South Dakota where she studied to be a nurse. Her four children were raised by their grandparents. Robert Brave Bird, Mary’s father was a trapper in the winter and farmed in the summer. Robert was a descendant of the famous warrior, Pakeska Maza (Iron Shell).
Mary’s life when she was little was just like her mother's. She was also taken to the St. Francis boarding school where she was poorly treated by doing lots of chores and being deprived to speak ther natural Indian language. She soon left the horrible place and began her life anew. She was about 17 when she met Leonard Crow Dog during her arrival at an AIM meeting. She at first didn’t want anything to do with Leonard ,since he was not really her type, and he was 31, but soon Mary fell for Leonard ,and in 1973 she went from being Mary Brave Bird to Mary Crow Dog. She became the stepmother of Leonard Crow Dog's children. Leonard’s parents reminded her constantly that she was not a full blood and that she was no match for Leonard’s first wife who had been a full blood. She didn’t know anything about their traditions or about their sacred ceremonies. Leonard had his work cut out for him; he had to teach her all the sacred rituals and the traditions, and how to use the healing plants and herbs. She needed to learn how to be a medicine mans wife.
Leonard was always traveling, and he would bring his family with him everywhere he went. Mary Crow Dog raised seven children. Richard, Ina, and Bernadette were from Leonard’s past marriage; Mary had four more with him, Pedro, Anwah, June Bug, and Jennifer Louise. Mary Crow Dog is now forty-nine and Leonard is sixty-two. Mary’s mother Emily Brave Bird quit as a nurse, went back to school, and got her degree, and is now a teacher on the Rosebud Reservation. Leonard still performs ceremonies and sweat lodges.
http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/389/demeo.html
http://www.nativepubs.com/nativepubs/Apps/bios/0122DogMary.asp