It means they must be read critically — as evidence of what Lakota survivors remembered and chose to share about the battle, filtered through the conditions of that remembering.

The emotional core of Moving Robe Woman’s account — a sister learning her brother had been killed and riding out to fight — is consistent across multiple tellings and has no obvious motive for fabrication.

It is also consistent with what is known about women’s roles in Lakota warfare culture, which did include examples of women taking up arms in defense of their communities.

The specific details — what she saw, what she did, whether she participated in the death of any particular individual — are where the scholarly caution is most warranted.