He had distributed more than a hundred pieces of his own flesh as an offering during the dance.

The vision was interpreted as a prophecy of victory.

The convergence of this religious leadership with the military leadership of Crazy Horse produced the coalition that made the Little Bighorn possible.

Understanding the collaboration between these two figures — the medicine man and the war leader, the spiritual authority and the military effectiveness — is essential for understanding how the summer of 1876 happened.

Neither alone could have produced what the two together achieved.