The Story Of Joe Medicine Crow, The Native American Soldier Who Stole Horses From The Nazis And Came Home A War Chief

Now he tried to create room for others to do the same.

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Source: https://dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories/the-war-chief-who-became-a-peace-chief/
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The Meaning Of Being A War Chief

To outsiders, “war chief” can sound like a permanent rank similar to general, colonel, or commander.

That comparison is misleading.

Apsáalooke political and military traditions developed in a different social system.

Honor depended on recognized action, public memory, generosity, and relationships.

The four deeds associated with war-chief status were not a standardized military promotion system imposed by a bureaucracy.

They belonged to a cultural framework in which bravery had to be witnessed, remembered, and acknowledged.

This is why Medicine Crow could not simply return from Europe and announce that he had become a chief.