Little Raven
Southern Arapaho Indian chief. Born about 1817. Died 1889, Oklahoma.
Respected as an intelligent leader and a good speaker, Little Raven helped bring peace between warring Plains Indian tribes. He, like Black Kettle, a Cheyenne contemporary, saw the inevitability of white settlement. Although he signed the Treaty of Fort Wise in 1861 he joined other Indians to fight the whites when they broke the treaty. Little Raven was a few miles away in another camp when the Sand Creek Massacre took place where many of Black Kettle’s people were senselessly killed in an attack by white soldiers.
He was also in the area when Black Kettle was killed in an attack by white soldiers in the Washita Massacre. Still, Little Raven worked to stop the killing, believing it was his people’s only chance. His efforts were somewhat successful. He and other Indians went to eastern cities in 1871 to explain their plight and the need for peace. His people were now in Indian Territory, later to become Oklahoma. He kept many Indians from joining in the fighting that was taking place. He died some years later in Oklahoma, respected by his people for his efforts to preserve them as a people.
Entry: Little Raven
Author: G. Joseph Pierron
Author information: Judge Pierron serves on the Kansas Court of Appeals and has an interest in Kansas history.
Date Created: March 2012
Date Modified: March 2013
The author of this article is solely responsible for its content.
