Yellowtail, Crow Medicine Man and Sun Dance Chief: An Autobiography

by Thomas Yellowtail, Michael Oren Fitzgerald

Medicine man and Sun Dance chief Thomas Yellowtail is a pivotal figure in Crow tribal life. As a youth he lived in the presence of old warriors, hunters, and medicine men who knew the freedom and sacred ways of pre-reservation life. As the principal figure in the Crow-Shoshone Sun Dance religion, Yellowtail has preserved traditional values in the face of the constantly encroaching, diametrically opposed values of materialistic modern socity. Through his life story and description of the Sun Dance religion we can reexamine the premises and orientations of both cultures.

Genres: Native American

270 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1991

Reviews

[Chaundelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book has been life changing. I am a Sundancer. My great great Grandmother was his sister. This is the culture and the ceremony I grew up with. This may not be for everyone. This way of life certainly is not. It has given me so much more perspective and insights to the Sundance that I was unaware of, even as someone who has grown up with the Sundance and a Sundance family. I feel like I got to sit down and listen to him. This book is not a form of entertainment. Do not expect that. It is a way of life and religion explained as straightforward as it could be so that there is no confusion as to what is expected of a Sundancer and why we perform this ceremony in this certain way. I'm so happy I read this, and I know I will continue to read this throughout my life.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This autobiography gave me a much deeper understanding of Crow culture and the life of Yellowtail. I appreciated the way he shared personal experiences alongside traditional practices — it felt honest and grounded. The stories about the Sun Dance and his role as a medicine man were especially powerful and illuminating. If you’re interested in Indigenous perspectives or spiritual traditions, this book offers a heartfelt journey.

[Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book would be a Native American biography like Lame Deer Speaks, which I'd read in college. Instead it was a sociological examination of the Sun Dance religion of the Crow. It had interesting ideas on spirituality, but it was also long-winded and dry. I would have wanted more from the author on his actual life.