Comes Home Crawling
Steals a horse, May 2, 1891
Alone returns to Wounded Knee Creek
May 8, 1891, U. S. Indian Agent Perain P. Plamer writes:
“One of Big Foot’s Band”
“Escaped the fight at Wounded Knee”
“Came back alone”
“Police will know her”
Comes Home Crawling is AWOL from the Cheyenne River Indian Agency
A lone woman steals a horse
Rides through occupied territory
Returns to Wounded Knee Creek–seeking?
Comes Home Crawling counts coup on you and you and you~
A lone Sioux woman is MIA
“Will,” Pine Ridge Indian Agent, “kindly assist the bearer, a Policeman…”
May 20, 1891
Captain Charles Penny, Sixth Infantry, Acting U. S. Indian Agent is
Unable to comply
Captain Bailey’s May 19, 1891 endorsement explains why:
Comes Home Crawling is a Prisoner of War
A woman like other women with girls, boys, infants~
All massive threats to domestic security
Just ask the Seventh Cavalry on December 29, 1890
U.S. Indian Agent Perain P. Palmer requests assistance
“…in returning to this agency an Indian Woman…Please give Police rations to return if you can do so & oblige.
Very respectfully yours”
Comes Home Crawling cannot come home~
Common gold diggers
Whiskey traders
Railroads
Homesteaders
Cattlemen
Congress
The White House
Have made her a Prisoner of War in her own country.
Yet
Major Perain P. Palmer requests her return to the Cheyenne River Indian Agency.
“Her name is Comes Home Crawling”
“Will you kindly assist …”
Note: Comes Home Crawling was a real Lakota woman who survived the massacre at Wounded Knee. Poem is based on the contents of a document found in the National Archives, RG 75.
@wojcik
om mani padme hum jewel in the lotus wahupa qi prana universal life energy
47whitebuffalo's Blog 
lesliepaints said,
November 13, 2010 at 2:27 am
Excellent poem that imparts the feeling of the insane logic of the circumstances surrounding what occurred at Wounded Knee. “Prisonar of Warin her own country” stands out as though typed in RED. Good poem, Eva!
Gabrielle Bryden said,
November 13, 2010 at 12:57 am
Great found poem 47whitebuffalo – very moving 😦
slpmartin said,
November 11, 2010 at 11:33 pm
Very fine poem.
47whitebuffalo said,
November 12, 2010 at 9:32 pm
Much appreciate your words, Charles. You’ve been poem-making like mad! It’s been interesting reading.
kirstyfliesfree said,
November 11, 2010 at 8:13 pm
great poem Eva.
47whitebuffalo said,
November 12, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Thanks Kirstyfliesfree.