Savoring memories of his 2018 solo pilgrimage across the Native sites of the Great Plains, a little at a time, every morsel full of riches, Chandra Lahiri eventually got to thinking of Crazy Horse and more so of the two women who played such a massively influential role in his life, even indirectly shaping the course of his career. His first love interest, Black Buffalo Woman, disappears from the pages of history shortly after the attempt on his life by her husband. His wife, Black Shawl, vanishes almost equally completely soon after his assassination at Fort Robinson. What became of them? How did their lives play out? Did they have descendants, perhaps living today? Did they ever find happiness again?

Understandably, they have been of limited or no interest to historians over the years, living as they did in the gigantic shadow of the legendary Crazy Horse, whose story is the very stuff of sagas. It is somehow fitting that an entire mountain is required to build a modern-day memorial to him, and it is unlikely that the sculptors take much notice of the fauna at its base, far, far below the peak. These women have effectively become footnotes to his story, if they appear at all. Knowing what he now does of them, Chandra considers this historical oblivion grossly unfair and unjust after the impactful roles they played in the great warrior's life.

This is their story.

About the Author

Chandra Lahiri is an "Indian from India" who lives in the Sultanate of Oman. After many years as a global CEO, he now focuses on his lifelong passion for Native American heritage, especially of the northern Great Plains Nations. His wife is a Special Needs Educator in Oman, and his two sons live and work in the U.S.A. He loves hearing from like-minded readers-contact details and more pictures, maps, etc., can be found at www.dawnvoyager.com.