Roman Nose

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Not to be confused with the Southern Cheyenne Chief Henry Roman Nose.
This article is about Cheyenne warrior. For the type of nose called "Roman nose", see Hooknose.
Roman Nose, Fort Laramie, 1868.
Roman Nose, Fort Laramie, 1868.

Roman Nose, a.k.a. Arched Nose (real name Woo-ka-nay or Woqini) (c. 1835 – 1868) was a Cheyenne warrior society leader and one of the most esteemed warriors of the Plains Indian Wars of the 1860s.

A member of the Northern Cheyenne, Roman Nose opposed treaties with the American government while other leaders urged peace. He was killed by American soldiers during the Battle of Beecher Island on September 17, 1868. Little is known of his personal life. His date of birth and family life have not been clearly established.

One story about his life has become legendary with its re-telling. Roman Nose possessed an elaborate warbonnet that gave him special powers. Medicine men made the warbonnet and assured Roman Nose he would be impervious to the white man's bullets. As a condition to owning such a powerful headpiece, Roman Nose could not use the white man's implements. It was said his last meal was prepared, without his knowledge, using an iron cooking pot. The following day, Roman Nose was killed at Beecher Island in the Arikaree River, shot from his horse.

[edit] Further reading

  • The Peace Chiefs of the Cheyenne , Stanley Hoig, University of Oklahoma Press, 1980.
  • The Cheyenne Indians, George Bird Grinnell, University of Nebraska Press, 1972.
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