06/27/2026
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Buffalo Calf Road Woman, also known in Cheyenne history as a Northern Cheyenne warrior, is remembered for her courage during one of the most turbulent periods on the Northern Plains.
At the Battle of the Rosebud on June 17, 1876, Cheyenne and Lakota forces fought U.S. troops under General George Crook. During the battle, her brother, Comes in Sight, was thrown from his horse and surrounded. Buffalo Calf Road Woman rode into the fighting and brought him to safety. Her actions helped rally Cheyenne fighters, and the battle became known among the Cheyenne as the Fight Where the Girl Saved Her Brother.
Only days later, she was present at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, where Cheyenne, Lakota, and Arapaho warriors fought the 7th Cavalry. Cheyenne oral histories passed down through families and communities say Buffalo Calf Road Woman struck George Armstrong Custer from his horse during the battle. Historians continue to debate details of the fighting, but within Cheyenne memory, her role has long been honored through stories, songs, and community history.
Like many Native families of her generation, Buffalo Calf Road Woman later lived through the devastating aftermath of war, military pressure, and forced reservation life. Her name did not appear often in mainstream history books, but it remained alive in Cheyenne tradition.
Her story is a reminder that many important histories were preserved not in official records, but in the oral traditions of the Nations who lived them.
What other Indigenous women in history should more people learn about?
