How did certain animals help Native American people?

Native American people also believed that certain animals, such as eagles or grizzly bears, had special abilities. Some had a lot of courage; some were very smart. They watched for these animals in their dreams and called them medicine helpers. The chickadee came to Plenty Coups in his dream, and many things that the chickadee told him came true. The Native American peoples believed that animals were connected to the spiritual world. Animals that had the attributes of courage and intelligence as well as the abilities to defend themselves and their territories were very highly regarded. The eagle, the grizzly bear, the mountain lion and the wolverine were animals that were very highly respected by these people. One of Plenty Coups' medicine helpers was the chickadee. Unlike other animals, the chickadee used his mind rather than physical abilities to adjust to the challenging world ahead of him.

Plenty Coups had various visions, or dreams, which came to be true later in his life. One of the visions included a huge storm that came from all directions and blew down all of the trees of the forest, except one tree, the cottonwood tree. This tree held the nest of the chickadee. The interpretation of that vision was that the storm represented the coming of the white man into Indian country, and the trees represented all of the various tribes. The trees being blown over by the storm told them that all the tribes would be defeated if they tried to stand against the strong winds of change. However, the cottonwood tree represented the Absaaloga people. It had the ability to be flexible and bend with the elements or to bend with changes which meant that the Absaaloga would survive. It also showed them that they could survive just as the chickadee had by using his mind rather than his physical ability to adjust to change.From: Chief Plenty Coups State Park Museum Tour Content

Plenty Coups also envisioned where he would live someday. He saw the castle rocks located above Pryor and the three springs in the area as the place he was going to settle. From these three peaks, he looked down into this valley, and he settled at the head one of the three springs, just as his vision had indicated. There's a lot of history just in this valley alone. That's why you feel that certain aura about it because it holds a certain sense of beauty. Those of us who live in this valley really consider ourselves blessed for having what we have; all our needs are met right here. The mountains, the springs, the valley: we just say it's meant to be.From: Vincent Goes Ahead, Jr., Museum Interpreter, Vice Chairman of the Crow Tribe

Another of Plenty Coups' visions also signified that he would live in a log house like the white man does and wear clothing as the white man does. In his dream, he saw an old man in white man's clothing. This was in approximately the 1850s or ‘60s, long before many Indian people had seen these types of things. The interpretation of that vision was that someday Plenty Coups would live to be an old man; he would be a great leader of his people. However, there was going to be a major transition in their lifetimes, and he was the one who would lead his people through that very difficult transition.

Part of that vision also emphasized no children nor family around Plenty Coups. This was very significant to Indian people because they are very social, very family oriented. The interpretation was that Plenty Coups would never have children of his own. Some say that though he did not have children of his own he considered all people, especially all Native American people, his children and was a very serving, very kind and generous leader of his people.

His significant visions saw the buffalo disappear from the face of the earth, replaced by a spotted buffalo. The spotted buffalo are the cattle of today. From: Chief Plenty Coups State Park Museum Tour Content