What part did the chickadee play in bringing schools to the reservation?

The chickadee came to Plenty Coups in his vision. It showed him how he and his people must use their minds and not their physical ability to survive. Plenty Coups thought it meant that Crow people must go to school.

One of Plenty Coups' great quotes is: "Education is your greatest weapon. With education you are the white man's equal, without education you are his victim and so shall remain all of your lives. Study, learn, help one another always. Remember there is only poverty and misery in idleness and dreams - but in work there is self respect and independence."

Plenty Coups encouraged the Absaaloga people to attend the white man's schools. He emphasized to them that they must educate themselves to function in this new society so that they could protect their own interests. Without education, Plenty Coups said that the Crow Indian people may not survive and that they might lose their language and traditions.

Plenty Coups was very committed to his visions and led by example. He pressured the government and the different religious groups that were functioning on the reservation to provide schools for his people. The early schools evolved from religious boarding schools to public schools and, eventually, to the established school systems on the reservation today.From: Chief Plenty Coups State Park Museum Tour Content