Becoming a Warrior

In order to become a warrior or a leader with the Indians, one would need to go through a process called counting coup. There are four different ways to count coup. The first stage or way to count coup, was to steal one of the enemies horses.# One of the leaders Joseph Medicine, was the leader of the Crows after Plenty Coup died. Alive during the time of World War two, Joseph Medicine decided to go out and fight. Him and his crew were stalking a pack of SS officers. The officers tied up their horses, and went into a vacant house. Joseph Medicine, and one of his partners, snuck up on the corral in which the horses were tied up in, and Joseph Medicine untied one of the horses and started to ride off with it. Little did Joseph and his partner know, the SS officers had posted a guard posted outside of the barn, and soon a full out battle broke out. In the middle of the flurry, Joseph Medicine rode out proudly on the top of his horse.# Although he hadn’t tried, Joseph Medicine had just counted the first Coup.

The second Coup needed to become a leader, was to be able to touch the enemy with their hand, coup stick, or a gun.# If they escaped unharmed, then they would put a white feather either on their coup stick, or behind their ear. Although, if they got hurt trying to count coup, they would have to dip their feather in red paint, and the red feather would symbolize that they had gotten hurt.# Plenty Coup was in a battle against the Picante Indian tribe, and he saw a Picante indian behind a pile of shrubs. Sneaking up behind the other side of the weeds, Plenty Coup saw the indians Coup Stick sitting next to him, and it was in his reach. He knew the indian was stuck, if he tried to get up and shoot Plenty Coup, then Plenty Coup could kill him; if he tried to run away, Plenty Coup could also shoot him. Eyeing the Picante’s Coup Stick, Plenty Coup, gently grabbed onto it, and started pulling. The Picante indian grabbed the other side,a dn started to pull also. Plenty Coup was stronger though, and he ripped it out of the Picante indian’s hand, just as the indian leaped up out of the bushes. Plenty Coup also jumped up, and he pegged the Picante indian with his own coup stick!# Plenty Coup had just also counted one of the coups needed.

The third stage of counting coup, deals with touching the enemy also. in order to count your third coup, one must go up and touch the first dead enemy of the fight. Many of the indians that counted coup, would scalp the enemy, but would also always respect them in any fight.# Although Plenty Coup tried in every fight, he didn’t always get this coup. One fight that one of the Chiefs of the Crow indians, was Joseph Medicine, who fought in World War Two.  This Chief was walking along one side of the fence, and on the other side was an SS officer. They both came around the side of the fence at the same time. Chief Medicine knocked the guard over, and started choking him once he got over his surprise. The guard eventually died, and Joseph Medicine counted is third coup. Now he only needed one more coup to become a Chief.
The fourth coup needed to become a chief, was to be able to lead your own war party. This Coup was needed last, because in order to lead your own war party, the warrior had to get the other three coups, which proved he was worthy and brave.# Chief Joseph Medicine got this coup first actually, when he was fighting, and his buddies during World War Two, needed some dynamite to help them fight. Since he was a native american, and the runner of the platoon, he was asked to go to the platoon center and get the dynamite needed. Joseph Medicine got to the center safely and also got back safely. For this deed, Joseph Medicine was awarded his first coup.# During the 1700’s, the leader of the war party, would carry a pipe, that signaled, he was leading the party. Many of the great Native American leaders, warriors, and chiefs died in battle, and they often got hurt, but every single one of them counted their coup, and after counting, they admired the enemy.
by Lauren