Quick Facts
Biography
Chief Chauncey Yellow Robe (born Canowikacte lit. 'kill in woods' Yellow Robe, c. 1867) was a Sičhą́ǧú (Rosebud Sioux) educator, lecturer, actor, and Native American activist. His given name, Canowicakte, means "kill in woods," and he was nicknamed "Timber" growing up.
Early life and education
Chauncey was born in Sičháŋǧu Oyáte territory, known today as the Rosebud Indian Reservation, in southern South Dakota. He was the firstborn child of his father Tasinagi, a hunter, known later as Yellow Robe for war deeds, who was the son of a hereditary chief; and his mother Tahcawin (lit. 'female deer'), a skilled artist, purportedly a niece of Sitting Bull. He described his childhood to have primarily involved hunting, fishing, and chasing buffaloes across the plains of South and North Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana.
In 1916, Yellow Robe wrote an account of his childhood published in Volume 4 of The American Indian Magazine.
Career
In 1930, he starred as Chief Chetoga in historical drama The Silent Enemy and delivered its sound-on-film speech introduction.
