One Hundred Years of Old Man Sage: An Arapaho Life

by Jeffrey D. Anderson

Sherman Sage (ca. 1844–1943) was an unforgettable Arapaho man who witnessed profound change in his community and was one of the last to see the Plains black with buffalo. As a young warrior, Sage defended his band many times, raided enemy camps, saw the first houses go up in Denver, was present at Fort Laramie for the signing of the 1868 treaty, and witnessed Crazy Horse’s surrender. Later, he visited the Ghost Dance prophet Wovoka and became a link in the spread of the Ghost Dance religion to other Plains Indian tribes. As an elder, Old Man Sage was a respected, vigorous leader, walking miles to visit friends and family even in his nineties. One of the most interviewed Native Americans in the Old West, Sage was a wellspring of information for both Arapahos and outsiders about older tribal customs.  Anthropologist Jeffrey D. Anderson gathered information about Sage’s long life from archives, interviews, recollections, and published sources and has here woven it into a compelling biography. We see different sides of Sage—how he followed a traditional Arapaho life path; what he learned about the Rocky Mountains and Plains; what he saw and did as outsiders invaded the Arapahos’ homeland in the nineteenth century; how he adjusted, survived, and guided other Arapahos during the early reservation years; and how his legacy lives on today. The remembrances of Old Man Sage’s relatives and descendants of friends make apparent that his vision and guidance were not limited to his lifetime but remain vital today in the Northern Arapaho tribe.

140 pages, Hardcover

First published January 3, 2003

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Biography of an Arapaho elder who saw the old way of life fade as the reservation system and white colonization spread on his ancestral lands. A truly amazing life. Could do without the author’s bias or downplaying the tragedy that is colonization.

[Jeremy S · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book full of great information and stories but very hard to read. The order of the stories is hard to follow as the timeframe jumps back and forth. The author expects a high level of knowledge regarding indigenous tribes and lands.

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a non-fiction gem. Informative and still riveting. I couldn't put it down. I revisit reading it every few years and always learn something new.

[Josie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life of an Arapaho man who lived through many changes in Native American history.
Enjoyed reading the many stages of his life and learned that my aunt Marie Behan was his adopted granddaughter!