Eddie Little Sky
Encyclopedia
Eddie Little Sky also known as Edward Little, was a Native American
actor of the Oglala Sioux tribe. He had parts in 36 feature films and over 60 television shows, mainly westerns in the role of a Native American. He was one of the first Native American actors to play Indian roles and is best remembered for his performance as Black Eagle in the 1970 film A Man Called Horse
.
in Shannon County, South Dakota
to Oglala Sioux parents Edsel Wallace Little, Sr. and Wileminna Colhoff. He attended the Holy Rosary Indian Mission school as a child. After leaving the United States Navy
where he had served in the Pacific during World War II
, he began working the rodeo
circuit as a bull rider and bareback rider.
Following his work on the film Chief Crazy Horse, Audie Murphy
encouraged Little Sky to become a professional actor; thus Little Sky, along with Jay Silverheels
and Chief Dan George became one of the first Native Americans to play Indian roles in films. Hollywood normally used white actors wearing black wigs and dark make-up to play the parts of Indians. His first television role was on the series The Iron Trail, and from the time onwards, Little Sky had numerous roles in many Western television series such as Gunsmoke
, The Rifleman
, The Virginian
, Bonanza
, Daniel Boone
and The High Chaparral
; he also played in many films such as The Light in the Forest
, Paint Your Wagon
, Duel at Diablo
, Breakheart Pass, but he is chiefly remembered for his performance as Black Eagle in the 1970 film A Man Called Horse
which starred Irish actor Richard Harris
. He was also technical adviser for Soldier Blue
.
Upon his retirement from the film industry in the late 1970s, he worked as director of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Parks and Recreation Authority. He was married to Native American actress Dawn Little Sky (née Gates), by whom he had a daughter, Prairie Rose Little Sky.
.
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
actor of the Oglala Sioux tribe. He had parts in 36 feature films and over 60 television shows, mainly westerns in the role of a Native American. He was one of the first Native American actors to play Indian roles and is best remembered for his performance as Black Eagle in the 1970 film A Man Called Horse
A Man Called Horse (1970 film)
A Man Called Horse is a 1970 American Western film starring Richard Harris and directed by Elliot Silverstein.-Plot:The film is based on a short story, "A Man Called Horse", published in 1968 in the book Indian Country by Dorothy M. Johnson...
.
Career
Little Sky was born as Edsel Wallace Little on the Pine Ridge Indian ReservationPine Ridge Indian Reservation
The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is an Oglala Sioux Native American reservation located in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Originally included within the territory of the Great Sioux Reservation, Pine Ridge was established in 1889 in the southwest corner of South Dakota on the Nebraska border...
in Shannon County, South Dakota
Shannon County, South Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,466 people, 2,785 households, and 2,353 families residing in the county. The population density was 6 people per square mile . There were 3,123 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile...
to Oglala Sioux parents Edsel Wallace Little, Sr. and Wileminna Colhoff. He attended the Holy Rosary Indian Mission school as a child. After leaving the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
where he had served in the Pacific during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he began working the rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
circuit as a bull rider and bareback rider.
Following his work on the film Chief Crazy Horse, Audie Murphy
Audie Murphy
Audie Leon Murphy was a highly decorated and famous soldier. Through LIFE magazine's July 16, 1945 issue , he became one the most famous soldiers of World War II and widely regarded as the most decorated American soldier of the war...
encouraged Little Sky to become a professional actor; thus Little Sky, along with Jay Silverheels
Jay Silverheels
Jay Silverheels was a Canadian Mohawk First Nations actor. He was well known for his role as Tonto, the faithful American Indian companion of the Lone Ranger in a long-running American television series. -Early life:...
and Chief Dan George became one of the first Native Americans to play Indian roles in films. Hollywood normally used white actors wearing black wigs and dark make-up to play the parts of Indians. His first television role was on the series The Iron Trail, and from the time onwards, Little Sky had numerous roles in many Western television series such as Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
, The Rifleman
The Rifleman
The Rifleman is an American Western television program that starred Chuck Connors as homesteader Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son, Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show, filmed in black-and-white with a half hour running time, ran...
, The Virginian
The Virginian (TV series)
The Virginian is an American Western television series starring James Drury and Doug McClure, which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971 for a total of 249 episodes. Filmed in color, The Virginian became television's first 90-minute western series...
, Bonanza
Bonanza
Bonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
, Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone (TV series)
Daniel Boone is an American action/adventure television series starring Fess Parker as Daniel Boone that aired from September 24, 1964 to September 10, 1970 on NBC for 165 episodes, and was made by 20th Century Fox Television. Ed Ames co-starred as Mingo, Boone's Native American friend, for the...
and The High Chaparral
The High Chaparral
The High Chaparral is a Western-themed television series starring Leif Erickson and Cameron Mitchell which aired on NBC from 1967 to 1971. The show was created by David Dortort, who had previously created the hit Bonanza for the network...
; he also played in many films such as The Light in the Forest
The Light in the Forest (film)
The Light in the Forest is a 1958 film based on a novel of the same name first published in 1953 by U.S. author Conrad Richter. The film was produced by Walt Disney Productions and starred Fess Parker, Joanne Dru, James MacArthur and Wendell Corey. Though it is a work of fiction and primarily...
, Paint Your Wagon
Paint Your Wagon (film)
Paint Your Wagon is a 1969 American musical film starring Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood. The movie was adapted by Paddy Chayefsky from the 1951 stage musical by Lerner and Loewe, set in a mining camp in Gold Rush-era California.-Plot:...
, Duel at Diablo
Duel at Diablo
Duel at Diablo is a 1966 western film starring James Garner in his first Western since leaving Maverick and Sidney Poitier in his first Western. Based on Marvin H. Albert's 1957 novel Apache Rising, the film was written by Albert and Michael M. Grilikhes and directed by Ralph Nelson who had...
, Breakheart Pass, but he is chiefly remembered for his performance as Black Eagle in the 1970 film A Man Called Horse
A Man Called Horse (1970 film)
A Man Called Horse is a 1970 American Western film starring Richard Harris and directed by Elliot Silverstein.-Plot:The film is based on a short story, "A Man Called Horse", published in 1968 in the book Indian Country by Dorothy M. Johnson...
which starred Irish actor Richard Harris
Richard Harris
Richard St John Harris was an Irish actor, singer-songwriter, theatrical producer, film director and writer....
. He was also technical adviser for Soldier Blue
Soldier Blue
Soldier Blue is a 1970 American Revisionist Western movie directed by Ralph Nelson and inspired by events of the 1864 Sand Creek massacre in the Colorado Territory....
.
Upon his retirement from the film industry in the late 1970s, he worked as director of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Parks and Recreation Authority. He was married to Native American actress Dawn Little Sky (née Gates), by whom he had a daughter, Prairie Rose Little Sky.
Death
Eddie Little Sky died on September 5, 1997, aged 71 in Pennington, South Dakota from undisclosed causes. He was interred at the Little Family cemetery in Oglala, South DakotaOglala, South Dakota
Oglala is a census-designated place in Shannon County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,290 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Oglala is located at ....
.