Of all the western frontier figures who played a role in the lives of the Sioux, perhaps none was more intriguing, eccentric, or controversial than Father Francis M. Craft (1852-1920). Both fearless and compassionate, Father Craft ministered to the Sioux for two decades during the turbulent years after Sitting Bull surrendered at Fort Buford in 1881. After recovering from a severe injury at Wounded Knee in 1890, he struggled to found an Indian order of nuns and railed against government policies that, he contended, encouraged the corruption and degradation of Indians. Thomas W. Foley's...
Of all the western frontier figures who played a role in the lives of the Sioux, perhaps none was more intriguing, eccentric, or controversial than Fa...