David Bald Eagle, who starred in Dances with Wolves, has died at the age of 97

David Bald Eagle was a veteran of the Second World War and a drummer in a band, a champion ballroom dancer, competitor in rodeos and Hollywood stuntman during his younger years. He also had a starring role in Dances with Wolves. He died on July 22, 2016, at the age of 97.

Early Life and Heritage

• Born April 8, 1919, in a tipi on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation in South Dakota.

• His Lakota name is "Wounded in Winter Beautiful Bald Eagle."

• Raised in the Minneconjou Sioux tribe, he was deeply immersed in Sioux tradition and spoke Lakota as his first language.

• His grandfather, White Bull, was a renowned warrior who led the assault on General Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Achievements and Military Service

• Won his first rodeo at age 14 and completed the traditional sundance ceremony at 15.

• Joined the Fourth Cavalry at 17 and later re-enlisted into the 82nd Airborne ("All Americans") at the start of World War II.

• Participated in the landings at Anzio (Italy), earning a Silver Star, and was severely wounded parachuting into France during the Normandy invasion.

Hollywood and Cultural Impact

• In addition to being a veteran, he was a drummer in a band, a champion ballroom dancer, and competed in rodeos.

• Built a career as a Hollywood stuntman and actor, most notably in "Dances with Wolves".

David Bald Eagle’s life was marked by extraordinary resilience and achievement across multiple fields, making him a significant figure in Native American history and culture.

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David William Bald Eagle, who died on Friday aged 97, was born in a tipi on 8th April 1919, in Cherry Creek, on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation in South Dakota. His name in Lakota translates as Wounded in Winter Beautiful Bald Eagle.

Dave was raised in the Minneconjou Sioux tribe, largely by his grandparents, on the prairies in the heart of America. He grew up speaking Lakota and immersed in Sioux tradition. One of his grandfathers was the warrior White Bull, who led the assault on General Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Inspired by stories of White Bull’s friend Crazy Horse, Dave was keen to make his mark. He won his first rodeo at 14. He underwent the traditional sundance ceremony aged 15, and at 17 joined the Fourth Cavalry where he participated in the last years of mounted cavalry before mechanization, and became a formidable boxer. He re-enlisted into the 82nd Airborne – the All Americans – at the outbreak of the Second World War and fought in the landings at Anzio in Italy where he won the silver star. He was severely wounded by German fire while parachuting into France during the Normandy invasion.

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Posted by Dave Bald Eagle on Sunday, July 24, 2016