Special Art Honors Crow Nation

3 years ago

As the 27th Day of Honor approached the Society wanted to present something special to the members of the Chief Plenty Coup Honor Guard and the Crow Nation to mark their participation in the national commemoration of the Centennial of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (1921-2021).

Mrs. Joyce Ranum, wife of former Tomb Guard John Ranum (1960) and Life Founding Member of the Society, has been working with oil paintings for many years and offered to capture some of the iconic moments when the Crow were in Arlington National Cemetery on November 9-10, 2021. Joyce had this to say about the experience of creating these beautiful pieces:

“Both are oil on canvas. I started them about July 11 and worked several hours most every day until August 22. While one was partially drying, I worked on the other one. The choice of the subject matter presented a real challenge due to the detail."

"When working on the paintings I was wishing I knew more about the symbolism of the headdresses and traditional clothing. They were all different, and very intricate.”

The two works of art were presented to the Crow Nation on September 3, 20200 at the Chief Plenty Coups State Park, where they will be on display for all visitors to see. Joyce and John were able to meet members of the Chief Plenty Coups Honor Guard and talk with them about their experience during the Centennial.

“At the Day of Honor Celebration, after the presentation of my paintings to the Tribe, I was honored to meet the subjects of my paintings which was the highlight of the day for me.” - Joyce Ranum, Artist

Along with the art, the Society presented postcards of both pieces to be distributed to the Crow Nation. Copies of these postcards and prints will be available for purchase in the Society store at a later date.