# Two Moons > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Two_Moons > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Two_Moons.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Moons > Source revision: 1352401475 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Indigenous American chief This article is about the Cheyenne chief. For other uses, see [Two Moons (disambiguation)](/source/Two_Moons_(disambiguation)). Two Moons Ishaynishus, Éše'he Ôhnéšesêstse Two Moons (Credit: Northwestern University Library Edward S. Curtis's The North American Indian, 2003). Cheyenne leader Personal details Born c. 1847 Montana Died 1917 Resting place Alongside U.S. Route 212, west of Busby, Montana Parent(s) Father, Carries the Otter Known for Participation in the Battle of the Rosebud, Battle of Little Big Horn, and the Battle of Wolf Mountain; Indian Scout; Chief of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation; One of three models for the Buffalo nickel. **Two Moons** (c. 1847–1917), or *Ishaynishus* ([Cheyenne](/source/Cheyenne_language): *Éše'he Ôhnéšesêstse*),[1] was one of the Cheyenne chiefs who took part in the [Battle of the Little Bighorn](/source/Battle_of_the_Little_Bighorn) and other battles against the United States Army.[2] ## Life Two Moons was the son of Carries the Otter, an [Arikara](/source/Arikara) captive who married into the [Cheyenne](/source/Cheyenne) tribe. Perhaps known best for his participation in battles such as the [Battle of the Rosebud](/source/Battle_of_the_Rosebud) against [General Crook](/source/George_Crook) on June 17, 1876, in the [Montana Territory](/source/Montana_Territory), the [Battle of Little Big Horn](/source/Battle_of_Little_Big_Horn) on June 25, 1876 and what would prove to be his last battle, the [Battle of Wolf Mountain](/source/Battle_of_Wolf_Mountain) on January 8, 1877. Two Moons' defeat at Wolf Mountain by General [Nelson A. Miles](/source/Nelson_A._Miles) led inevitably to the surrender of his Cheyenne band to Miles at [Fort Keogh](/source/Fort_Keogh) in April 1877.[3] After the surrender of his Cheyenne band, Two Moons enlisted as an [Indian Scout](/source/United_States_Army_Indian_Scouts) under General Miles. As a result of Two Moons' pleasant personality, the friendliness that he showed towards the whites, as well as his ability to get along with the military, General Miles appointed him head Chief of the [Cheyenne Northern Reservation](/source/Northern_Cheyenne_Indian_Reservation). As head Chief, Two Moons played a crucial role in the surrender of Chief Little Cow's Cheyenne band at Fort Keogh.[4] ## Northern Cheyenne Reservation Two Moons was one of the models for the [Buffalo nickel](/source/Buffalo_nickel). Two Moons traveled on multiple occasions to [Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington%2C_D.C.), to discuss and fight for the future of the Northern Cheyenne people and to better the conditions that existed on the reservation. In 1914, Two Moons met with President [Woodrow Wilson](/source/Woodrow_Wilson) to discuss these matters. Two Moons was one of the three models, along with [Iron Tail](/source/Iron_Tail), selected for [James Fraser](/source/James_Earle_Fraser_(sculptor))'s famous [Buffalo Nickel](/source/Buffalo_Nickel) (1913-1938).[5] A park in [Yellowstone County, Montana](/source/Yellowstone_County%2C_Montana) along the [Yellowstone River](/source/Yellowstone_River) is named in Two Moons honor.[6] ## Death Two Moons died in 1917 at his home in [Montana](/source/Montana) at the age of 70. Two Moons' grave lies alongside [U.S. Route 212](/source/U.S._Route_212), west of [Busby, Montana](/source/Busby%2C_Montana).[7] ## See also - [American Buffalo silver dollar](/source/American_Buffalo_silver_dollar) - [American Buffalo (coin)](/source/American_Buffalo_(coin)) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [Cheyenne Dictionary](http://www.cdkc.edu/cheyennedictionary/index-english/main.htmm)[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*] by Fisher, Leman, Pine, Sanchez. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Curtis, E. (1907) [*The North American Indian. Vol.6 The Piegan, the Cheyenne and the Arapaho*.](http://curtis.library.northwestern.edu/). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Hardorff, Richard G. *Indian Views of the Custer Fight*. University of Oklahoma Press 2005, p.107 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Garland, Hamlin. "Account of The Battle at Little Bighorn (Recalled in 1898 by Two Moons)." [*McClure's Magazine*](/source/McClure's), 1898 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Bowers, Q. David](/source/Q._David_Bowers) (2007). *A Guide Book of Buffalo and Jefferson Nickels*. Atlanta, Ga.: Whitman Publishing. pp. 38–39. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-7948-2008-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7948-2008-4). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Yellowstone County Parks"](https://www.justserve.org/yellowstonecountyparks). JustServe. Retrieved 3 April 2026. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Hatch, Thom. The Custer Companion. Stackpole Books 2002, pp. 221–222 - Time Life Books. (1993). *The Wild West*. Time Life Books. - Richard G. Hardorff, *Cheyenne memories of the Custer fight*, University of Nebraska Press, 1998 [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-8032-7311-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8032-7311-8). Authority control databases International VIAF FAST WorldCat National United States Other SNAC --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Two Moons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Moons) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Moons?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.