Roman Nose, one of the most hard-line Cheyenne, with an intimidating and sometimes flamboyant personality, often worked with the Dog Soldiers. To be fair, he was actually a member of the Elk Warrior Society, but that doesn't mean Roman Nose, who was also called Hook Nose or Woquini, didn't work with the Dog Warriors. He became especially well-known for his prowess in battle, leading to many collaborations with his fellow warriors, like the Dog Soldier leader Tall Bull. He was also deeply spiritual. Maurice Kenney, a Mohawk poet and historian, says that Roman Nose was known to spend hours in spiritual preparation, praying and readying himself for battle.
When Roman Nose died at the Battle of Beecher Island in 1868, some believed it was because he had violated a spiritual contract. His feathered war bonnet was supposed to protect him, but only if he followed strict rules. That meant Roman Nose could never shake hands, for example. Nor was he supposed to eat food that had been prepared with metal.
The morning of the battle, he realized he had eaten bread pulled from the pan with an iron fork. In Kenney's recounting, Roman Nose realized he didn't have time to fix the spiritual wound. He said, "If I go into this fight I shall certainly be killed." Indeed, he was. His death was devastating to the cause of the Dog Soldiers and the Cheyenne people.
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