Poor Crane, Chief of the Cayuses

"Poor Crane, Chief of the Cayuses" was one of seven portraits of Northwest Indian chiefs that Warner modeled in 1891 while in Oregon. At that time, Ya-tin-ee-ah-witz, or Poor Crane, was living on the Umatilla Reservation in northeastern Oregon and was chief of the Cayuses. As for the inscription on the medallion states, he had loyally fought for the "whites" on numerous occasions. Warner’s ability to use light and shade to model the texture of Poor Crane’s skin and hair and the detail on his jacket attest to the sculptor’s mastery of the bronze medium.

Credit: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Frederick S. Wait, 1906