Biography

Chief John Big Tree was born on June 2, 1877 in Buffalo, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), The Avenging Arrow (1921) and The Desert's Toll (1926). He died on July 6, 1967 in Onondaga Indian Reservation, New York, USA.

One of three men who posed for artist James Earle Fraser for the profile which became the famous "Indian head nickel" or "buffalo nickel" minted 1913-38. The other two were Chief Two Moons (of the Cheyenne) and Chief Iron Tail (of the Lakota). The image was reused for a special commemorative $50 gold piece in 2006--the US' first 24k (pure gold) coin.

A member of the Seneca Nation.

According to an episode of "I've Got A Secret" (1952) he was the model for the famous James Earle Fraser sculpture "End of the Trail".

While Big Tree claimed he posed for the "Indian head" or buffalo nickel, later sources stated that the nickel was actually a composite of three Indians including a different Big Tree, Adoeette, a Kiowa. Fraser himself disputed Big Tree's claims that he was a model for the sculpture "End of the Trail.".