Dancing Warrior is the biography of Cheyenne artist Paul Flying Eagle Goodbear, born in Oklahoma on the cusp of territory and statehood, and the story of Molly Hollenbach’s determined historical sleuthing to pen that biography. Goodbear was the grandson of Cheyenne Chief Turkey Legs and the great-great-grandson of Chief Whirlwind. Hollenbach became interested in Goodbear’s life during visits with her aunt Marion Hollenbach, who met Goodbear in 1933 when both were students at the University of New Mexico, she in archeology and he in art. After a spring romance they went their separate ways but stayed in touch. The book begins with their correspondence.
In the 1940s Goodbear made a name for himself as a Native American modernist, showing Kiowa influence but going his own way. He served in the Army in Europe during World War II. With the help of Goodbear’s daughter and niece, Hollenbach was able to trace his history after the war. Although he died tragically young, Goodbear left behind a stunning collection of paintings preserved in the major museums of Southwest art. This biography enriches our understanding of one Native American artist’s engagement with American modernist painting, the challenges he faced due to stereotypes and racism, and the social worlds he created.