Nantaje (fl. 1872 – 1875), also called Nantahe, was an Apache Indian scout in the U.S. Army who served under Lieutenant Colonel George Crook during the Apache Wars. He guided cavalry troopers against renegade Apaches in the Arizona Territory during Crook's winter campaign of 1872-73 and was one of ten scouts who later received the Medal of Honor for gallantry. Biography Born in the Arizona Territory, Nantaje (or Nantahe) was one of ten Apache Indian scout hired by the U.S. Army for Lieutenant Colonel George Crook's expedition against renegades in Arizona following the surrender of Cochise in late 1872. He guided cavalry troopers in the Tonto Basin, where the Western Apache and Yavapais raiding parties had successfully eluded U.S. troops for several years, and saw action against the Apache during Crook's winter campaign of 1872–73. In one of these engagements, Nantaje led a group of sharpshooters to the mouth of a cave to ambush a number of Yavapai hiding there. A total of 23 men received the Medal of Honor. All 10 Indian scouts, including Nantaje, received the award on April 12, 1875, for "gallant conduct during campaigns and engagements with Apaches". The other scouts included William Alchesay, Blanquet, Chiquito, Elsatsoosu, Jim, Kelsay, Kosoha, Machol and Nannasaddie. Medal of Honor citation Rank and organization: Indian Scouts. Place and date: 1872–73. Entered service at:------. Birth: Arizona. Date of issue: 12 April 1875. Citation: Gallant conduct during campaigns and engagements with Apaches. See also List of Medal of Honor recipients for the Indian Wars References Further reading Hirschfelder, Arlene B. and Martha Kreipe De Montaño. The Native American Almanac: A Portrait of Native America Today. New York: Prentice Hall, 1993. Konstantin, Phil. This Day in North American Indian History: Important Dates in the History of North America's Native Peoples for Every Calendar Day. New York: Da Capo Press, 2002. External links Year of birth missing Year of death missing Apache people 19th-century Native Americans Native American people of the Indian Wars Native American United States military personnel United States Army Medal of Honor recipients People from Arizona United States Army soldiers United States Army Indian Scouts American Indian Wars recipients of the Medal of Honor