horses for the tribe. She then kept watch while the men rested on their way back to camp, and upon spotting two enemy Crow men attempting to reclaim the stolen goods, she took them down herself. Once again, she was celebrated for these heroic acts, yet some still looked at her with disdain. Because of this disapproval, her elders suggested that she go on a vision quest, which included going to a remote area for four days and fasting, while one waits for the spirits to show them their destiny in a vision. Vision quests were an important rite of passage for male warriors, but were not typically attempted by women, making it a fitting challenge to prove her worth as a warrior. Running Eagle agreed, and when she returned, she said she had had a vision of the sun. It included the sun promising to give her great power in battle, as long as she never slept with a man. After she shared this vision, she was then invited to a second war party and invited to participate in the Medicine Lodge Ceremony to share her tales. Usually, only men were allowed to participate in this ceremony. The tribe's Chief, Lone Walker, bestowed the name "Running Eagle" on her because of her greatness. This was a name only given to the greatest warriors, and it was the first time it had ever been given to a woman. She was also asked to be a part of the Braves Society of Young Warriors. After she gained the full respect of her tribe, she continued to lead many successful war parties and hunting expeditions. She never married, and although she led war parties and wore men's clothes, it is said that she also cooked for the men and repaired their moccasins—which were tasks typically done by the women of the tribe, and as such the men had likely never been taught how to do so for themselves. Death and legacy Her life ended sometime after 1878 in a battle against the Flathead warriors. The Flathead warrior that killed her went by the name Zamalya. The Flathead warriors had heard that a woman was leading the war party, so they targeted her immediately, and clubbed her from behind. It is rumoured among the Blackfeet that she died in battle because the Sun stopped protecting her after she broke her vow and slept