Roman Nose (Vóhko'xénéhe)(1823-1868), also known as Hook Nose, was a Native American warrior of the Northern Cheyenne. He was a legendary and influential warrior, so much so that he was mistook for a chief of the entire Cheyenne nation by the U.S. military. The Cheyenne were fur traders, and Roman Nose was born at the most prosperous days of the trade in the 1820s. He was given the name Môséškanetsénoonáhe, which means Bat, later taking on the name Wokini, which U.S. interpreters translated as Roman Nose. He would not come under major spotlight until after the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864, when he started organizing raids against emigrants navigating the Oregon Trail and encroaching on Cheyenne land. He repeatedly refused offers for positions of authority and never became a chief, saying that he spent the major portion of his time in battle rather than in council. Hook Nose was opposed to diplomacy with the white man, and died living up to his word. He was killed by American soldiers during the Battle of Beecher Island in 1868 while charging the island in the Arikaree River (Colorado). He is remembered for his brave and selfless battle tactics, for example: "A common battle tactic of his was to ride up and down the line of army troops within rifle range, getting them to discharge their weapons and waste their ammunition." His death had a grave effect on the morale of Cheyenne warriors, which caused their eventual defeat a year after Hook Nose's death.
