Chief Buffalo Child Long Lance
Who was Chief Buffalo Child Long Lance?
Canadian journalist, writer and actor
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Chief Buffalo Child Long Lance (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Chief Buffalo Child Long Lance, originally named Sylvester Clark Long, was born on December 1, 1890, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He was a mixed-race individual likely of Lumbee background who gained international fame as a journalist, writer, and film actor. In dealing with the strict racial divisions of early 20th-century America, he presented himself as various Native American identities, gaining recognition as a spokesperson for Native American issues in both the US and Canada. He passed away on March 20, 1932, in Los Angeles, California, at forty-one.
Long's early years were influenced by the racial dynamics of the American South. Born into a family with Cherokee, white, and African-American roots in a segregated society, he attended the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania, a school aiming to assimilate Native American youth into Euro-American culture. He continued his education at the Manlius Pebble Hill School in New York. These educational experiences allowed him to reinvent himself and gain access to social circles otherwise barred to him because of the racial hierarchy of the time.
After moving to Canada, Long worked as a journalist for several newspapers in western Canada, reporting on Indigenous communities and advocating for Native rights. His persuasive writing and supposed insider knowledge of Indigenous life earned him a devoted readership. In 1928, he released his autobiography, "Long Lance," claiming to be the son of a Blackfoot chief. The book was a bestseller, boosting his fame and leading to invitations from high society on both sides of the Atlantic. That same year, he starred in the silent film "The Silent Enemy," portraying an Ojibwe hunter in a film intended to showcase traditional Indigenous life.
Long was the first person thought to be Native American accepted into the esteemed Explorers Club in New York City, highlighting how much his identity claims were accepted at the time. However, investigations later exposed discrepancies in his public persona and origins, revealing his African-American heritage and casting doubt on his autobiography. Once this information surfaced, many of his social and professional connections began distancing themselves. His later years were plagued by financial and personal struggles.
In recent decades, Long's heritage has been reexamined. The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and many scholars now believe he was of Lumbee ancestry. The Lumbee are known for their mixed Native American, African, and European heritage and were called the Cherokee Indians of Robeson County by the North Carolina General Assembly during Long's lifetime. His choice to claim different identities was more about survival in a society that denied rights and recognition to people of African descent than simple deceit.
Before Fame
Sylvester Clark Long grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, when racial segregation was strictly enforced in the South. For people of mixed heritage, these racial classifications could influence their access to education, jobs, and basic civil rights. Long focused on his Native American heritage rather than his African-American ancestry, which allowed him to attend the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, a leading educational institution for Native Americans, and later Manlius Pebble Hill School in New York.
These educational opportunities opened doors that would have remained closed if Long had been identified only as Black in the Jim Crow South. After finishing school, he moved to Canada, where he pursued a career in journalism and public life. His skill with language, compelling personal story, and ability to present himself as a genuine voice of Indigenous experience helped him build a growing platform in the 1910s and 1920s, eventually earning him international recognition.
Key Achievements
- Published the bestselling autobiography Long Lance in 1928, which brought widespread public attention to Indigenous life on the North American plains.
- Starred in the silent film The Silent Enemy (1930), one of the earliest films to feature a predominantly Indigenous cast in a serious dramatic context.
- Became the first person presumed to be Native American admitted to the Explorers Club in New York City.
- Built a prominent career as a journalist and advocate for Native American rights in western Canada during the 1910s and 1920s.
- Gained international recognition as a public spokesperson for Indigenous causes at a time when Native voices were largely excluded from mainstream media and public discourse.
Did You Know?
- 01.Long was the first person presumed to be Native American admitted to the Explorers Club in New York City.
- 02.His 1928 autobiography Long Lance claimed he was the son of a Blackfoot chief, though he is now generally believed to be of Lumbee descent from North Carolina.
- 03.He played a leading role in the 1930 silent film The Silent Enemy, a docudrama intended to capture traditional Ojibwe life before European contact.
- 04.During Long's lifetime the Lumbee people of North Carolina were officially referred to by the state legislature as the Cherokee Indians of Robeson County, a name that persisted until Congress formally designated them as Lumbee in 1956.
- 05.Long worked as a journalist for multiple western Canadian newspapers, reporting extensively on Indigenous communities and advocating publicly for Native American rights before his celebrity status was established.