Alix Mosieur “Plenty Coups” Apsaroke (Crow)

Alix Mosieur is a Native American artist known for her mixed media artwork, particularly portraits of Native American chiefs, often on Myrtlewood. She is of Nez Perce and Blackfeet descent. Her husband, Bruce, has been instrumental in her artistic career, handling the finish work on her gourd and wood pieces.

Plenty Coups, whose Crow name was Alaxchíia Ahú, meaning “many achievements,” was the principal chief of the Crow Tribe (Apsáalooke) during a period of significant change for his people, from 1848 until his death in 1932. 

He is most noted for his leadership during a pivotal time in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as the Crow navigated the transition from their traditional nomadic way of life to a settled existence on a reservation. Plenty Coups is remembered for his wisdom and diplomatic skill in helping his people adapt to these changes. He believed that cooperating with the United States government was the best way for the Crow to survive and thrive. This belief was based on a vision he experienced as a young man, which foretold the eventual takeover of Native American lands by non-Native people.