Moccasin Tracks

What if a 7 y/o captive with great intelligence and special skills appeared in 1837 at a strategically-located village of Crow Indians; that the boy grew up to manhood living among the people, finding, through serendipitous circumstances, that the Crow responded positively to his leadership. Could this partnership have enabled this band to form an organization, unique among American Indians, powerful enough to survive the dire threats to non-Europeans sweeping across America during the 1800's?