He appeared in films, media, and political events in his later life, including adopting President Calvin Coolidge into the Sioux tribe and starring as Chief Chetoga in the 1930 historical drama The Silent Enemy.

[4] Yellow Robe was born in Sičháŋǧu Oyáte territory—known today as the Rosebud Indian Reservation—in southern South Dakota[1] possibly on January 15, 1867.

He described his childhood to have primarily involved hunting, fishing, and chasing buffaloes across the plains of South and North Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana.

Gen. R. H. Pratt wearing my full Indian costume, long hair, painted face, feathers, moccasins, and blanket and not knowing a word of English.

[8] Soon after his graduation, Yellow Robe entered the government Indian School Service as an industrial teacher, presumably moving to Rapid City, South Dakota, to begin educating.

In October 1914, Yellow Robe was a speaker at the Fourth Annual Conference of the Society of American Indians in Rapid City, South Dakota.

[21] The Lakota tribe used the occasion to arrange a ceremony to induct Coolidge as a member of their nation, "in recognition of the role he played in passing the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924.

[5][23] After presenting Coolidge his native name, Yellow Robe stated the following:Today, Mr. President, you are a one-hundred percent American by adoption into an aboriginal tribe.

[24] His daughter Rosebud Yellow Robe persuaded her father to perform the part after being assured by Burden that the film would contain "an honest depiction of Native American life.

"[24] Upon this assurance, Yellow Robe changed his mind and traveled to Arnprior[25] and Lake Temagami in Ontario, Canada,[24] to shoot the film.

[24] In 1928, Yellow Robe portrayed Chief Chetoga in Burden and Chanler's historical drama film The Silent Enemy, which was released in 1930.

Partially funded by the American Museum of Natural History, the film depicted a complex drama of an Ojibwe tribal life before the arrival of Europeans.

[3][26] Yellow Robe played one of the leading roles and helped with technical direction; according to Atalie Unkalunt, the cast consisted solely of Native Americans, though this was later complicated by the appearance of Chief Buffalo Child Long Lance, whose ancestry was questioned.

[27] Notably, Yellow Robe delivered the film's sound-on-film speech introduction, wherein he greets the audience, praises the story, and expresses hope for the Ojibwe tribe's future.