|
Post by ephriam on Jan 20, 2023 1:12:41 GMT -5
Iron Child Maza Cincala (c1847-1914). Oglala. In 1905, Joseph Henry Sharp produced this portrait of "Chief Iron Child," now preserved at the Gilcrease Museum. Sharp wrote "Painted in my studio at Crow Agency, when on a visit. Custer Warrior, and they like to visit old battle grounds - particularly many squaws came to mourn departed braves. Iron Child was proud and wanted to look just right in his fine visiting clothes - White people are like that!" His description of Iron Child as a "Custer Warrior" suggests he was a veteran of the Battle of the Little Bighorn in June 1876. Six months before the Little Bighorn, Iron Child was identified as the leader of a group including seven young Wagluhe or Loafer Oglala men who had arrived in the northern camps as messengers from the Red Cloud Agency, bringing word that the government had ordered them onto the reservation by the deadline of January 31. While he was out scouting, the seven Loafers were killed by a Crow war party, as detailed in the Amos Bad Heart Bull manuscript. In this document, his name is translated as Young Iron. Assuming that Sharp was correct that Iron Child was at the Little Bighorn in June 1876, he probably surrendered at the Red Cloud Agency in 1877 (though I could not find his name among the lists of families coming in). He probably then left with the other northern bands who slipped into Canada later that year. He married about 1879, presumably while in Canada, and we find his name in the Sitting Bull Surrender Census with Big Road and Low Dog's Oglala as they arrive at the Standing Rock Agency in 1881. He appears in the Big Road Roster as "Iron Boy". Iron Child was transferred to the Pine Ridge Agency in 1882, along with the other surrendered Oglala at Standing Rock, and lived the rest of his life in the Porcupine District. In the 1890 census, he is listed with the Wacunpa band, aligned with the Wazhazhas during the 1870s. He is listed as a member of the Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show headed to London in 1892 and as part of the 101 Wild West Ranch Show in 1912. Iron Child last appears in the Pine Ridge Agency census records in 1914, the year he presumably died.
|
|
|
Post by carlo on Jan 20, 2023 4:46:48 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing Ephriam, haven't seen his portrait before.
Recently arrived at Crazy Horse's camp in January 1876, Young Iron/Iron Child took nine Loafers along on a horse stealing raid against the Crows. Two turned back, leaving Iron Child with seven young warriors. A Crow war party led by Bear Wolf found the Loafers on Tullock Creek and killed all seven. That morning Iron Child had gone out to scout, staying away all day without incident. When he returned to the camp in the dark, he discovered the area was full of horse tracks and he found an arm of one of his comrades in the snow. Iron Child did not dare to investigate further and fled home.
Many Oglalas were suspicious of Iron Child’s testimony and felt he may have deserted his comrades, since it was unusual for a war party leader to return home when all his men had died in battle, instead of choosing to undergo the same fate. Some felt that Iron Child, the most experienced of the eight young men, may have sensed danger and fled when the Crows attacked. (Crow accounts of the fight suggest that the suspicions may have been justified.) After the fight the Crows did not bother to search for Iron Child but near the Yellowstone they saw him crossing a coulee. Alerted by Bear Wolf's singing, Iron Child noticed them and fled; a few Crow warriors followed but never found him.
Wagluhe headman Blue Horse led the Loafers coming up from Red Cloud Agency with the information of the government ultimatum; he was in Crazy Horse's camp when the seven Loafers were killed (Black Elk source).
|
|
|
Post by Dietmar on Jan 20, 2023 18:45:02 GMT -5
Thank you Ephriam and Carlo, Sharp painted a second portrait of Iron Child:
|
|
|
Post by shan on Jan 21, 2023 7:16:27 GMT -5
Thanks Dietmar,
What a wonderful painting that is, I wonder why we pay so much attention to the likes of Catlin and yet ignore painters like Sharp and Burbridge when thosr two painters in particular are much more skilful. To be fair to the man, it's probaly because his work portrays a time when the plains Indians in particular were still dressing and painting themselves in much the same manner as they'd done before coming into contact with white people. So, rather like a reporter, he was trying to catch a world that was fast disappearing.
One other thing. I wonder if the Art world under values their work because they feel that the subject matter is somehow trival. In other words, had their paintings been about famous white people, various generals, poloticians, or even entertainers like Dickens or Oscar Wilde, then they might have been taken more seriously. Anyway, it's still a great painting.
Shan
|
|
|
Post by Steve White-Provost Oizumi on Jan 21, 2023 11:54:42 GMT -5
Greetings Carlo, et all, Apologies for jumping in here, still learning to use this tool in case I am posting out of order "Wagluhe headman Blue Horse led the Loafers coming up from Red Cloud Agency with the information of the government ultimatum; he was in Crazy Horse's camp when the seven Loafers were killed (Black Elk source)." Question to the team: Is there any additional information regarding the headman Blue Horse? The Blue Horse name was referenced in our family oral story for Mary White/Saunders/Russell who was linked to Crazy Horse and born around the time of Crazy Horses visit with Black Buffalo Woman and subsequent birth of the 4th "light" skinned child. If I understood correctly, and with "Mary" in this slot, was with child or children from a Blue Horse when sheltering with a Saunders who was shot in a bar for such, so Mary was then with Jack Russell who was adopted by the tribe as a red headed orphan boy. I have been leaning that the name <White> was cover as the Oyate was under language/genocidal duress and Mary is biblical. What fits for this part of the family oral story is "Mary" was with a child or children from a Bluehorse and "Mary" "White" which is also referenced as the last name for my grandma "Lema" with "born as a White" and noted as "Russell" on government classified documents. With this in mind, to me, "Lema born White" was "Lema born Bluehorse" but that would not work if the plan is assimilation. Also, another name circling around "Mary" is "Marie" which is my moms middle name and there is a "Marie White" noted on her baptismal as witness. My mom was an AIM supporter from a distance (far as I know) and my Uncle "Wilbert Provost" and veteran is linked to the siege at Wounded Knee in some way. There is information regarding this at the Minnesota Historical society for Wounded Knee but is suppressed and his birth certificate was altered as part of the probate in some way changing one number from a 3 to a 4. That is a clue in terms of jurisdiction and SSN assignments. I think the Oyate can transfer, absorb, use, etc member existence as one of their limited bargaining tools as a "sovereign nation" under assimilation. Of course this has been a life long [lucky to be here it appears] journey, as my mom and adopted dad divorced when I was young, to better understand why I had a tribal enrollment card from the Oglala Sioux Tribe and purpose. I worked for the New Mexico College Access Challenge from 2008-2010, comprehensive data driven project to promote and support "Student Success". That 2009 National Security memo had interesting timing in reflection now that I think about it. I also owned and founded the Life Genome Project, LLC small business asset from 2011-2014 also a data driven project but also dissolved after again being targeted for shutdown because "it" can't all be in 1. I can only conclude after these 2 data intensive driven projects, that it was not the projects that were being targeted, "it" is intellectual property and my brain happens to have Oglala DNA. I am not that smart but I did learn that 1+1= 2 These details only became aware to me after a visit with my mom in the winter of 2020 and Chief Pocahontas [Regan did it] Trump doing commercials from Wounded Knee on Twitter wanting to see our birth certificates but Chief Biden said "There There" in reference to Tommy Oranges book [to me], an IAIA student and author, takes classified documents seriously so I feel much better today In short, my grandmas probate did not take place until 1985 though her death was in 1969. I was 21 by then and not included or made aware of these activities, at all. So I am discovering with you all as an ICWA advocate, with children. Thanks again for the opportunity to learn here. Steve
|
|
|
Post by carlo on Jan 21, 2023 14:42:22 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Steve White-Provost Oizumi on Jan 21, 2023 23:42:17 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by ephriam on Jan 22, 2023 15:17:45 GMT -5
Steve:
You might want to take at the Pine Ridge Reservation census for 1890, which is the only one for this time period in which each of the tiyospaye or native communities are recorded. In particular, take a look at the Wagluhe Band, located near the agency, which includes Blue Horse's immediate family. You can also take a look at a small band called the Sahiyela Wakpa or Cheyenne Creek Community. In the early reservation period at Pine Ridge, this community was located on Cheyenne Creek, a small tributary that flows west into White Clay Creek, about two miles north of Pine Ridge and maybe a mile south of the Holy Rosary Mission. This small band of 26 families are mostly relatives of Blue Horse's brother Big Mouth. (This band is not to be confused with a later community called Cheyenne River located in the vary northwest corner of the reservation.)
Ephriam
|
|
|
Post by Steve White-Provost Oizumi on Jan 22, 2023 17:36:44 GMT -5
Ephriam: Thank you for this. I will research deeper but based on my visit and the data so far, I would say, yes, the BlueHorse my mom mentioned when speaking of Mary may have come from here. What that might mean for the tree is Mary had a child from a BlueHorse and that child was Lema [BlueHorse] <White> Saunders then Russell-washing machine. Oddly, we never got to Lema's (My Grandma) Dad in depth as I was so focused on understanding Mary after I was showed the documents. Since the tree is so complicated to me in this space this could fit in line with the idea of Mary White while hiding or protecting identities in the Spirit of Crazy Horse. Not sure if that moves the needle any closer in determining if Mary is the 4th child but defiantly closer to confirming connections. Thanks again, Steve
|
|