Fire Heart / Chanta Peta

[brian]

I'm curious about Chanta Peta (Fire Heart). I know there is a river that runs through central North Dakota that is named for him, but there is little information of the man. Can anyone help me out?

[kingsleybray]

Chante Peta, Fire Heart, was the name borne by a dynasty of leaders among the Sihasapa or Blackfoot tribal division of the Teton Lakota. Fire Heart V (ca. 1851-1926) was the leader who settled along modern Fire Heart Creek, a minor western tributary of the Missouri River just north of the modern North Dakota-South Dakota border.

The first Fire Heart mentioned in the written record was noted by Keating (1823) as one of the most prominent Teton leaders. In 1825 he signed the Atkinson-O'Fallon Treaty as the principal chief of the "Siounes of Fire Heart's Band", i.e. the Sihasapa. He may have been one of the cohort of Sihasapa chiefs who died in the smallpox epidemic of 1837. He was perhaps Fire Heart III.

The first Fire Heart, probably born somewhat before the year 1700, was according to Standing Rock traditions collected by Col. A.B. Welch, originally a Miniconjou, and was ca. 1730+ gifted with seed corn by the contemporary keeper of the Calf Pipe. The context was possibly the succession ceremony at the investiture of a new keeper of the Calf Pipe Bundle - by my reckoning White Cow Bull, keeper in the frame ca. 1735-1758.

According to more traditions told me by LaDonna Brave Bull Allard, Fire Heart I was the father of one son who remained with the Miniconjou, and a second (Fire Heart II?) who joined the Sihasapa division, which I believe was emerging as an autonomous grouping in the mid-18th century.

LaDonna told me that the Fire Heart family name has gone out of use, but modern descendants bear the surname Alkier.

If any Fire Heart descendants are out there, we should love to hear from them at American-tribes.com!

Hope this helps

Kingsley

[brian]

It does, thank you very much. Every time I drove over, or near it, I wondered who he was and why it was named for him. There are no signs on it, but people who live near it still use the name Chante Peta, instead of Fire Heart, which made me even more curious.

[Dietmar]

Welcome to our boards Brian!

The only pictures I could find are photos of Young Fire Heart, who was probably a son, grandson or nephew of Chief Fire Heart.

These are edits from group photographs, the first taken by Frank Fiske at Standing Rock, the second taken in October 1888 in Washington:

[kingsleybray]

LaDonna has just passed on some important information on Sihasapa chiefs and bands.

She tells me that the Fire Heart dynasty belonged to the Real Sihasapa band. John Grass's paternal grandfather, Si-chola or Bare Foot (also called Walks Bare Foot and Elk Man), who was born an Oglala, probably in the early 1790s, also belonged to this band in his adult life. Perhaps he married into the band.

Bare Foot's son, Used As A Shield (ca. 1817-1873), and Fire Heart IV (born ca. 1812, still alive 1881) were brothers-in-law, Fire Heart marrying one of Bare Foot's daughters. However the two brothers-in-law diasgreed about something and Used As A Shield's following drew away, forming the Kangi-shun Pegnake Band (Crow Feather Hair Ornaments). Since both bands are listed in Culbertson's 1850 tabulation, I think this must have happened during the 1840s.

This is exciting news, because we knew next to nothing about the Sihasapa bands and their associations with leading families.

We now know three such match-ups:

1. Real Sihasapa - Fire Heart family
2. Crow Feather Hair Ornaments - Grass family
3. Wazhazha - Kill Eagle family.

Three other bands were listed by John Grass, that we should like to match up with families

4. Glaglahecha (Slovenly)
5. Hohe (Assiniboine)
6. Wamnuga-owin (Cowrie Shell Earrings).

[kingsleybray]

The above Fire Heart in the photos was born in 1851. He was Fire Heart V. His name as a young man was High Bird. His father Fire Heart stated in the Black Hills council at Standing Rock Agency on October 11, 1876, that he wished to step down from the chieftainship and pass it on to his son High Bird.

[Dietmar]

Excellent! Thank you Ladonna & Kingsley.

I have no clue how they match up with the above bands, but the most reknown Sihasapa leaders of the early reservation era - apart from the ones already mentioned - were Crawler, Sitting Crow, Cross Bear (aka Furious Bear), ...who else? In Ephriam´s "Sitting Bull Surrender Census" Shot in the Head also led an own band.

For those interested, Ephriam had posted this chart about Sihasapa leaders some time ago:

see: www.american-tribes.com/Articles/ART/[e-mail]

[kingsleybray]

Thanks, Dietmar, for reposting Ephriam's chart of Sihasapa leadership at Standing Rock Agency, 1876-1888.

Disregarding ephemeral bands/headmen, there seem to be three main bands beside the triad

John Grass
Fire Heart
Kill Eagle

that we have already matched up with band names from John Grass's list of Sihasapa tiyoshpaye.

The other three chiefs with consistent followings are

Sitting Crow
Red Horse
Crawler

Sitting Crow and Red Horse were permanently at the agency from before 1876; Crawler and his band were with the non-treaty bands until 1881.

There seems a strong logical assumption that these three chiefs do correspond in some way to the three Sihasapa bands we have not yet been able to match up with chiefly families:

1. Glaglahecha (Slovenly, 'bad looking ones')
2. Hohe (Assiniboine)
3. Wamnuga-owin (Cowrie Shell Earrings).

But so far no way of exactly matching chief to band. But we are some way on towards outlining Sihasapa band histories. Thanks especially to LaDonna, also Dietmar and Ephriam

Kingsley

[hreinn]

In reply #4 above, I take the "he" as referring to Walks Bare Foot (but not Fire Heart) (perhaps I am mistaken).

Oct 9, 2011 16:00:20 GMT -5 kingsleybray said:

LaDonna has just passed on some important information on Sihasapa chiefs and bands.

She tells me that the Fire Heart dynasty belonged to the Real Sihasapa band. John Grass's paternal grandfather, Si-chola or Bare Foot (also called Walks Bare Foot and Elk Man), who was born an Oglala, probably in the early 1790s, also belonged to this band in his adult life. Perhaps he married into the band.

Another possible interpretation of the information in this thread:

Since Walks Bare Foot was known to be born as Oglala Lakota.
Then it is likely that Walks Bare Foot belonged to the group who split away from the Oglala Lakota and formed the Hunkpapa Lakota.
Later on, Walks Bare Foot was one of the people who originally formed the Sihasapa Lakota.
Therefore, it was perhaps Walks Bare Foot and his family who was the original core of the Real Sihasapa.

Therefore, it was perhaps Fire Heart who married into the Sihasapa Lakota (but not Walks Bare Foot marrying into Sihasapa).
When Fire Heart married to the daughter of Walks Bare Foot.
As mentioned above, the first Fire Heart was born as Mnikhowozu Lakota.

Since Walks Bare Foot's daughter and wife of Fire Heart belonged to Sihasapa/Real Sihasapa, just as Used As a Shield (aka. Grass 1).
Then her brother Used As a Shield decided to form another band, when he had some quarrel with his brother-in-law.
Instead of pushing his brother-in-law and sister out of the Sihasapa/Real Sihasapa band.
So even though we associate John Grass (Grass 2) and Used As a Shield (Grass 1) with the Crow Feather Hair Ornaments band.
Then originally Grass 1 belonged to the Real Sihasapa band.


Hreinn

[kingsleybray]

Very interesting thoughts, hreinn. The genealogical information in the AB Welch interviews (posted elsewhere on American-tribes.com) states that Bare Foot was born Oglala. This is contradicted in the material collected by Angela Boleyn for her projected biography of John Grass (still unpublished). Excerpts from her book are accessible on the website of Richard Grass. They state that the family had always been Saone, since distant ancestor Moose. He seems to belong in the early 1700s.

You're right that Fire Heart II, evidently born Miniconjou in say the first third of the 18th c., must have married into the Real Sihasapa - say mid-1700s. And right that both the Grass family and the Fire Hearts were identified with the Real Sihasapa band in the early 1800s.

I think the Hunkpapa breakaway from the Oglala fits in the mid-18th c. - probably too early for Bare Foot to be involved. But you are right, many Lakotas believed that the Hunkpapa and Sihasapa were sister bands, offshooted one from the other. There are undoubtedly connections here that we simply cannot see.

I shall be out of e-contact for the next ten days. Look forward to seeing American-tribes again when I get home.

[Dietmar]

On the John Grass page at the A.B. Welch Papers website we find new information about the Sihasapa bands:

www.welchdakotapapers.com/2011/11/chief-john-grass-2/

1940…White Cloud’s History of the Blackfeet

John Cadotte (Standing Alone) read from White Cloud’s History of the Blackfeet. White Cloud is 79 years old. He remembers many things. He has kept in his mind the stories of older men. Mrs. Cadotte and her sister were interpreters. Sept. 29-30, 1940

Until 1868, the Sihasapa were known to themselves as the Sauoni (the whites spell this different ways) which means “Wears Red.” “They Wear Red,” is implied. One time in 1867, or early 1868, a Sauoni went to get a woman on the James River. She was dressed beautifully and wore white moccasins. They walked all the distance and part of the prairie was burned over from a fire. When they reached the Sauoni camp, her moccasins were entirely black. From that time, the Saouni were known as the Blackfeet, or Blackfooted Ones.

Among the Blackfeet were four chiefs beside Used as a Shield, the head chief. They were Long Mandan, Fire Heart, Kill Eagle and Running Antelope. Long Mandan’s band was called the “Two Kettles.” Fire Heart’s was known as the “Crow Feather’s Band.” Kill Eagle’s was “Wajaje,” which means “to make clear” (like understanding a thing). Running Antelope had the “Bad Moccasins.” (meaning they did not tie and keep them neat).

Once, while the Sauonis were camped on the Missouri near Buffalo Hump Hill, a boat stopped there. They sign-talked and the white men wanted to go up the river. Then they smoked together the pipe of peace and the whites gave them some tobacco. The Saounis allowed them to pass. The man’s name was Clarke (Lewis and Clarke, 1804).

Grass No. 2 (John Grass) and old Fire Heart allowed the white soldiers to build Grand River Agency at the mouth of Oak Creek where it flows into the Grand River near the Missouri. The next year John Grass gave them trade permission.

When the Agency was moved to Fort Yates, the Indians went to the agent for a talk about conditions they did not like. He would not listen. Long Soldier and Kill Eagle, with some others, put him in a blanket and carried him to the dump heap, saying, “What is bad, we condemn.” The agent reported this indignity to the Commanding Officer who advised him to remain at his desk. The officer wrote to Washington and the agent was removed and a new one sent. The agent was ………………..

When Red Horse became a chief, his band was known as “Long Fringes,” for they were tall, thin, stringy people. They lived on the Moreau River. Two Packs, also known as Hawk Shield (a brother of Used as a Shield) had a band. They were often called the “Lower Blackfeet,” although all the Blackfeet were together.

I´m not sure why Running Antelope is mentioned here as a Sihasapa.
But we have Red Horse as the leader of the "Long Fringes" and Two Packs/Hawk Shield as leader of the "Lower Blackfeet"

[ladonna]

exciting information -Running Antelope father was a brother to Bear Face who are Hunkpapa and Running Antelop has always been Hunkpapa and choose to establish his camp in the Hunkpapa territory.

[kingsleybray]

I wonder if the new Welch information selected above by Dietmar may provide us with another band-chief match-up for the Sihasapa.

Perhaps the "Long Fringes", so named because they were "tall, thin, stringy people", equate with the Glaglahecha band, conventionally translated as 'untidy', 'slovenly'. John Grass, in a mischievous moment commented "Too lazy to tie their moccasins".

(Incidentally, that sounds like the sort of satirical dig you made at the expense of your in-laws. Remember that John Grass's wife belonged to the White Swan family of the Miniconjous, i.e. the Glaglahecha band among the Miniconjou.)

If the Long Fringes-Glaglahecha rquation is correct, this would make Red Horse the leader of the Sihasapa Glaglahecha band. It would leave two main Sihasapa bands and two main chiefs to match up (see my post above, Oct. 11):

Sitting Crow
Crawler

Cowrie Shell Earrings (Wamnuga-owin)
Hohe (Assiniboin)

[kingsleybray]

Interesting that White Cloud's history of the Sihasapa which Welch was able to excerpt, identified the Fire Heart family with the Crow Feather Hair Ornaments band.

Recall how LaDonna's new information equated both the Fire Heart and Grass families originally with the Real Sihasapa band. There was disagreement between Grass Sr. (Used As A Shield) and Fire Heart and the band divided. LaDonna equated the Grass family with the Crow Feather Hair Ornaments.

We can see contemporary confirmation of LaDonna's statement in the FV Hayden of Lakota bands c. 1857-58. It tables three Sihasapa bands

Real Sihasapa - chief Blue Shield
Jawbone - chief Barefoot (father of Used As A Shield)
Payabya - chief Chasing Bear

What stands out is how the Grass family there is NOT equated with the Real Sihasapa. The band name Jawbone is nowhere else attested.

White Cloud's information suggests a somehat more complex situation. Just as a suggestion, we might propose that the Real Sihasapa had long comprised two main sub-camps, one having the name Crow Feather Hair Ornaments. (This would be consistent with what Bronco LeBeau, the Cheyenne River historian, told me a few years ago: that Crow Feather Hair Ornaments was an early - mid-18th c.? - Sihasapa band.)

Perhaps after the quarrel btw Fire Heart IV and Used As A Shield, there was some ongoing dispute about just which of their families constituted the Real Sihasapa?

Any ideas out there?

[kingsleybray]

I propose that in the 1840s the Sihasapa tribal division divided into two embryonic maximal bands, one based on Fire Heart’s leadership, one on the Grass family. Fire Heart’s part, aggregating about 75 lodges, then perhaps slightly the larger, assimilated more to the Hunkpapas – reflected in Crow Ghost’s statement to Welch (and Robert Higheagle’s statement to Walter Campbell) enumerating Fire Heart’s band of 75 lodges among the Hunkpapa.

Used As A Shield (father of John Grass) was the leader of the second part, which resulted in the crystalisation of his band, the Crow Feather Hair Ornaments, as a separate camp independent from the parent band the True Sihasapa. However it is important to view the two maximal bands as being drawn from parts of several
tiyoshpaye.

There is an implicit north-south dichotomy here, with Fire Heart focused northward, Grass group focused further south. Hence I think the term Lower Blackfeet (and by implication Upper Blackfeet) used by White Cloud in his statements to Welch. I suggest that Fire Heart was more isolationist and conservative (whence the Hunkpapa connection); the Grass band more amenable to whites – hence e.g. De Smet adoption, Bare Footed presence at Horse Creek treaty, post-1862 emergence of Used As Shield as pro-American. Until 1862+ (or even 1868) Fire Heart seems to have the larger following and backing in the tribal council – hence his nomination as head chief in 1856, signing 1868 as first signatory.

As late as spring 1868 Used As A Shield's camp planted crops at Little Bend (mouth of Cheyenne River), while Fire Heart, Sitting Crow and other headmen were camped upstream near Ft Rice. There is the same north-south dichotomy. But in fall 1868 talks were held to locate new agency sites to better administer the Treaty of 1868. From Welch papers we know that both Used As A Shield and Fire Heart IV smoothed over their differences enough to approve locating a single agency - the Grand River Agency of 1868-73.

Within one year, by August 1869, Used As A Shield had established himself as the most influential Sihasapa leader with the agency and military hierarchy. Something of his growing influence is indicated by his band size - 60 lodges in 1871 (cf Fire Heart 25 lodges); 62 lodges in 1873 (cf Fire Heart 14 lodges). Always worth recalling these lodge-tally figures are probably inflated by maybe a third.

But, could this growing band situation for him, versus declining situation for Fire Heart, play into what we detected above - namely, an ongoing debate about which were the Real Sihasapa?