Pine Ridge Delegation 1888

[Dietmar]

This is another photograph from the Nebraska State Historical Society. According to their online archives it shows the Pine Ridge delegation of 1888:



Can we identify some of the men? I believe standing in the middle (with uniform) is George Sword. Standing third from left could be Little Hawk.

Is the date 1888 correctly given?

[kingsleybray]

Dietmar, the caption to the photo on the NSHS website reads as follows:

"This shows the delegation of Lakota men sent to Washington from the Pine Ridge Agency in South Dakota. Pictured are:
Standing Sword, [? error for Standing Soldier]
Singing Bear,
Two Feathers, [is Little Hawk?]
Pretty Back (?),
White Bird,
Little Chief,
Captain George Sword,
Young Man Afraid of HIs Horses, [didn't go on delegation]
Feather,
Charging Shield,
Three Stars
No Fraid [? is No Flesh?]



Date

1888"

Cf the list of 1888 Pine Ridge delegates and there is certainly overlap:

Pine Ridge Agency Delegation
Fourth Row L-R:
43. Dog Back - Oglala
44. 1st Lt. Standing Soldier - Oglala (Indian Police)
45. Yellow Bear - Oglala
46. Little Hawk - Oglala
47. Little Wound - Oglala
48. Little Chief - Northern Cheyenne
49. Pretty Lance (aka Good Lance)
50. Standing Elk - Northern Cheyenne
51. Fast Thunder - Oglala
52. No Flesh - Oglala
53. American Horse - Oglala
54. Capt. George Sword - Oglala (Indian Police)
55. Plenty Bears - Oglala
56. Benjamin Rowland (Cheyenne Interpreter)
57. Philip Wells (Oglala Interpreter)
58. Col. H. D. Gallagher (Agent at Pine Ridge)


Read more: amertribes.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=wash&action=display&thread=837#ixzz1ncnhCrN1

[Dietmar]

Thanks Kingsley,

somehow I missed reading the information at the NSHS page.

Well, I believe (though the faces are very hard to discern) that the man in suit standing far right could be William T. Selwyn. Young-Man-Afraid seems to be wearing the same outfit as in the picture we recently posted in the "Young-Man-Afraid"-thread with Selwyn and Two Strike. In this photo you can also make out in the background the tent you see in the delegation picture. I assume both pictures were taken on the same occasion.

[shan]

Dietmar

I agree with the identification of Two Strike, one can't mistake that scrunched up face of his.

Shan

[grahamew]

Great spot, Dietmar. I think you're right.


This White Bird?

Man Afraid looks younger than I would expect for 1888, though.

Two Strike, 1888:



Little Hawk, Little Wound and Little Chief, 1888:



No Flesh, American Horse and Sword, 1888:

[grahamew]

So Little Hawk is the third man in from the left and White Bird is the fifth (i.e. the one with goggles)?

[kingsleybray]

Yes, grahamew, I just amended my own post above - the person Dietmar suggests is Little Hawk is third from left and corresponds to the caption's Two Feathers.

I can certainly see that Selwyn is standing far right.

I think we could say that the men holding pipes and/or pipe bags represent key constituencies at Pine Ridge - Little Hawk the Hunkpatila band and possibly the wider Oglala proper or 'head band'; Little Chief the Cheyennes; Charging Shield the Wazhazha band; Three Stars the Southern Oglalas or Kiyaksa band.

It's funny - I've just been reading in French the 1802 account by Perrin du Lac of the Indians of the Upper Missouri. The Indian material is actually lifted from J-B Truteau, a trader who spent 1794-96 with the Lakotas, Arikaras and Cheyennes. He has a fascinating account of how the tribes make peace with each other, including the preparation of a delegation to visit another tribe and propose peace. The "embassy" is given a prepared speech, and strict instructions of what to say and do. This speech was given, and a pipe presented to the delegation by "the most notable leader present".

I was immediately reminded of a delegation going to Washington, and I can't help think that Young Man Afraid of His Horse is here acting in the role of "the most notable leader", seeing off the delegation on its delicate mission. The 1888 delegates were instructed to block US proposals to break up the Great Sioux Reservation. YMAf is dressed for the occasion in ceremonial shirt and headdress that underline his status in the tribe. I have been in touch with a few material culture specialists about the outfit YMAf wears (in the picture with Two Strike and Selwyn), and there seems a possibility that the headdress and even the shirt are old styles for 1888 - and may represent heirloooms reflecting his and his father's pre-eminent status in the Oglala tribe.

[Dietmar]

I´m still not convinced that this was the delegation that would go to Washington in 1888. Too many individuals that didn´t went on the trip. Perhaps the photo was taken on an occasion where the delegates were selected.