Chief Iron Nation

[Dietmar]

This is an interesting and informative website set up by a descendant of Chief Iron Nation:

www.chiefironnation.com/

[grahamew]

From an auction site where the grouo were labelled "Ponca."



Iron Nation and other Lower Brule principals. Iron Nation wears the dark (military?) coat; his top hat is on the ground between him and the man at the left. Dietmar has suggested this may be Alex Recontre. Standing next to Iron Nation is Medicine Bull and next to him, Dead Hand. Dietmar has suggested the other man in the coat could be Little Pheasant. I have no idea who the man in front is.

I would guess it's dated around 1870 or earlier; possibly a Hamilton photo (Dietmar has noted that Medicine Bull wears the same fringed shirt he does in the Hamilton photo taken a few years earlier at Fort Randall (1865?) or maybe taken by Morrow on one of his trips.

Three of the same men can be seen sitting together in this photo taken at Fort Sully, circa 1865:




And it may be that 'Little Pheasant' in the top photo is the man at the right of this group.


The man on the right is Little Pheasant in December 1880.

[Dietmar]

Thanks Grahame for posting these. I have to add, I´m only certain about the identification of Iron Nation and Medicine Bull. The other names are suggestions for discussion.

[grahamew]

The morte I look at the comparison photos of Little Pheasant, the more I have to agree with you. I suspect there are ten years, give or take a couple either way between them, but there's that narrow bridged nose and small mouth.

Same with Dead Hand too:

[kingsleybray]

awesome new photo and details and interpretation . . . could the 'new' pic be another taken at the 1865 Ft Sully treaty councils?

[grahamew]

Could be. Wonder if this man is the same as the one Dietmar suspects is Louis Recontre: