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Post by Dietmar on Dec 18, 2013 6:56:00 GMT -5
We have compiled several portraits of the Miniconjou (Mnikȟówožu) Red Skirt on our website, but there is little information of him around, although he seemed to have been an important leader before and after the reservation period. Red Skirt was a Lakota delegate in 1875 from Cheyenne River agency to Washington and appears in two group photographs taken on or shortly before that trip. In June 1876 Red Skirt probably was with the Lakotas who fought at the Little Bighorn. Later, in October 1876, he was one of the five hostages General Miles send to Cheyenne River to ensure the surrendered Lakotas would move back to the reservations. Miles then even called him “the principal chief of the Minneconjous”. He stayed in his position as a Lakota chief at least until the 1890s, when his name appears in several documents relating to the Ghost Dance movement, along with Spotted Elk (Big Foot) and Brave Eagle. Red Skirt was an uncle of Bull Eagle, another Miniconjou leader. photos: Red Skirt 1875 (edit from a delegation photo) Red Skirt 1875 (edit from a delegation photo) Red Skirt by W.R. Cross (wrong caption by Cross) Red Skirt by W.R. Cross Red Skirt by W.R. Cross John Sans Arc (aka Jumping Bear) & Red Skirt Red Skirt by unknown photographer Red Skirt 1894
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Post by grahamew on Dec 18, 2013 7:14:41 GMT -5
Thanks, Dietmar.
The two Cross studio portraits have the same backdrop, so I'm assuming both were taken at the same sitting, about 1878? He does seem to have aged considerably since the 1875 photos though. I wonder if the exterior shot was taken at the same time - although he doesn't have the coat.
I'm sure the caption I read for the photo of Red Skirt and John Sans Arc (taken 1884) identified the smaller of the two men as Red Skirt. It's the taller man, isn't it?
I'm also sure I read that he wasn't at LBH but left the agency during the aftermath.
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Post by Dietmar on Dec 18, 2013 7:44:32 GMT -5
Thanks for the LBH correction, Grahame.
The picture with John Sans Arc usually has been misidentified. The man on the left surely isn´t Red Skirt. I think he looks so much smaller than Red Skirt because he stands back a bit and leans agains the fence. Btw, compare the hat in this photo with Cross´ outside photo.
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Post by Dietmar on Dec 18, 2013 7:48:12 GMT -5
This is Miles 1876 letter where he mentions Red Skirt: www.welchdakotapapers.com/2011/11/little-big-horn-general-shermans-command-watching-for-and-searching-for-sitting-bull-january-thru-october-1876/0811-0819 10/28/1876 Miles writes Terry from Camp on Bad Route Creek, M.T. elaborating upon the conditions under which the chiefs surrendered: “Hearing that you may not understand just the conditions upon which these Indian Chiefs surrendered, I write you again. Red Skirt is principal chief of the Minneconjous, and related to Bulls Eagle, who takes his tribe of about 60 lodges to the Agency; White Bull is father of Small Bear, who takes in his band of about 50 lodges; Black Eagle and Sunrise are Chiefs, and Foolish Thunder, head warrior of the Sans Arcs. I cannot say the exact number that they will take in, although Red Skirt claims to be Chief of 1300 lodges. I presume this includes some at the Agencies. I think they should take in 200 and possibly 500 lodges. I believe the work, as far as this command is concerned, has been well done; and what is to be accomplished will depend upon the manner in which these Chiefs are treated and the reception their people receive on their arrival. Bulls Eagle was told, and I believe, fully understood that on his arrival there he should turn in his arms, particularly the Springfield Carbines, and such horses as the government should require. I would recommend that what property is taken from them be sold at some good market and the proceeds returned to the owners in domestic stock; for there is no doubt that they will be poor enough in a short time. If they can be encouraged to become a pastoral people, they should, in that way, become self-sustaining. They are very suspicious, and of course afraid, that some terrible punishment will be inflicted upon them. Bulls Eagle tells me that the interpreter at the Cheyenne Agency informed them that the ‘whites are going to do something terrible to them.’ This of course does no good and frightens his people. If any change is made in their condition, I think that it would be well if it were made later in the winter and after they are all in. If we can keep them divided and destroy ‘Sitting Bull’s influence, I think we can end this trouble in time. Sitting Bull’s band is the wildest on the continent, and strange as it may seem, there were people in his tribe who had never seen the face of a white man before October twenty-first; and when one of my soldiers went with the interpreter to his band, he was looked upon as a strange and curious thing. I believe Sitting Bull would be glad to make a peace, at least for a time; but he is afraid he has committed an unpardonable offense. The Cheyennes reported as having gone to the Little Horn Country. I believe crossed or will cross near the mouths, and will be found on the Big Dry. I presume they, with Sitting Bull’s band, will number near 500 lodges. “P.S. Since sending these warriors in I have appraised General Hagen of my intention of moving immediately north from Tongue River, in order to move on any Indians that may be on the Big Dry, and also to follow those gone to Fort Peck, and have requested him to place supplies at the latter point.
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Post by Dietmar on Dec 18, 2013 7:52:37 GMT -5
Possibly this 1880 NYT article also refers to our Red Skirt, doesn´t it?:
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Post by Dietmar on Dec 18, 2013 9:19:30 GMT -5
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Post by grahamew on Dec 19, 2013 14:33:27 GMT -5
Was Red Skirt from the Gartersnake Earring band or the Wakpokinyan? Is this the Red Skirt also known as Long Neck?
He was one of several leaders who went with Sitting Bull to talk with Miles during their second meeting, though he hadn't been present at the first - another was John Sans Arc. He seems to have been ready to accept Miles' terms quite quickly - perhaps evidence that he was a late-comer to the proceedings and had left the agency after Little Bighorn when the army came to confiscate the horse herds. According to Hyde, it was Spotted Tail who persuaded the army to release Red Skirt and the other hostages and when he took his family to Spotted Tail Agency, he provided him and his family with 22 horses for the journey to Cheyenne River. I'm not sure what happened but when the hostages were taken to Cheyenne River, they were afraid of what would happen to them and Red Skirt escaped (jumping from the steamer Fontenelle that they were being transported on). Presumably he was later caught and then Spotted Tail intervened.
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Post by kingsleybray on Dec 19, 2013 17:43:10 GMT -5
How did you work out the band assignment? And the short answer is we don't know for sure but my guess has long been he was Wagleza-owin, Watersnake Earring band. While I was in the States this autumn, Leonard Little Finger told me that he believed that Wagleza-owin was an offshoot from Wakpokinyan. I will try to pull together some data on Red Skirt. So, later.
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Post by grahamew on Dec 20, 2013 2:09:01 GMT -5
I'd seen both referenced. Gartersnake Earring on the site hosting the photo of Red Skirt wearing the bonnet; Wapokinyan, from somewhere here!
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Post by hreinn on Sept 15, 2022 14:08:41 GMT -5
On December 16, 1876, a person named Red Skirt was killed by some Crows outside of Tongue River Cantonment. Was this Red Skirt an Oglala, Itazipco or Mnikhówozu ? To what tiyoshpaye did he belong to ? Was this Red Skirt related to Red Skirt who was photographed in Washington in 1875 ?
According to Nicholas Black Elk 4 (a member of Crazy Horse's Hunkpatila Oglala tiyoshpaye) in the book "The Sixth Grandfather" by DeMallie (1984 edition), pages 199-200: "As I remember, the Minneconjous and Crazy Horse's band got together and tried to make peace with the whites. We sent some delegates to the soldiers to make peace with them. Quite a bunch of Indians went with these delegates. There were fellows by the names of Drum on His Back, Gets Fat with Beef, Red Skirt and Hollow Horn, who were the delegates sent. Just as they neared the camp the bodyguards stayed behind and the four delegates went ahead. The Crows were camped near the soldiers' camp. They went into the Crow camp and they had come as friends but the Crows surrounded them and seized them. Just before this Crazy Horse had whipped the Crows and killed one of the Crow women. This husband of the woman was there and he took out his pistol and killed Gets Fat with Beef as a revenge. There was a hand-to-hand fight here. The three [remaining] delegates tried to get away to the soldier's camp, but they were all killed while fighting."
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Post by carlo on Sept 15, 2022 15:06:53 GMT -5
The Red Skirt that was killed at Tongue River Cantonment was a Miniconjou named Lame Red Skirt, also known as Bad Leg or Red Cloth, probably to distinguish him from the Miniconjou headman Red Skirt in this thread.
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Post by carlo on Sept 17, 2022 2:25:48 GMT -5
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Post by hreinn on Sept 17, 2022 10:38:32 GMT -5
Thanks Carlo ! I had missed or forgotten your excellent thread about the event on December 16, 1876.
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Post by carlo on Oct 5, 2022 9:20:45 GMT -5
Interestingly, while doing research on another topic today, I came across a letter from Col. WH Wood, in which Miniconjou Eagle Shield mentioned the five delegates to the Tongue River Cantonment. He calls Lame Red Skirt "Red Skirt no. 2, the brother of Red Skirt the hostage here." ("Here" = Cheyenne River Agency) So Lame Red Skirt was actually a brother (or similar) of our Miniconjou headman Red Skirt.
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