The Ihunktonwan/Yanktonais

[ftpeckpabaksa]

Hello. I thougt I left a message. Trying to see if this works.

[ftpeckpabaksa]

OK it worked. Well I was hoping to open a dialog about the Ihanktowanna. I know collectively the Upper and Lower Yanktonai were known as the Ihanktowanna. The Lower Yanktonai were the Hunkpati while I think it was the Upper Yanktonai were the Wiciyena. Any thoughts?

Well as far as the Pabaksa. I want to open a dialog about them. I have some thoughts. About a group that ended up here on fort peck under Medicine Bear. I really think he took over after Red Leaf. I'm just wanting some dialog. Going off winter counts. This group of Pabaksa started their own winter count in 1823 and Red Leaf is mentioned in it. Their close association with the Hunkpapa. Well. Someone let me know. I want to get a dialog going on this.

[kingsleybray]

hau, ftpeckpabaksa, we should get this ball rolling - - - In the documentary sources, Red Leaf gets only brief mentions in the 1850s. The Ft Union trader E. T. Denig in his ms 'On the Sioux Nation', written in 1854 or 1855, namechecks him a couple of times. Denig remarks that the Yanktonai "were always considered fierce and treacherous Indians. When headed by Wah na ton (The Animal who Rushes) they were much the same as at the present day when governed by by Wahh pai sha (Red Leaf), and neither the persons nor property of white travelers is much respected in passing through their camp."

Later Denig remarks that the main bands of the Yanktonais at "present" (so, 1854) were the "Tetes Coupees [Cut Heads, Pabaksa], Gens des Perches [Pole people, another name for the Lower Yanktonai or Hunkpatina], and Gens des Pins [Pine people, or Wazikute band]". The Pabaksa were the northernmost of the three bands, "being generally stationed near Apple River in the winter season". They were also the largest of the bands, "headed by Wahh pai sha, or Red Leaf, a chief variable in temper and action as regards whites but possessing great influence in his band."

In fact the Indian Agent, Vaughan, counselled with the Yanktonai chiefs in the fall of 1854, and Red Leaf showed his contempt for the US govt by destroying the treaty goods Vaughan was about to distribute. With his knife he cut open the bags containing provisions and scattered them over the prairie, and then threw a keg of gunpowder into the Missouri river.

Does your winter count tell us when Red Leaf died and leadership passed to Medicine Bear?

[ftpeckpabaksa]

One question I have regarding the Agent Vaughn incident is that one mentions Red Leaf and the other lists Big Head.

I did that the article mentions Red Leaf and later in the Harney talks no mention is given to Red Leaf at all

The Cut Heads mentioned in that varies and gives more info regarding the son of Wanatan. "Black Catfish".

I think a so maybe during that time Red Leaf may have passed away. I'm going to look at the winter counts they give a year where Red Leaf was wounded in the leg. Maybe that's when he passed away.
Any thoughts on the Wiciyena and Hunkpati designations for t Upper and Lower Yanktonai?

Also, Tete Coupes is the French designation for Cut Heads

[kingsleybray]

interesting, tell us more about the incident with Agent Vaughan in which Big Head is named.

I had come to the conclusion after posting yesterday that Red Leaf must have died or retired during 1855, because he is not named in the large amount of reports generated during Gen. Harney's presence at Ft Pierre - fall 1855-spring 1856. A lot of Yanktonai leaders are named, but Red Leaf, considered the principal chief by Denig one year earlier, is not mentioned.

[kingsleybray]

the Red Leaf incident took place in early October 1854, at a Yanktonai camp 100 miles north of Ft Pierre. This was reported in Vaughan's annual report, dated Ft Pierre, Oct. 18th, 1854.

I found another Vaughan report on this incident, written Nov. 21st, 1854, in which he specifies that he met a "portion of the Yanctonies of some 100 lodges", and stopped to give them a present of "Coffee Sugar flour Tobacco Powder and Balls". These were goodwill gifts, not the regular annuities, which Vaughan writes he had purchased at Ft Clark to give to the Yanktonai out of "feelings of humanity and courtesy". He spent two hours in council with the chiefs and headmen, who received his words "with marked respect and affection". Then Vaughan was stunned when "a noted scoundrel called and know[n] as Red leaf drew from his scabbard a huge knife and cut each one of the sacks and scattered the contents furiously in every direction he then threw the Tobacco Powder and Balls in the River and in quick succession forty or fifty guns was fired off all around and about me."

A second incident involving Big Head seems to date to late December 1855. Big Head and a party of Pabaksa visited Vaughan at Ft Clark to inspect their annuity goods. So aggressive were they that Vaughan promptly departed for Ft Pierre (where Harney and his troops were present). This is covered in a report by Vaughan dated February 15th, 1856.

Red Leaf's "huge knife": could it be a knife club?

[kingsleybray]

the wounding of Red Leaf in the leg is noted in the Blue Thunder winter counts under year 1845-46 -- "North of Heart river, the Padani [Arikara] shot Red Leaf in the knee".

[ftpeckpabaksa]

Ok. Yeah am at the library was going to look for the article about Big Head. So this shows what. Three distinct bands of Pabaksa. There were those at Lake Traverse under Black Catfish and Red Leaf and Big Head. Is that where it could be at?

[kingsleybray]

The earliest documentary reference I can find to Medicine Bear (Mato Wakan, c. 1820-1883) is that he led a Yanktonai war party which, in late summer 1855, attacked the Metis (maybe their annual buffalo hunt caravan?) and stole 200 horses and thirty head of cattle -- a fantastic haul. See Mark Diedrich's book on the Mni Wakan Oyate (Spirit Lake Nation), p. 31.

This is consistent with Red Leaf's disappearance from the scene after fall 1854. Medicine Bear must have been the most famous war leader in the Pabaksa after that raid on the metis, and it is fitting that he shortly appears as a band leader. When Harney sent out his circular in November 1855, demanding that each Dakota tribe send a ten-man delegation to Fort Pierre (council of March 1856), the Upper Yanktonai selected Black Catfish to be their main spokesman or head chief. Medicine Bear was one of the nine "sub-chiefs" who accompanied Black Catfish to parley with Harney.

[kingsleybray]

Big Head, the other Pabaksa chief in the period 1855-64, did not co-operate with the Harney councils. In November 1855 the Indian Bureau Supt. Alfred Cumming descended the Missouri from Ft Benton (where he had held treaty talks with the Blackfeet). On the way some of his party's horses and mules were stolen by a Yanktonai party led by Big Head. (Could Big Head have been trying to emulate Medicine Bear's success back in August?) Cumming complained to Gen. Harney at Ft Pierre. Then in December Big Head visited Ft Clark and insulted Agt Vaughan. He rejected Harney's overtures, and consequently Harney threatened to exterminate Big Head's band. An empty threat.

In all this I'm detecting a dynamic of rivalry btw the Pabaksa leaders, trying to equal or outdo each other.

[Historian]

Jan 2, 2015 11:18:06 GMT -5 ladonna said:

Chief Bone Necklace b. 1810 James River Valley
Spouse: Kimmitowin-White Butterfly b. 1811
Children
Son: Chief Wanagiska-White Ghost b. 1828
Son: Sunka Cankohan-Dog Back b. 1832
Son: Chief Wizi- Smoking Lodge b. 1833
Son: Unsposin How-DK Howe b. 1838
Daughter: Ptemani win-Buffalo Walking Woman-b.1839
Son: Mani-Fast Walker b. 1841
Daughter: Wanyankapiwin b. 1852
Son: White b. 1853

Perhaps, "Son: Unsposin How-DK Howe b. 1838" = "Mr. On-Spe-Sni (Don't Know How),"
based on the caption below this attached colorized photo postcard I found recently.

[wwaseskuk]

Ladonna. Obviously I'm quite late to the discussion but I'd like to try to follow up on your message to Katyou on 1/05/15. While enrolled Meskwaki, our grandmother was Sioux/Ponca and we're trying to fill in a lot of gaps. Specifically, her great grandmother was Therese Latina LeCompte/ Zizi Win.

ZiZi's mother was Pazaakuwin/Brings Grass Woman. Evidently Pasie's father was Thunder Hawk and Grandfather was One Feather (Yanktonai) but I have no further information from there.

Interestingly, ZIZi's brother Louison Ludavicus LeCompte married Eaulie Lillian LeClaire and I believe they were Vetal LeCompte's grandparents. Vetal married Lourdia Firecloud who was Brown Cloud and Rebecca Red Woman's great granddaughter.

Further, Eulalie Lillian LeClaire was the daughter of Crow Feather (Sans Arc) who was married to half sister of Red Cloud.

I'm not confident I have all this correct, so I would greatly appreciate any corrections you deem appropriate. Also, any info on Thunder Hawk and One Feather would be much appreciated.

[Ho choa]

My 3rd Great-grandmother was Nancy Claywalker (Skalmani) 1837-1910 in some probate letters it says that her Uncle was Bone Necklace and her Brother was One Ear which that family goes just by Ear. I have been getting members of my family to get there DNA tested through Ancestry. I'm going to try and find descendants of Bone Necklace to see if there is a relationship between or Families. Does anyone have any further information on Bone Necklaces family ties? Gary

[lakotaman97]

Hau hau i was wondering if anyone can provide information on Deer Tail the leader of White Deer Tail Village in Maka Icu in Poplar MT anything help. Wopida

Shiloh Muskrat