Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-23

7ITKALA-SA, her name meaning Red Bird in
i, the Sioux tongue is a wonderful little woman
- born twenty Eight thirty years ago, of Sioux
parents, at Yankton Agency South Dakota. AT
eight years of age she attending Presbyterian
mission school at the agency, when there to
the reservation from Indiana worthy pair, much
interested in mission work among the Indians.
These good people noted the uncommonly bright
little Indian girl, and Immediately were consumed
with the desire to give her all the advantages
accorded to any of her white sisters. After much
persuasion the widowed mother was prevailed upon
to part from her child in consideration that the girl
be allowed to spend her summer vacations at home.
And SO little Red Bird taken away from home
and into the family of the Indiana people. She
treated among them with great Kindness and
given the best advantages for education which
their State afforded She was graduated from a
high school and later from a college, and given
extra advantages in music, for which she early
showed an aptitude. By means of all this culture
she became a young woman of fine intellectual
attainments, and performer violin and piano
attracted wide attention.
She taught two years at Carlisle College, and
finally took to literary work. wrote series of articles
folklore of her people, entitled old Indian LIE
gends" Comments upon her work and various
photographs. of her appeared in the leading maya
zines, and for a time it seemed that she might
mount the stage of public favor. Then she married
the son of an old French fur-trader and domestic
duties have for time absorbed her energies. That
she will the fore again in the field of fiction
/ predict with good deal of certainty. That
she is a of most uncommon character and
atta1nmentS, one VINO would attract marked atten-
ton in any society, l testify from personal
acquaintance
Immortalizing Indian Legends
FIRST met Zitkala-Sa at Devils Lake Agency
with headquarters at Fort Totten North
Dakota, whittier she had gone to complete her
work in making book of Indian legends. At the
fort for five six weeks she had quarters with the
post physician while was domiciled with the Indian
agent. Thus it was that two people most deeply
interested in the life and folklore of her people
tod o1rh If Io,11y
and workaday sympathy.
Finding in perfect accord with her in all her
aspirations for the uplifting of her people, the young
threw aside her natural and
absolutely frank with in every expression of
thought and sentiment. She talked the mood
fe-and such moods! Often she reminded of
a June day which offers dusty whirlwinds sudden
showers and the balm of perfect weather in quick
succession. She seemed to a transplanted
personality having been set upon planet which
had not been prepared for her coming, at least upon
its human side She Pagan in feeling, Christian
by education, and absolutely free from all conven-
tional forms of thought. She approached nature
as of natures children To her all things ami
mate and inanmate, each tree, plant, insect bird
and animal, had soul important and sacred
her All these personages to whom
she might communicate her thought and feeling
in measure be understood of them. Even stone
was presented to her mind as personality. This
was one of the ancient and a1-enduring ones who