Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-17
IN HONOR OF WOMAN
Monument to Memory of Early
Indian Heroine.
LEWIS AND CLARK GUIDE
Funds Raised by Club Women and
School Children.
TRIBUTE TO SIMON POKAGON
Last Chief Of Pottawatomie Nation.
Memorial to White Pigeon Of
Same Tribe.
TRIBUTE TO SIMON POKAGON
BY WILLIAM r. CURTIS.

The women of North Dakota are about
to erect a monument in front of the
capitol building at Bismarck In honor Of
Sakajawea Bird woman), the Shoshone
guide OF Lewis and Clark across the
Rocky mountains in 1904 There is al
ready a beautiful statue of this heroine
in the park at Portland. Ore. made by
70 Chicago woman artist, with funds
raised through the efforts of Mrs. Eva
Emery Dye and others. at the time Of
the Portland exposition. But Sakajawea
Is entitled to all the honors that can be
paid her.
The new statue for Bismarck was de-
signed by Leonard Crunelle and the clay
model is now in the studio Of Frederick
C. dibbard, 923 East Goth street. Chi
cago. 1t is Of heroic size. nine feet tall,
and depicts an Indian woman muffied in
blanket, with a papoose upon her back
and her right arm extended as II pointing
out the way. Mr.. Crunelle visited the In
dian reservation at Elbow Woods. N. -,
two years ago to study and sketch Indian
figures and costumes. and has had the
advice Of Spotted Weasel and James
Holding Eagle. who have visited Chi
|cago to inspect and criticise the statue.
The bronze will be cast next June or
July. and will be then shipped to its des-
kota has appropriated money for a. gran
lite pedestal, which will be placed about
half a mile from the Missouri river, so
that the figure will face that stream. 1t
is expected that the statue Will be In
place ready for unwilling in October.
Women and Children Raise Fund.
The money to pay for the statue was
raised by the Federation OF Women's
Clubs in North Dakota and from the
school children Of that state. The reasons
why the women and children should erect
statue to Sakajawea are given in la
comic terms in q little circular published
by the Women's Federation:
/. Sakajawea was the first North Da-
kotan whose name was enrolled on the
pages Of history.
2 1t is proper that We mark historic
spots in our young and rising common
wealth.
3. Sakajawea was the only woman to
accompany the Lewis and Clark expedi-
ton.
4. She was their guide and interpreter.
8. She protected them when threatened
by hostile Indians.
6 She procured for them food and
horses when destitute Of both.
z. She saved their journals and valuable
papers at the risk Of her own life.
8. She was the only one OF the party
who received no pecuniary compensation
for her services.
O. While enduring hardships and suf-
ferings, she administered to the necessi-
ties of others.
10. She welcomed with intelligent ap-
probation the civilization of the white
race, and was the first Indian west Of the
Missouri river known to embrace Chris
tianity.
II. She was the first pioneer mother to
cross the Rocky mountains and carry her
baby into the Oregon country.
Claimed by North Dakota.
The women of North Dakota have good
historical ground for claiming Sakajawea
as fellow-citizen. because, although she
was q Shoshone by birth and that tribe
| lived farther west, In the mountains of
Wyoming. she was captured by the eros
Ventre Indians Of North Dakota when
| she was eleven years old. was brought
| up by them, wore their costume and the
| name they bestowed upon her-Tsa-ka-
ka-wi-ash, which means "bird-woman"-
often spelled Sa-ka-ka (bird) wia-a (wom-
| am.
the east she went to her own tribe, whose
| headquarters were near the present city
| of Lander. Wyo.. and there lived until
her death. in 1884. at the supposed age
OF 125 years. She is buried in the Episco-
pal cemetery near the agency. Several of
her descendants are living on the Sho-
shone reservation, and her son, known
as "Old Brazil" has been quite promi-
nent in tribal affairs
| There Is no monument to Simon Polka
| gon, the last chief OF the Pottawatomie
| nation, in Jackson Park. Chicago, SO far
as I can ascertain, although the Indian
! Encyclopedia. recently compiled by the
bureau of ethnology Of the Smithsonian
| there to the memory Of Simon and Leo
| pold his father. He Is entitled to q mon
ument. One ought to be erected in his
| honor. because he was one of the most
| Indian chieftafns In the central states
and was the last ruler OF one of the
greatest Of the aboriginal nations.
Sketch Of Pokagon.
The Indian Encyclopedia gives the fol-
lowing Interesting sketch of Pokagon:
THE last chief OF the Pokagon band OF
| Pottawatomie born in 1880. at their old
| village. one mile from st. Joseph river,
Berrien county, Mich: died in Allegan
| county. Mich. January q, 1899. His
father. Leopold Pokagon. was chief for
twelve years. and signed several impor-
| tant treaties with the United States in be-
| half Of his trfbe-that of Tippecanoe river,
October %. 1882, being the one by which
the site Of Chicago came into possession
or the whites.
Simon was ten years OF age when his
father died, and on reaching his four
teenth year was sent to school at Notre
Dame. Ind, for three years; then encour-
aged by his mother in his desire for edu-
cation. he attended Oberlin College, Ohio.
for a year. and next went to Twinsburg,
Ohio, where he remained two years.
TT Is said that he was educated for
the priesthood. spoke four or FIVE different
languages, and bore the reputation Of be-
ing the best educated fullIblood Indian OF
his time. He wrote numerous articles
for the leading magazines. and delivered
many addresses of merit during the last
1889 he published in book form a poem,
Ogimawkwe Mitigwakr Queen of the
Woods'), an account of the wooing Of
his first wife. and at the worlds fair in
Chicago in 1893. The Red Mans Greet
ing booklet of birch bark.
''He was a poet. and the last OF his
verses, both in its English and Pottawato-
ME versions. appeared in the Chicago Inter
Ocean January q. 1899. just before his
death. Pokagon was credited with ably
managing the affairs Of his 800 tribes
men, scattered through Michigan, and in
spired by enlightened views, was the
means OF promoting their welfare. He
pressed and finally collected a Pottawa-
tonne claim for $4,000 from the United
States. He was q man OF sturdy char
acter, unostentatious in manner. Of sim
pie habit, and q consistent Catholic
Three Tribes Once One.
According to the traditions Of all three