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White Bird

Oglala Lakota

 

 

White Bird was an Oglala chief of the Spleen band. He also was photographed by Daniel S. Mitchell and listed by him as Oglala.

I remember that the Spleen band after the violent death of the older Yellow Bear (killed by John Richard) splitted into several factions lead by White Bird, Calico and the younger Yellow Bear.

— Dietmar Schulte-Möhring

White Bird (Zintkala Ska) was an Oglala Lakota, born about 1841. As noted above, he was a member of the Tapisleca or Spleen Band. This band was originally led by the popular Oglala headman Yellow Bear, until he was killed by John Richard near Fort Laramie in 1872. By the time of the Great Sioux War of 1876-77, another Oglala named Yellow Bear, probably a brother, had taken the leadership position. In the years that followed, several others"brothers" such as Black Hawk and Red Willow were also prominent among the band.

White Bird may have been related to the Yellow Bear family in some way, though I have not been able to find out how. He was photographed by D. S. Mitchell in 1877 at the Red Cloud Agency, but really seems to have come into his own as an band leader of the Tapisleca during the 1879-81 period. He was a brother of Yankton Charley, also known as Plenty Wolf (Yankton Charley was also photographed by Godkin); and he was a brother of Red Eared Horse.

I do not have a date of death for him. — Ephriam Dickson

Little Wound, chief of the Oglala Kiyaksa band, was married to two sisters of White Bird.

White Bird's brother Red-Eared Horse (1838-1918) was said to have been baptised by Fr DeSmet at the Horse Creek Treaty in 1851.

The above details are from John Colhoff.

White Bird was an akicita leader in the Spleen band after it reassembled at Red Cloud Agency in December 1876. Agent Irwin wrote the Commissioner of Indian Affairs on July 13, 1878, requesting certificates of good conduct for certain Oglala leaders. He included Yellow Bear (the Spleen band chief), among the "chiefs", to be so recognized and then added the names of two "head men" (as distinct in his mind from chiefs): Little Big Man and White Bird.

Interestingly Billy Garnett's account of the move to Pine Ridge (fall 1878) lists the Oglala band chiefs involved in the removal. White Bird (but not Yellow Bear) is so named. We might put that down to faulty memory thirty years after the event, but the interesting thing is that when V. T. McGillycuddy assumed control at the new Pine Ridge Agency in March 1879 he received from Dr Irwin a tabulation of the Oglala bands (by chiefs' names). This contemporary document names White Bird as the Spleen band chief. So something happened to Yellow Bear II, or to his status, during 1878. Other chiefs like Three Bears come to the fore at this time. I've wondered if there's some connection to the chartering (or revival) of the headman's society the Ska Yuha (White Horse Owners).

According to the No Ears group of Oglala winter counts, White Bird died in 1896.

About dating the Godkin photos, I would have thought about 1879? — Kingsley Bray

I went through the Report of Births and Deaths at Pine Ridge and found that White Bird (Ticket no. 773) was reported as a death in the Wakpamni District for the quarter ending Dec. 31, 1896. — Ephriam Dickson

I looked through the Master Thesis of Wilhelm K Meya “The Calico Winter Count 1825-1877: An Ethnohistorical Analysis” (University of Arizona 1999). There is some interesting information about the Spleen band in it.

The Spleen or Melt band was lead before 1865 by the chiefs Blackfoot and Two Face. Both were hung at Fort Laramie although they handed over two captive women to the Fort Commander. In the time after that incident the Spleen tiospaye was lead by Yellow Bear I. After the Bozeman Trail War of 1866-68 the band was considered by the U.S. Army as a “friendly” band. By 1873 they were camped under the leadership of Red Cloud near Fort Robinson. They did not participate in the Sioux War of 1876. Some of the band´s headman and warriors even enlisted and served as US Indian scouts (Like Calico/Black Shield).

After the death of Yellow Bear I the band split up without central leadership. Although Red Cloud tried to install Calico (also known as Black Shield, a nephew of the former chief Two Face) as the band´s head in 1874, Yellow Bear II had established by 1876 his own Spleen tiospaye at Fort Robinson. These seem to be the main groups among the Tapisleca.

This fractionalization must have gone even farther, because according to Meya there were more camps on Pine Ridge, that were rated as Tapisleca. After 1881 he gives the following divisions:

1. Chief Calico (Tapisleca) White Clay Creek (modern Calico Community)
2. Chief White Bird (Tapisleca) White Clay Creek
3. Chief Yellow Bear II (Skopa) Yellow Bear Canyon (Allen)
4. unknown leader (Wakpamnila/Distribution Band) Eagle Nest or Pass Creek Districts
5. unknown leader (Cansaca/Red Dog Wood) Eagle Nest or Pass Creek Districts

I conclude that White Bird and Calico and their camps were closely associated. Both seem to be supported by Red Cloud, maybe this is also a reason for the marginalization of Yellow Bear II.

— Dietmar Schulte-Möhring

The Godkin photo (despite the handwritten name):

A later photo (D.F. Barry?):


 

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