Zitkala-Sa
Zitkála-Šá (1876-1938) was a Native American writer, musician, and activist of the Yankton Dakota Sioux.
(1876-1938) Native American member of the Yankton Dakota Sioux, also known as Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, and “Red Bird” in the Lakota language. Like many Native Americans, Zitkála-Šá was removed from her family and sent to a boarding school. She was a gifted musician, activist, prodigious writer, and co-founder of the National Council of American Indians. She fought fearlessly for Native rights, including working for the passage of the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924.
Zitkála-Šá was also the first Native Indian to write an opera called “Sundance.” She spent the rest of her life in Washington, DC, where her activism continued until she died in 1938.
