April 22, 2012
The Argus Leader in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, reminds us today of the remarkable life of Zitkala-Sa (Red Bird in her original Dakota language), who was born (probably) on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota and graduated from Earlham College in 1897. After her marriage, she was also known as Gertrude Simmons Bonnin.
She was an educator, an accomplished musician and composer, a folklorist, and throughout her life a steadfast advocate for the dignity and full rights of Native American peoples. She died in 1938 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
