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SPEAKER_00: Hi, it's Jenny. We're currently gearing up for season three of Encyclopedia Wamanica. In the meantime, we're mixing things up, bringing back some of our favorite episodes in many week-long-ish themes. Our current theme is storytellers. Stay tuned for a brand new season coming in September. Thanks for listening. Hello. From Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan, and this is Encyclopedia Wamanica. Today's storyteller was a fierce activist, writer, and composer who fought relentlessly for Native American rights and enfranchisement. She's known for being the first Native American person to write an opera, and her commitment to advocacy for indigenous people led to the passing of major legislation. Let's talk about Zitkala Shah. Zitkala Shah was born Gertrude Simmons on February 22, 1873 on the Yankton Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Her father, a white European-American man, left her mother to raise Zitkala Shah and her siblings alone. As members of the Yankton Sioux tribe, Zitkala Shah's mother ensured her children's upbringing was steeped in Indian culture and traditions. Zitkala Shah's deep love for the Yankton Sioux tribe Zitkala Shah's deep love and appreciation for her heritage started when she was young. Her main method of learning during her early years was through observation and imitation of her mother and other female elders of the tribe. When Zitkala Shah was eight years old, she was handpicked to go to the White's Indiana Manual Labor Institute, a Quaker missionary boarding school in Wabash, Indiana. Her mother objected to her leaving home, but Zitkala Shah convinced her it would be for the best. At that time, the US government restricted native access to work and education opportunities. Zitkala Shah had no idea the Institute would be such a complete culture shock. During her time at the Institute, Zitkala Shah was forced to give up her Dakota culture. She was forced to speak only English, she was indoctrinated with Christianity, and she was required to dress in more traditional Western uniforms. A pivotal moment in her formative years was when the school officials cut her long, thick hair, a sign of strength in the Sioux culture, against her will. It was at this moment that Zitkala Shah recalled losing her spirit and her Indian identity. After three years, Zitkala Shah left the school and returned to the reservation, but the damage had been done. As a result of the Institute's efforts to dismantle her native culture and replace it with whiteness, Zitkala Shah no longer felt she belonged at home. She went back to the school a few years later and graduated in 1895. She got her first taste of activism when she gave a graduation speech on the importance of women's rights. In a step toward taking back her power and independence, she changed her name from Gertrude to Zitkala Shah, which means red bird in the Lakota dialect. Zitkala Shah accepted a scholarship to Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, where she spent two years studying piano and violin and collecting stories from native tribes. Unfortunately, much of her time at Earlham was spent in isolation, as the predominantly white student body was prejudiced and discriminatory. In 1897, Zitkala Shah took her talents to the New England Conservatory of Music to further her study of the violin. The conservatory allowed her to fully express her creativity and artistic abilities. When she was 23 years old, Zitkala Shah took a post as a music teacher at the Pennsylvania Carlisle Indian Industrial School. She realized relatively quickly that Carlisle was a more destructive version of White's Indiana Manual Labor Institute, and she began to publish essays about the intentional and forceful relocation of American Indian people. Her candid criticism of the boarding school led to her reassignment as a recruiter. Zitkala Shah's assignment of returning to the Yankton Reservation to recruit more students granted her the opportunity to bear witness to the devastation of her home. It was then occupied by white settlers at the hands of the federal government. She directed her rage into her writing and got her work concerning the inhumane and dangerous nature of these boarding schools printed in national magazines like the Atlantic Monthly and Harper's Monthly. Shortly after these articles were published, Zitkala Shah was fired. In 1901, despite their estrangement, Zitkala Shah returned home to look after her sick mother. She made a living working as an issue clerk at the Standing Rock Reservation. This is where she met her husband, Captain Raymond T. Bonnen, who was also from the Yankton Sioux tribe. The couple married on May 10, 1902 and moved to Uinta and Ore Reservation in Utah, where they had their only child, Raymond O'Heeya Bonnen. Between 1900 and 1902, Zitkala Shah published Old Indian Legends, a rich collection of retold Dakota stories, and a series of autobiographical short stories, including An Indian Teacher Among Indians, Impressions of an Indian Childhood, and A Warrior's Daughter. These stories portrayed characters who endured the struggles of native people and told of their resolve to persevere beyond assimilation. In 1910, Zitkala Shah collaborated with Brigham Young University Professor William Hansen. Three years later, the two produced the Sundance Opera, the first American Indian written opera. It honored Native American tradition by using music to exalt sacred tribal dances and religious rituals. It was staged 15 times across Utah, using a mix of a native and non-native cast. The opera was a representation of personal devotion and sacrifice. Zitkala Shah also spent her time in Utah, serving as the Secretary of the Society for American Indians and as the editor of its journal, American Indian Magazine. Its mission was to preserve Native American culture and to advocate for American citizenship Zitkala Shah tried to work in tandem with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, where her husband worked. But her public criticism of the Bureau's assimilation practices led to both of their dismissals. The family moved to Washington, DC in 1916 in the hopes of making more progress in advocating for Native American rights. Zitkala Shah devoted her life to traveling across the country, giving speeches concerning the American Indian culture, giving speeches condemning assimilation and championing American citizenship and suffrage for indigenous people. She stood firm in her belief that without voting rights and citizenship, Indians were prisoners of war in the United States. Her dedication to the movement resulted in the passing of the Indian Citizenship Act in 1924, granting US citizenship to Native Americans. It did not guarantee the right to vote. Zitkala Shah and Raymond then founded the National Council of American Indians, which worked to join hands with tribes across the US to secure Native suffrage. She served as the council's president for 12 years. Zitkala Shah died on January 26, 1938 at the age of 61, just three months before the New York premiere of the Sundance Opera. She's buried in Arlington National Cemetery next to her husband. Her legacy lives on in the continuing fight for indigenous rights today. Zitkala Shah believed that the answer to Native issues lay in the power of Native people themselves. Through her work, she preserved American Indian stories and Native traditions. This was our final episode of our month of storytellers. But our ode to the power of the written word continues. On Monday, we're starting a brand new monthly theme. We're keeping our attention on a similar field. For February, we're talking about journalists. For more on why we're doing what we're doing, check out our newsletter, Womanaka Weekly. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Encyclopedia Womanaka. Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator. Talk to you on Monday.
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