Women's History Month Spotlight: Zitkala-Sa, American Indian Musician/Author/Activist
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| Zitkala-Sa was an American Indian author, educator, musician and activist. |
By Tisha George |West End/Titusville Branch Library
Meet Zitkala-Sa (1876-1938), an author, educator, musician, and Sioux Dakota activist.
Zitkala-Sa was born on the Yankton Sioux Reservation and attended an “American Indian” reform school. Her time at this school was her first experience with the traumatic deculturation of the Native American people and instilled in her a strong sense of injustice.
She used this experience as a catalyst for her writing and activism. Her writing was published in national magazines and she authored the first published Native American opera, The Sun Dance, combining music and the tradition of oral storytelling.
In her writing, she strove to uphold Native American culture, values, and experiences. Wanting to do more, she and her family moved to Washington, D.C. where she worked for the Society for American Indians and American Indian Magazine.
While there, Zitkala-Sa and her husband founded the National Council of American Indians and she organized the Indian Welfare Committee, part of the National General Federation of Women’s Clubs. She raised public awareness on many issues that continue to surround Native American society, such as education, health, and religion.
Further, her activism and political influence within the committees and organizations she represented directly influenced policies that led to the establishment of the Indian Citizenship Act in 1924 and the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, both of which led to greater autonomy for Native American people.
While there are a number of well-known figures in women’s history, there are countless others who have fought societal norms and cultural injustice in the name of equality, fairness, and autonomy. Here is one of those women.
Want to learn more about Zitkala-Sa? The Birmingham Public Library has lots of books for all ages about her life and writings. Click here to start your search.
Here are some of my favorites:
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