BY: Eddie PettisSean Flynn

Logan Drew

Gertrude Bonnin

Born in 1876, on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota

Father - Felker (White man) Mother - Ellen Tate Iyohinwin (She Reaches for

the Wind) Simmons, full-blooded Sioux.

Gertrude Bonnin Age 8 left the Reservation White's Manual Labor Institute in Wabash, Indiana Age 19, Simmons enrolled at Earlham College in

Richmond, Indiana Taught at the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania

Gertrude Bonnin 1902 - Married Raymond Talesfase Bonnin The Society of the American Indians 1916 - Became the society’s secretary 1926 Bonnin founded the National Council of

American Indians

Gertrude Bonnin Published short stories and autobiographical essays

The Atlantic Monthly and Harper’s Monthly under her pen name, Zitkala-Sa (Red Bird).

First Period of her Literature Was one of the first Sioux women to write the stories

and traditions of her people.

The period she was writing this was the turn of the century 1900 - 1904

Such as: Impressions of an Indian Childhood The School Days of an Indian Girl An Indian Teacher among Indians

Literature She continued to write after those stories but she did

not publish them, such as the “Sun Dance Opera” & “Dreams and Thunder” which are published to by P. Jane Hafen.

The “Sun Dance Opera” was performed in 1913 presented at Orpheus Hall in Vernal, Utah, a town in the northeast.

Second Period of her Literature This period was almost exclusively made up of

political writings  Such as : American Indian Stories.

A strong political voice for Native Americans

Literature

Bonnin's masterful use of language.

For example: "The Big Red Apples" causes white readers to re-think traditional Christian conquests by suggesting that the Indian was corrupted by the dominant culture.

Native Americans Many Natives as well as Bonnin went through some

tough times.

Many Native Americans were sent off to boarding school.

As a Native American growing up they were very free.

The Wounded Knee Massacre Last of the Indian wars

Effected not only her life but her literature.

School Days She was very innocent

Innocence to experienced

Questions 1. What College did Bonnin attend? Answer- Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana 2. How was her hair symbolized in “The Cutting of My

Long Hair” Answer- In the Native American culture that she came

from, cutting one’s hair was symbolic of shame and or mourning.

3. Even though the Indians had a tough life in this time period how was Bonnin’s childhood?

Answer- Her childhood was nice she described it as free and was surrounded by people she trusted.