Albert Negahnquet facts for kids
Albert J. Negahnquet (born December 11, 1874 – died November 13, 1944) was a very important person in American history. He was also known as Dom Bede or "Leading-Cloud." He became the first Native American Catholic priest in the United States.
Early Life and Family
Albert Negahnquet was born in 1874 near St. Marys, Kansas. He was the oldest of ten children. His parents were Stephen Negahnquet (also called Nebawqua) and Angeline Wawaseq.
Albert's father, Stephen, was a respected leader among the Potawatomi people. He received land as part of a special agreement called the "Treaty of Washington with the Potawatomi" in 1867. This treaty helped create new lands for the Potawatomi in what is now Shawnee, Oklahoma. The Potawatomi who moved there became known as the Citizen Potawatomi Nation.
Stephen Negahnquet quickly became a leader in Oklahoma. He was one of the first tribal members to welcome the Catholic Sacred Heart Mission to Potawatomi County in 1879.
Education and Calling
From a young age, Albert had a strong desire to teach his people. He wanted to share the Bible's lessons in the Potawatomi language. Because of this, his father sent him to the Sacred Heart Mission Institute. This was a Catholic boarding school for Native American boys.
Albert later traveled to Rome, Italy, to study at the College of the Propaganda Fide. He was very talented with languages. He could speak Potawatomi, English, and Italian.
Becoming a Priest
After four years of study in Rome, Albert Negahnquet achieved a historic milestone. He became a priest on June 6, 1903. He was the very first full-blood Native American to join the Roman Catholic priesthood.
Father Albert dedicated his life to serving many Native American communities. When he returned to the United States, he worked in Muskogee, Oklahoma. There, he helped the Creeks, Cherokees, and other Catholics.
He also had important missions among the Chippewas in White Earth, Minnesota. He worked at the St. Agnes' Catholic Indian School in Antlers, Oklahoma. For a long time, he was a chaplain at St. Louis' Osage School in Pawhuska, Oklahoma.
In 1925, he became an assistant rector at St. Joseph's Cathedral in Oklahoma City.
A Catholic newspaper called The Indian Sentinel often praised Father Albert. They also recognized Father Philip B. Gordon, who was the second Native American Catholic priest. Both were honored for their important religious work.
Later Life
Albert Negahnquet later married Edith Duncan in Fort Worth, Texas. They lived in Oklahoma City for some years.
Albert Negahnquet passed away on November 13, 1944. He is buried at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Asher, Potawatomi County, Oklahoma.
