Nellie Two Bears Gates facts for kids
Nellie Two Bears Gates (her Dakota name was Maȟpíya Boǧáŋwiŋ, meaning "Gathering of Clouds Woman") was a Native American artist. She lived from about 1854 to 1935. Nellie was famous for her amazing beadwork. Her art showed the history and culture of the Yanktonai Dakota people. She often gave her beautiful beaded suitcases and traveling bags as gifts. Today, many of these artworks are kept in important art collections and shown in museums around the world.
Growing Up
Nellie Two Bears Gates was born in 1854. Her family belonged to the Yanktonai Dakota people. Their traditional lands were between the Missouri and James Rivers, in what is now North and South Dakota.
When Nellie was seven years old, she was sent away from her family. She went to a Catholic boarding school in St. Joseph, Missouri. She stayed there for eleven years. At school, Nellie was a very good student. She learned to speak English and French fluently.
In 1863, when Nellie was nine and still at school, her family's village faced a terrible attack. Their village was destroyed during the Battle of Whitestone Hill. Her father, Chief Two Bears, was an important leader. He signed the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868). This treaty helped his people settle at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. When Nellie was 18, she returned to live with her family at Standing Rock. After that, she only spoke the Dakota language.
Her Family
Nellie married Frank Gates in 1878. They had seven children together: Frank (born 1878), Mary Ann (born 1884), Mollie (born 1885), Josephine (born 1888), Catherine (born 1889), John (born 1891), and Annie.
Nellie's daughter, Josephine Gates Kelly, became very important. In 1946, she was the first woman in the United States to be chosen as the leader of a tribal council. Josephine was the tribal chair of the Standing Rock Reservation from 1946 to 1951. She might also have been the first female delegate to a Republican National Convention. Nellie's great-granddaughter is the well-known author Susan Power.
Amazing Artworks
Nellie Two Bears Gates created many beautiful beaded artworks. These pieces often told stories or showed important events.
One of her famous pieces is a Suitcase made between 1880 and 1910. This suitcase is now kept at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. It shows a wedding scene. Nellie made it as a special gift for her relative, Ida Claymore, to celebrate her marriage.
Another important artwork is the Pictorial Valise (around 1903). A "valise" is another word for a small traveling bag. This valise is part of the Hirschfield Family Collection. It was shown at the Artists of the Earth and Sky exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Nellie made this valise for her daughter Josephine. It was a graduation gift when Josephine finished school at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania. This valise shows Chief Two Bears' actions during the Battle of Whitestone Hill in 1863.
The Beaded Valise (around 1907) is another traveling case. It shows pictures of warriors riding horses. Nellie gave this valise as a wedding present to her son-in-law, J. A. Archambault. This artwork has been shown in many famous places. These include the Smithsonian Institution, the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, and the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art.
Nellie Gates's work was also part of a big art show in 2019. This show was called Hearts of our People: Native Women Artists. It was held at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
