No Heart (chief) facts for kids
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Notchininga, often called No Heart or No Heart of Fear, was an important leader of the Iowa people. He worked hard to protect his people and their lands.
No Heart's Early Life and Family
No Heart was the brother of another famous Iowa leader named Mahaska, also known as White Cloud. Mahaska was the main chief of the Iowa people until he passed away in 1834. Both Mahaska and No Heart were open to new ideas and believed in education. They tried to live peacefully with their neighbors and with the American settlers.
After Mahaska's death, No Heart became a trusted advisor to Mahaska's son, who was also named White Cloud. No Heart helped the younger White Cloud lead the Iowa people.
Protecting Iowa Lands
In 1837, No Heart traveled to Washington, D.C. as part of a group of Iowa leaders. They went to a big meeting with leaders from many different Native American nations. The main goal of this meeting was to solve arguments about land borders between the Santee Sioux and their rivals, the Sauk and Meskwaki (Fox) peoples.
The Iowa people had already lost some of their land to the Sauk and Meskwaki in the Missouri River Valley. No Heart and other Iowa leaders were there to make sure their people's rights were heard. The meeting did set new borders, but it also led to the United States taking a lot of land from the Santee, Sauk, and Meskwaki.
No Heart was worried that this would make things even worse for the Iowa. He believed that if the Sauk and Meskwaki lost land, they would try even harder to move onto Iowa territory. He showed a detailed map of the Missouri valley to prove that the Iowa people had a rightful claim to their lands. However, the United States government did not listen to No Heart's arguments. They favored the more powerful Sioux, Sauk, and Meskwaki nations.
Becoming Principal Chief
In 1850, the younger White Cloud was no longer the main chief of the Iowa. At that time, No Heart stepped up and became the principal chief of the Iowa people. He continued to lead his people through challenging times.
