Vestana Cadue facts for kids

Vestana Cadue (whose Kickapoo name was Pam-o-thah-ah-quah) was born on January 31, 1901, and passed away on June 22, 1974. She made history as the first woman to lead the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas as its chairperson. She was chosen for this important role just a few months before the U.S. government planned to end its official relationship with her tribe. Vestana Cadue bravely led her tribe to stop this plan, protecting their land and way of life.

Growing Up: Vestana's Early Life

Vestana Masquat was born on January 31, 1901. Her family lived on the Kickapoo Reservation in Kansas. Her parents were Eugene Masquat and Ella Dupuis.

When Vestana was young, government agents took her and her brothers and sisters to the Genoa Indian Industrial School in Genoa, Nebraska. This school was like a military camp. Students had to march and follow strict rules. The main goal of the school was to teach students job skills. They learned reading, writing, and math. However, the school only went up to the tenth grade. It was hard for Native American students to get a full high school education.

A Strong Leader for Her Tribe

Vestana Cadue became the first woman elected to lead the Kickapoo Council. She started her first term in April 1953. She was re-elected for a second term in 1955. She continued to serve as chairperson until 1961. Her son, Kenneth Cadue, then took over the leadership role.

Fighting for Tribal Rights

Just five months after Vestana became chairperson, her tribe faced a huge challenge. On August 1, 1953, the United States Congress passed a plan called House Concurrent Resolution 108. This plan aimed to "terminate" many Native American tribes.

What did "termination" mean? It meant the U.S. government would stop all help and services to these tribes. It would also end their reservations. This would have been very harmful to the tribes. The Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas was one of the tribes targeted for this plan.

Standing Up to Termination

In February 1954, meetings were held in Congress about the Kansas tribes. Vestana Cadue, along with other tribal leaders, traveled to Washington, D.C. They paid for their own trips to speak up. They told lawmakers and the media how unfair termination would be.

They explained that their tribes needed more help, not less. They said that ending aid for hospitals, schools, and farms would destroy their communities. Because of the strong voices of leaders like Vestana Cadue and Minnie Evans from the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, the Kickapoo and other Kansas tribes avoided termination. This was a huge victory for them.

Protecting Tribal Property

Vestana Cadue also fought to protect tribal property. There was an old school building on the reservation that had closed and burned down. The government wanted to sell the land. Vestana argued that the school was built with money from tribal land sales. This meant it belonged to the tribe.

She wrote letters to officials in Washington, D.C., to stop the sale. Because of her efforts, the tribe was allowed to use the property. This showed her dedication to protecting her tribe's resources.

Vestana's Family Life

Vestana married Albert Cadue. They had five children: Alberta, Malinda, Kenneth, Jerald, and Albert. They raised their children on the Kickapoo Reservation in Kansas.

Vestana Cadue passed away on June 22, 1974, in Hiawatha, Kansas. She was buried in the Kickapoo cemetery.