Zintkala Nuni facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ziŋtkála Núni
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| "Lost Bird" | |
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Zintkála Nuni at 4 months old, held by her adoptive father, General Leonard Colby
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| Born |
Unknown
1890 |
| Died | February 14, 1920 (aged 29–30) |
| Resting place | Wounded Knee |
| Nationality | Sioux; United States of America |
| Other names | Margaret Elizabeth "Zintka" Colby Zintka L. Colby "Lost Bird" Maggie C. Nailor Brings White Horse Okicize Wanji Cinca |
| Education | Haskell Indian School, Kansas Chamberlain Indian School, Chamberlain, South Dakota Milford Industrial Home, Nebraska |
| Occupation |
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| Employer | Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show and Sells-Floto Circus (1914-15), Pathe (1912) |
| Spouse(s) | Albert Chalivat, Robert "Bill" Keith, Dick Allen |
| Children | Three. Only surviving: "Clyde" (born circa. 1913). |
| Parent(s) | Unknown; adopted parents: Clara Colby and Leonard Colby |
Zintkála Nuni (meaning Lost Bird in the Lakota language) was a Lakota Sioux woman. Born in 1890, she was only four months old when she was found alive after the terrible Wounded Knee Massacre.
Contents
Finding Lost Bird: Her Early Life
On the fourth day after the Wounded Knee Massacre, a US Army team went to bury the dead. They found Zintkála Nuni alive under the snow. She was still tied to her frozen mother's back.
She was painted with red, white, and blue grease. This was to protect her from the cold. Zintkála Nuni was one of six babies found alive. She was taken to the nearby Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Lakota people cared for her, and she recovered fully. No one knew her real name, so she was called Zintkála Nuni, or "Lost Bird."
Adoption by General Colby
In January 1891, General Leonard Wright Colby became interested in the baby. He took Zintkála Nuni by train to his home in Beatrice, Nebraska. He saw her as a "relic" from the Wounded Knee event. On January 19, 1891, he officially adopted her. He named her Margaret Elizabeth Colby.
General Colby often showed Zintkála Nuni to many visitors. He called her "my relic of the Sioux War." Zintkála was raised by Colby's wife, Clara Bewick Colby. Clara was a suffragette, working for women's right to vote. She also published a newspaper called The Woman's Tribune. Clara called the girl "Zintka" instead of "Leonarda."
Growing Up and Education
When Zintkála was five, General Colby left the family. He married Zintkála's nanny. Zintkála was raised by a wealthy white family. However, she was sent to special boarding schools for Native American children. This meant she faced prejudice and felt like she didn't belong.
Because Clara Colby was often busy, Zintkála spent her school years at different Native American boarding schools. These included Haskell in Kansas and Chamberlain in South Dakota. When she was 17, Clara Colby sent Zintkála to live with her adoptive father.
General Colby sent Zintkála to the Milford Industrial Home in Nebraska. This was a place for young women. She stayed there for about a year.
Zintkála Nuni's Career
Zintkála Nuni worked as a mascot for the Omniciye Tonka Lakota in 1910. In 1912, she started working for Pathe, a film company. She appeared in movies like The Round-up and War on the Plains.
Later, she joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. This show had teamed up with the Sells-Floto Circus for the 1914-1915 season. After that, she started her own vaudeville entertainment business. She performed with her husband, Dick Allen.
Supporting Women's Rights
From a young age, Zintkála Nuni had her own section in Clara Colby's newspaper, Woman’s Tribune. It was called "Zintkála’s Corner." In 1899, she went with Clara Colby to London for the International Council of Women.
She also played the role of Pocahontas at the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco.
Her Search for Identity
As she grew up, Zintkála Nuni met many important Native American leaders. These included Queen Liluokalani of Hawaii and other survivors of Wounded Knee. She also met Red Cloud.
Zintkála Nuni often tried to connect with the Lakota tribe. She felt a strong pull to her heritage. In a letter, she wrote: "I want to go there [Standing Rock Reservation] very very much. … I don't belong here anyway and these are not my tribe of Indians and I hate it here." She felt that South Dakota was the only place she was truly happy.
Being taken from her Lakota family meant she lost her language, music, and family connections. It also meant losing a part of her identity. Zintkála Nuni became good friends with Mary Thomas, another child survivor of Wounded Knee. In 1915, she applied to become a citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation.
Later Life and Passing
In December 1915, Zintkála Nuni's land on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation was sold without her permission. Three years later, she and her third husband moved to his parents' home in Hanford, California. During this time, her husband and one of her children passed away.
Zintkála Nuni's health got worse over time. She lost sight in one eye and had other health problems. On February 14, 1920, she died from heart failure. This happened during the Spanish influenza epidemic. She was buried in a simple grave in Hanford, California.
Personal Life
Marriages
Zintkála Nuni had three marriages. She first married Albert Chalivat in Washington. Later, during her time in Hollywood, she married actor Robert 'Bob' Keith in 1913. Her third marriage was to fellow circus performer Dick Allen in 1915.
Children
Zintkála Nuni had three children. Her first child passed away in 1908. Her second son, Clyde, was born around 1913. He was later cared for by a Native American woman in California. Her third child, with Dick Allen, also passed away.
Remembering Zintkála Nuni
On July 11, 1991, a special ceremony was held in Wounded Knee, South Dakota. Zintkála Nuni's remains were brought back and buried near the mass grave of her Lakota family. This ceremony was led by Arvol Looking Horse, a Lakota spiritual leader.
To honor her, the "Lost Bird Society" was created. This group helps Native Americans who were adopted outside their culture to reconnect with their heritage. Zintkála Nuni also inspired the main character in the children's story Yellow Star by Elaine Goodale Eastman.
