11/20/2023
LITTLE WOUND โ Little Wound, (Taopi Cikala), son of Chief Bull Bear was born August 10, 1830 and died July 8, 1901 at his home near Kyle. His brothers were Spotted Eagle, Thunder Bull, Bull Bear and Little Chief.
After his fatherโs killing, stories in history say it had to do with Red Cloud around 1841, Little Wound was raised by his elder brother Bull Bear and other members of his family . After his brotherโs death in a fight, Little Wound became itancan of the Kiyuksa.
He married Tells Lies prior to 1862 by Lakota custom and of their marriage they had seven children according to BIA records. Wonโt Give Up Blanket, a daughter who died about 1882 at 20 years old. A son George Little Wound, who died August 15, 1935 at 68 years old. Another son Andrew Little Wound, who died about 1894 at 23 years old. Another son James Little Wound, who died about Jan. 10, 1920 at 45 years old. A daughter Jennie Little Wound, who died Feb, 1897 at 20 years old. They also had two children who died in infancy. They adopted a son Alexandar Baxter who died March 31, 1916 at 71 years old. Baxter was of African descent and came from the south and there are stories of how Little Wound and his family found him and adopted him. Little Wound also had other children including a daughter Philomena who married Charles Turning Hawk. There are descendants in the Medicine Root area from this union.
Little Wound was considered a third generation leader and in his leadership skills, he maintained the interest and welfare of the Kiyaska band. He had an interest in the spiritual, economic, social and eventually the education of the band.
Historical documents and oral stories tell of his leadership skills and his willingness to battle the government for the safety of his people.
The band of Little Wound wondered about and around 1864 or so, they moved to the South Platte area. Around 1871, Little Wound settled at the Red Cloud agency near Medicine Root. Little Woundโs position become more and more progressive to the eyes of the United States agents and officials, especially in the Agent McGillycuddy years.
Little Wound joined various delegations to Washington, DC from 1872 to 1880 and by the end of 1880, the chief shifted to a more anti progressive position opposes certain bills. He was considered an Episcopalian but yet became a ghost dancer follower. When he died in 1901, he was survived by his sons George and James and his daughter Philomena Turning Hawk.
During the time of the 1800s, newspapers were the most vibrant way of communication of a developing America. It was a time when the Indian wars were going on and in the late 1880s, and it was time of when tribes begin settling into reservation life.
Reporters would often report on the developments of tribes and leadership, often giving a view of life of the colonizer.
Little Wound like many other old warriors joined the expo, mostly it was Bill Codyโs show. Newspapers would report on the shows as they traveled around the country and overseas. They would leave and come back home and more would leave. Their pay averaged $25 a month, with wording on when they would get their pay and of course the Indian agents made sure the Indians werenโt taken advantage of they would provide wording to protect them.
People like Bill Cody would come to the reservation and entice Lakota people to join the show. One Indian agent in the Indian commission reports complained in his report and called it more or less an act of human trafficking. They had aperformance level of those in were in the show and they would carry an amulet for leadership in the shows.
In 1901 the government allowed Geronimo, an imprisoned Apache, to be part of the expo. He was still considered a prisoner of war and the government saw it as a way to get him more civilized and get acculturated. Geronimo got interested in fireworks and he dabbled in them. It was early July, 1901 and the country was celebrating the fourth. More than one newspaper such as the St. Louis Dispatch and the Buffalo Review reported of Geronimo and others snuck in fireworks and overdid the power of his fireworks and it exploded in a tipi, causing some damage and wounding Little Wound who was in the tipi.
His injuries were to his arms and face. There are numerous articles about the incident, about Little Woundโs injuries. Little Wound later went home as he become ill and he died two weeks after.
In one of the articles, Tells Lies, his wife wrote to the expo and let them know of the death of Little Wound. One newspaper wrote of Little Wound and his historical past and said at the time of his death, he owned 2,000 cattle and 500 horses.
The expo, which an average of 700 Indians were a part of, held a mourning ceremony for Little Wound. Newspapers reported about the memorial ceremony, which there was a lot of confusion and demands. Some wanted it to be part of the show and open it to the public, others wanted it held private. In the end, it was opened to the public with Geronimo officiating. According to the mainstream news reports, it was a mixed of Christian belief songs and Lakota tradition.
George Little Wound, son of Little Wound, died about when he was 68 years old. George and others were instrumental in requesting a day school to Kyle, which is now Little Wound School. The younger Little Wound followed the leadership path of promoting education as his father did. Chief Little Wound also advocated for schools to be closer to home, namely day schools.
Carlisle Indian Industrial School was well known for taking tribal students away from their homes to be educated and existed from 1879 to 1918. More than 10,000 Native American children from 140 tribes attended Carlisle. A Carlisle student record from March 29, 1889, shows George Little Wound attending the school.
Student information card of George Little Wound, a member of the Sioux Nation, who entered the school on September 12, 1885 and departed on March 27, 1889. The file indicates Little Wound was living in Kyle, South Dakota in 1913. His father was listed at Little Wound.
In a letter of March 22, 1889, Richard Henry Pratt requests authority to return four students from the Pine Ridge Agency due to health and character. He notes that the school physician has diagnosed three students with scrofula and incipient consumption. Pratt asks that he be provided with four tickets from Carlisle to Rushville, Nebraska for the students and one ticket for an es**rt to Valentine, Nebraska. Pratt, Richard Henry, Little Wound George, Tyon Adelia and Day Lucy.
In a questionnaire letter to George Little Wound from Carisle he was married to Belle Yellow Wolf and was still ill from the sickness he had at the school. He stated he went to school to get an education to go out in the world and do something but was greatly mistaken as he returned home sick.
In Sept 10, 1909, issue of the Norfolk Weekly, George Little Wound was on the Indian council that rejected the Gamble Bill, Senate Bill No 2344, which would provide for the opening of the southeast corner of the Pine Ridge reservation, bordering Nebraska.
Indian council includes Turning Hawk, George Fire Thunder, Black Wolf, Silas Red Dog, Gets There First, George Little Wound. They said they wanted their surplus lands for their. Unborn children. They knew their opposition was useless but they wanted it to go into public records.
In the Sioux City Journal of January, 1930, George Little Wound went with Iron White Man and Emil Afraid of Hawk to give deposition in a suit by the Sioux for 10,000 acres, $600,000,000 in which their claim for land taken from them following the Custer battle.
Little Wound was active political leader. In April, 1896, he traveled to DC with the delegation of George Fire Thunder, Kicking Bear and Captain Thunder Bear and conferred with the secretary of Interior and among other requests made that annuities due them by treaty should be paid in money instead of merchandise, etc. also that their per capita allowance, which has not been paid promptly be paid at once and in the future upon the dates due. Also spoke of grievances regarding the infringement upon some of their alleged rights according to old treaties. And they are allowed to have their own government herder.
Kyle was named for, James Henderson Kyle who was born February 24, 1854 and died July 1, 1901. He was an active American politician and senator. He served for 10 years as a member of the United States Senate from South Dakota from 1891 until his death. Kyle, South Dakota was named after him. He was more known for his support of the United States to have Labor Day as a holiday.
Last fall, the Medicine Root District leadership moved to change the name of Kyle to Little Wound. With that changes come state protocols of filing with court, having a hearing, getting petition signatures and getting the name change on the state ballot in the next election.โค๏ธ
