For Women’s History Month, we are honoring and celebrating the accomplishments and legacies of American Indian and Alaska Native women. Member of the Yankton Sioux Tribe, Zitkála-Šá (Lakota for “Red Bird”), also known as Gertrude Bonnin, was a renowned suffragist, writer, violinist, composer, teacher, and activist. She fought tirelessly for the rights of Indigenous people and often spoke to the inequality of women’s rights. Through her work and activism, she helped lead the passage for the Indian Citizenship Act in 1924 and the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, which allowed Indigenous people to secure American citizenship.
Learn more about the life of Zitkála-Šá here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VDZ9dXLgYo&t=144s