# Zitkala-Ša

_Yankton Dakota writer (1876-1938)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/zitkala-sa
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Zitkala-Ša, also Zitkála-Šá (Lakota: Zitkála-Šá, meaning Red Bird; February 22, 1876 – January 26, 1938), was a Yankton Dakota writer, editor, translator, musician, educator, and political activist. She was also known by her anglicized and married name, Gertrude Simmons Bonnin. She wrote several works chronicling her struggles with cultural identity, and the pull between the majority culture in which she was educated, and the Dakota culture into which she was born and raised. Her later books were among the first works to bring traditional Native American stories to a widespread white English-speaking readership.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 22 February 1876 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2668090#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Yankton Indian Reservation ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2668090#P19))
- **Died:** 28 January 1938 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2668090#P570))
- **Place of death:** Washington, D.C. ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2668090#P20))
- **Citizenship:** United States ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2668090#P27))
- **Occupation:** writer; poet; violinist; human rights defender; teacher ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2668090#P106))
- **Education:** Earlham College ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2668090#P69))
- **Positions held:** president (1926–1938) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2668090#P39))

## About

She was co-founder of the National Council of American Indians in 1926, which was established to lobby for Native people's right to United States citizenship and other civil rights they had long been denied. Zitkala-Ša served as the council's president until her death in 1938. Zitkala-Ša has been noted as one of the most influential Native American activists of the 20th century. Working with American musician William F. Hanson, Zitkala-Ša wrote the libretto and songs for The Sun Dance Opera (1913), the first American Indian opera. It was composed in romantic musical style, and based on Sioux and Ute cultural themes.

## Questions

**When was Zitkala-Ša born?**  
Zitkala-Ša was born on 22 February 1876 in Yankton Indian Reservation.

**What positions has Zitkala-Ša held?**  
Positions held by Zitkala-Ša include: president (1926–1938).

**Where did Zitkala-Ša study?**  
Zitkala-Ša was educated at Earlham College.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Zitkala-Ša](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zitkala-%C5%A0a) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q2668090](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2668090) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Zitkala-Sa.jpg (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zitkala-Sa.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Zitkala-Ša, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Zitkala-Sa.jpg, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Zitkala-Ša". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/zitkala-sa. Retrieved 14 November 2026.