Zitkala-Sa

Zitkala-Sa was a Native American advocate, teacher, musician, and civil rights leader.  She  graduated from an Indian boarding school in 1895 where she was taught a new language, a new religion and given a new name.  She was forbidden to speak her native language and stripped of her native heritage.  She was “lost” between two worlds that did not accept her.  After graduating, Zitkala wrote articles exposing the horrors of the Indian boarding schools and  the complex culture that was forcibly erased by the United States government.  At the pinnacle of her career she wrote a successful play called The Sun Dance.  It was the first operetta written by a Native American.  Lastly, she fought to raise awareness about many issues related to Native Americans.  As a member of the National Council of American Indians she helped pass the Indian Citizenship Act in 1924. This historic journey is written and illustrated in Red Bird Sings: The Story of Zitkala-Sa by Gina Capaldi.