Notable American Indians

Lydia Conley – 1st Indian woman to argue before the US Supreme Court Since 1890, battle has ensued over the ownership of the Huron Cemetery. 1907 – Congress gives permission to the Secretary of the Interior to sell Huron Cemetery. Conley sisters (Lydia & Helena, & Sarah) erect a 6 X 8 1 room shack in which to defend the cemetery, along with shotguns. Remained for 3.5 years in the cemetery. Lydia studies the law on her own in order to prepare a defense to protect the grave site. A federal order is issued to remove the bodies to Quindarocemetery. 1910 Lydia admitted to the Kansas Bar. She makes several trips to Washington to argue the case while her sister Helena remains behind to defend the cemetery. 1912 – Congress enacts a bill prohibiting the removal of the cemetery but the sisters remain at the cemetery while the Wyandotte tribe of Oklahoma appeals the Congress’ action. 1918 – the city enters a contract with the tribe to forever maintain and protect the grave site. Helena places a curse on those who would destroy the cemetery. Her headstone reads: “Cursed be the villian that molest their graves.” Helena said the the power of the curse was transmitted to her by a woman of the tribe, known as a witch who is buried in the cemetery. Helena dies 9/15/1958 at the age of 94. She is buried in Huron Cemetery.

Ojibwa Texts, 2 volumes: 1817/1919 by William Jones (1871-1909) born of an Anglo-American father and Fox Indian mother in Oklahoma. educated at Hampton Institute, Harvard College, and Columbia University (Ph.D. under Franz Boas), was first Am Ind pro- fessional anthropologist. collected and transcribed Ojibwa stories north and west of Lake Superior, 1903- 1905. accepted a position with the Field Museum in Chicago, and posted to Philippine Islands in 1907, there to be murdered by natives whom he had gone to study.

Curtis, Charles, 1860–1936, Vice President of the United States (1929–33), lived for three years on a Kaw reservation.

"Jim" Thorpe (Sac and Fox (Sauk): Possibly greatest American Athlete of all time: Olympic gold medals Decathalon, Penthalon; played pro football, baseball and basketball

Maria Tallchief, of Osage descent, a Dazzling Prima Ballerina, NYC Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and Muse for Balanchine, Dies at 88 August, 2013

N. Scott Momaday his debut novel House Made of Dawn won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1969.

Jaime Robbie Robertson, (Mohawk ) the guitarist and principal songwriter for the Band, Bob Dylan's onetime backup quintet, has been a major force in rock songwriting.

Commander John Bennett Herrington (born Sept   Commander John Bennett Herrington (born Sept. 14, 1958) (Chickasaw ) is the first tribally-enrolled Native American Indian Astronaut to fly in outer space.

Joely Proudfit, Ph.D. (Luiseño), Associate Professor and Director of California Indian Culture and Sovereignty Center, CSUSM