Family returns famous Lakota chief Spotted Tail’s headdress, which he kept in his suitcase in the closet

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As Americans gather with families to celebrate Thanksgiving, a holiday rooted in the country’s long, complex history with its indigenous peoples, a remarkable artifact is embarking on a complex journey of its own.

Stunning eagle feather headdress that once belonged to him Chief Spotted Tail (Sinte Gleska), an influential 19th-century Brule/Sicangu Lakota leader, was returned to the chief’s descendants, who hope to preserve the artifacts for public display.

A different family, the Newells, first came into possession of artifacts such as the headdress, bison horns, and a lock of braided hair under unclear circumstances in the 1870s. He was stationed in what is now South Dakota.

A century and a half later, his descendants held on to the heirloom and stored the title in a suitcase in a closet in the small town of Washington. They started returning the works in 2020.

James Newell, 77, is affiliated with John Spotted Tail, a descendant of Chief Spotted Tail and chief of staff to the tribal chairman of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. John Spotted Tail drove across the country to retrieve the objects.

“It felt right,” Newell said said New York Times.

The title was officially transferred to the care of the South Dakota Historical Society in May of this year and is scheduled to be fully displayed in 2025.

“As custodians of our ancestral heritage, deeply rooted in Sicangu Lakota history, we are honored to oversee the return of these precious artifacts belonging to our revered ancestor, Sinte Gleska,” said Chief John Spotted Tail and his wife, Tamara Stands and Look Back. -Spotted Tail, in question He made a statement at that time. “We strongly believe that these elements should be shared with all who wish to learn from and honor our common history, ensuring that the legacy of our people is passed on to all present and future generations.”

The title is a reminder of the complex, often violent history that accompanied the US colonization of North America.

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Spotted Tail was one of the signatories of the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie, which sought to end conflict between native tribes and U.S. settlers as they continued their relentless westward expansion.

Under terms of the agreementThe tribes gave up thousands of acres of land in what is now South Dakota, including the Black Hills, in exchange for the Great Sioux Reservation, which was promised in earlier treaties but retained hunting and fishing rights.

The United States nevertheless facilitated mining expeditions to the Black Hills. After gold was discovered there, miners moved into the Sioux hunting grounds and sought protection from the U.S. Army, and the U.S. government eventually seized the Black Hills in 1877, according to the National Archives.

Spotted Tail was also one of the signatories of an 1881 letter to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs regarding the dismal state of the government’s boarding schools for Native children; Institutions where Indian agents such as Cicero Newell helped persuade tribes to send their children away.

The letter sent to the Commissioner said, “We cannot bear to hear about the illnesses and deaths of our children and we want you to listen to our words.” reader.

Later historical research has revealed widespread abuse, disease, and death at such boarding schools, which the United States pursued to force native tribes into assimilation.

Cicero Newell once admired the Spotted Tail. don’t write in heaven, “I hope one of the first people I meet there will be my dear old friend Spotted Tail.”