"I remember the day I lost my spirit." So begins the story of Gertrude Simmons, also known as Zitkala-Ša, which means Red Bird. Born in 1876 on the Yankton Sioux reservation in South Dakota, Zitkala-Ša left her home at age eight to go to a residential school in Indiana. But she soon found herself caught between two worlds—white and Native American. At school she missed her mother and her traditional life, but Zitkala-Ša found joy in music classes. "My wounded spirit soared like a bird as I practiced the piano and violin," she wrote. Her talent grew, and when she graduated, she became a music teacher, composer, and performer. Zitkala-Ša found she could also "sing" to help her people by writing stories and giving speeches. As an adult, she worked as an activist for Native American rights, seeking to build a bridge between cultures." -- from publisher
Themes
Genres: Non-Fiction
Categories: Biography, Oppression & Resilience
Content: Activism
Settings: Indiana, Northern America, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, United States of America, Washington D.C.
Tribal Affiliation/Homelands: Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota
Gender: Boy/Man, Girl/Woman
Race/Culture: First/Native Nations/American Indian/Indigenous
Character Prominence: Dominant Main, Secondary