Zitkala-Sa (1876-1938) was a renowned musician, writer, educator and an outspoken activist for the rights of Native Americans. She is famed for championing the rights of Native Indians from a tribe called the Sioux. When she left the Carlisle Indian School, Zitkala-Sa was not abandoning the Indian kids. She was compelled to free the school due to the alienation that had faced authorities at the School. Since her activist writings were the cause of the local administration alienating Carlisle School’s authorities, Zitkala-Sa’s option to leave was in the best interest of the Indian children. Her absence from the school would translate to improved relationship between the school’s administration and the local administration thereby giving the Indian children an opportunity to access better quality education. Zitkala-Sa observed that quality education would empower Indian children to demand for justice and equality in their society.
Having been indoctrinated in Euro-American culture during her schooling, Zitkala-Sa had an option to stay at the Carlisle School and fight injustices from within. However, this would be less effective as the authorities would deprive her of the resources and freedom to continue her literary activism. By leaving Carlisle school, Zitkala-Sa sought to publish more literature on the culture of Native Indians belonging to the Sioux tribe. By publishing stories and legends about the Sioux, Zitkal-Sa would outspokenly express her dissatisfaction with the injustices she saw meted out on Native Americans. After leaving Carlisle she founded the National Council of American Indians and dedicated herself to work for the Society of American Indians.
Bibliography
Capaldi, Gina. Red Bird Sings: The Story of Zitkala-Sa, Native American Author, Musician, and Activist. Millbrook Press. 2011.
Calloway, Collin. First Peoples: A Documentary Survey of American Indian History, 4th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012.
