Zitkala-Ša
A writer and composer of Yankton Sioux descent who protected the rights and culture of Native peoples.
Zitkala-Ša (1876–1938) was a writer, musician, and Native rights activist of Yankton Sioux descent. The name “Zitkala-Ša” was one she chose for herself, and it carries the meaning “Red Bird.” In an era when Native culture was being pushed aside and forgotten, she preserved the voice of her own people through writing and music.
The reverse of the coin depicts her wearing traditional Yankton Sioux dress and holding a book. Beside her are drawn a stylized sun symbolizing her “Sun Dance Opera,” and a red cardinal representing her name, “Red Bird.” In effect, her name, her work, and her identity are gathered neatly within a single image.
Zitkala-Ša recorded and widely shared Native stories and legends through her writing, and in music she captured the spirit of her people within the Western form of opera. Becoming a bridge connecting the two cultures, she showed the world that Native culture was not merely something old and fading away, but a living art.
The reality she faced was far from easy. In an era when Native languages and traditions were being suppressed, speaking out to protect the rights and culture of her people required great courage. Taking up brush and song as her weapons, Zitkala-Ša clearly recorded the heart of a people determined not to vanish.
This quarter, depicting her holding a book together with the red bird, quietly awakens us to how beautiful and precious it is to protect one’s own roots.