Gertrude Bonnin, born on the Yankton Sioux Reservation in 1876, was a Native American activist during the early 20th century. In 1926, Gertrude founded the National Council of American Indians which brought up issues regarding land and resource issues Indian people faced. She wrote stories that were critical of boarding schools that many of her people were forced to attend and the assimilation enacted upon them. Until her death in 1928, Gertrude worked for improvements in education, culture preservation, health care, and legal issues among Native Americans.
Available Resource(s):
- “Hilton M. Briggs Library.” South Dakota State University,
- : Gertrude Simmons Bonnin - 1876-1938 - American Indian Relief Council Is Now Northern Plains Reservation Aid,
- National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior,
- (1876-1938), Author and Activist | American National Biography, 16 June 2017,
Image Citation:
Kasebier, Gertrude. , National Park Service, 1898.