Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiah, A Saukie Brave
Datec. 1865
Artist
Charles Bird King
(American painter, 1785–1862)
Publisher
Rice, Rutter & Co.
(Philadelphia publisher, 19th century)
Illustration CitationThe History of the Indian Tribes of North America, by Thomas L. McKenney and James Hall (Philadelphia: Rice, Rutter, & Co., 1865–1870).
MediumLithograph with hand coloring
Dimensionssheet: 9 15/16 × 6 11/16 in. (25.2 × 17 cm)
Credit LineGift of Mary R. Seymour; Accessioned, 2019
Object number2019-41
On View
Not on viewClassificationsPRINT
Label TextBorn in 1767, Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak, known as Black Hawk, was a member of the Sac tribe that occupied parts of Illinois and the Great Lakes region in the 18th and early 19th century. When treaties ceded lands occupied by the Sac and Fox Nation in Missouri for annual payments, Black Hawk became a champion of his people's right to their ancestral lands. He led people trying to reclaim their lands in battle, but ultimately lost. Held captive by the U.S. government after the war, he wote an autobiography and became a celebrity. Here, he is pictured in a traditional headdress, showing pride in his culture, and a Presidential Peace Medal, reflecting his reluctant submission to U.S. authorities.
