Gertrude Simmons Bonnin (Zitkala-Sa)
1875-1938

Yankton Dakota American Indian activist Gertrude Simmons Bonnin (Zitkala-Sa) was a teacher, musician, and writer, who worked for the Indian Service in South Dakota and Utah.

Bonnin's activities in the Society of American Indians precipitated her move to Washington, D.C., in 1916. An accomplished lecturer, she boldly criticized the white man's treatment of American Indians.

In 1928, Bonnin formed the National Council of American Indians. Lobbying for Indian legislation, she secured the active interest of the General Federation of Women's Clubs in American Indian welfare, which resulted in a federal commission under Lewis Meriam to study Indian conditions.

A more detailed profile is printed in Volume 10 Number 3 of South Dakota History, the journal of the South Dakota State Historical Society.