Iron White Man: Conflict, Testimony, and Native Land
Census records show that Iron White Man was sometimes recorded as "Joseph" Iron White Man. This, and other name changes for Native performers in the show, is likely due to an Indian Affairs Bureau action in 1890 that forced every resident of the Pine Ridge Reservation to adopt an anglicized first name, and to assume an English translation of their Lakota name as a surname. Through these census records we know that Iron White Man had a wife, called Cora Iron White Man, and two sons, recorded as Alex and Edward Iron White Man. Edward also worked as a Native performer in wild west shows, appearing in the Buffalo Bill's Wild West Pawnee Bill's Far East Season of 1910-1911.
As a chief of the Oglala Lakota Sioux of the Pine Ridge Agency of South Dakota, Iron White Man was frequently a representative of Sioux Nation in the US court system. His testimony is recorded in several legal cases, defending his community against the corruption and poor living conditions provided to them on the reservation. In 1882, Iron White Man joined Rec Cloud and other tribal leaders in signing his name to a petition against the agent assigned to Pine Ridge by the Bureau of Indian affairs, Valentine McGillicuddy. The petition alludes to McGillicuddy's abuses on the reservation and the poor living conditions of the Sioux under his authority. Noting multiple attempts at reporting McGillicuddy's behavior through appropriate channels, the leaders of the Sioux describe this petition to Washington as a final attempt before they "take upon ourselves the responsibility of politely escorting [McGillicuddy] out of our country." 13 McGillicuddy was finally removed from his post in October of 1882, a small victory for the leaders of the Sioux.
At the age of 70 or 71, Iron White Man traveled to Washington D.C. to deliver legal testimony to the United States Supreme Court. He argued that the events of the Battle of the Greasy Grass (Little Bighorn) had been historically misrepresented, and that General Custer had attacked the Sioux unprovoked. At this point in the early 20th century, the general American perception of the Battle of the Little Bighorn was one of Native American hostility. This perceived threat was partly responsible for the U.S. government's decision to violate the sovereignty of the Sioux and Cheyenne nations, forcibly relocating the Lakota Sioux from their home in Red Cloud, Montana, to the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Iron White Man's testimony helped to rectify that history, both in legal record and public understanding.
By testifying against General Custer, Iron White Man added to mounting evidence that the United States had unlawfully seized Native land throughout the 19th century, violating existing treaties with Native nations. Ultimately, legal proceedings on this issue culminated in the 1980 case of the United States vs the Sioux Nation, where the Supreme Court ruled that Native beneficiaries were entitled to $17.1 million under the Just Compensation Clause of the 5th amendment. As of this writing, the Sioux have not accepted that compensation in protest of the ruling, as acceptance would nullify their fight for sovereignty over Native land in the eyes of the United States court system.
As one newspaper puts it, Iron White Man's testimony was "The story of the Indian's battle for existence against the white man's desire to gain control of all the rich lands of the west." Iron White Man didn't live to see the outcome of his suit, having died of pneumonia in April of 1931 just over a year after he delivered his testimony. Although the fight for sovereignty is still ongoing, his life and story demonstrate the resilience of Native nations all over Turtle Island (the United States) in the fight to preserve their culture and regain their lands.