Native Soul

02/04/2026

During the American Civil War, Virginia resident William Terrill Bradby was one of an estimated 20,000 Native Americans who served with Union military forces in the fight against the Confederacy. A large part of Bradby’s own contributions to the Union cause involved maritime transportation.
A member of the Pamunkey Tribe, Bradby was born in Virginia in 1833. After the Civil War broke out in 1861, Bradby remained loyal to the Union even though Virginia joined the Confederacy. Bradby’s unwavering decision to side with the North resulted in his church expelling him from its congregation. Even more significantly, his military service on behalf of the Union often placed him at high risk and in harm’s way.
Bradby’s initial activities with the Union forces included serving as a land guide and scout for the Army of the Potomac during the Peninsula Campaign in southeastern Virginia in 1862. The following year, however, Bradby exchanged those land-based assignments for “water duty” when he joined the Union Navy.
Throughout the remainder of the war, Bradby served on a variety of military ships and boats and even piloted several of those vessels. For a good part of 1863-64, for example, he was a pilot second class for vessels that were part of a Union flotilla on the James River in Virginia. While serving on the steamship USS Shokokon on that river, Bradby was shot in the leg by a Confederate shell. This injury turned out to be only a flesh wound, but it brought about rheumatism that would plague Bradby for the remainder of his days. Other vessels on which Bradby served were the gunboats USS Onondaga and USS Huron; the tugboat USS Epsilon; the steamship USS Daylight; and the torpedo boat USS Spuyten Duyvil.
There were several other Native Americans from Virginia who likewise served the Union as guides and pilots during the war. They included Bradby’s brother Sterling as well as Thornton Allmond, John Langston, William Sampson, and Powhatan Weisiger. William Terrill Bradby’s own military record, however, is one of the most detailed and best documented of that group.
After the Civil War ended, Bradby returned to where he had lived prior to the conflict: the Pamunkey reservation on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. Bradby remained there for the rest of his life, becoming one the most respected members of the community. He died sometime around 1905

02/04/2026

"She was born on October 12, 1919, on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in Promise, South Dakota. She is a member of the Two Kettle Band Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and, and is known in Lakota as Wignuke Waste Win (Pretty Rainbow Woman). Marcella LeBeau, now 101 years old, has accomplished enough in her life to fill three centuries of living.

02/02/2026

I don't know why this hasn't received more publicity, but this fifty-foot sculpture was unveiled recently in South Dakota.
It's called 'Dignity' and was done by artist Dale Lamphere to honor the women of the Sioux Nation.

01/31/2026

Wes Studi's has had one long enjoyable acting career. He was raised in Nofire Hollow Oklahoma, speaking Cherokee only until he started school. At 17 he joined the National Guard and later went to Vietnam. After his discharge, Studi became politically active in American Indian affairs. He participated in Wounded Knee at Pine Ridge Reservation in 1973. Wes is known for his roles as a fierce Native American warrior, such as the Pawnee warrior in Dances with Wolves. In the Last of the Mohicans he plays the Huron named Magua, which was his first major part. Soon after he got the lead role in Geronimo: An American Legend. He was in Skinwalkers, The Lone Ranger, and The Horse Whisperer. He played the Indian out in the desert in The Doors movie, and he was also in Avatar. Studi also plays bass and he and his wife are in a band called Firecat of Discord. Wes Studi also serves as honorary chair of the national endowment campaign, of the Indigenous Language Institute that's working to save Native Languages. He and his family live in Santa Fe New Mexico, and Wes has been in several other movies, TV shows and movies, and mini series. He also received an Academy Honorary Award, becoming the first Native American and the second North American Indigenous person to be honored by the Academy, the first was Buffy Sainte-Marie, a First Nations Canadian Indigenous musician

01/31/2026

History is not there for you to like or dislike. It is there for you to learn from it. And if it offends you, even better. Because then you are less likely to repeat it. It's not yours to erase. It belongs to all of us.

01/30/2026

𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐍𝐨𝐬𝐞 🌻🌻
Pretty Nose :A Fierce and Uncompromising Woman War Chief You Should Know
Pretty Nose (c. 1851 – after 1952) was an Arapaho woman, and according to her grandson, was a war chief who participated in the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876.In some sources, Pretty Nose is called Cheyenne, although she was identified as Arapaho on the basis of her red, black and white beaded cuffs. The two tribes were allies at the Battle of the Little Bighorn and are still officially grouped together as the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes.
On June 25, 1876, a battalion of the 7th Cavalry, led by George Armstrong Custer, was wiped out by an overwhelming force of Lakota, Dakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho.
There are many stories that come from this most famous battle of the Indian Wars. However, the most overlooked account is of the women warriors who fought alongside their male counterparts.
Minnie Hollow Wood, Moving Robe Woman, Pretty Nose (pictured), One-Who-Walks-With-The-Stars, and Buffalo Calf Road Woman were among the more notable female fighters.
Pretty Nose fought with the Cheyenne/Arapaho detachment.
One-Who-Walks-With-The-Stars (Lakota) killed two soldiers trying to flee the fight.
Minnie Hollow Wood earned a Lakota war-bonnet for her participation, a rare honor.
Lakota Moving Robe Woman fought to avenge the death of her brother.
And Cheyenne Buffalo Calf Road Woman holds the distinction of being the warrior who knocked Custer off his horse, hastening the demise of the over-confident Lt. Colonel.
Pretty Nose's grandson, Mark Soldier Wolf, became an Arapaho tribal elder who served in the US Marine Corps during the Korean War. She witnessed his return to the Wind River Indian Reservation in 1952, at the age of 101

01/30/2026

Half of all U.S. states, 25 to be exact, carry Native American names. Today we will be taking a look at the 25 states and the meanings of their names. They will be listed in alphabetical order.

1. Alabama: Named after the Alabama, or Alibamu tribe, a Muskogean-speaking tribe. Sources are split between the meanings 'clearers of the thicket' or 'herb gatherers'.
2. Alaska: Named after the Aleut word "alaxsxaq", which means "the mainland"
3. Arizona: Named after the O'odham word "alĭ ṣonak", meaning "small spring"
4. Connecticut: Named after the Mohican word "quonehtacut", meaning "place of long tidal river"
5. Hawaii: Is an original word in the Hawaiian language meaning "homeland"
6. Illinois: Named after the Illinois word "illiniwek", meaning "men"
7. Iowa: Named after the Ioway tribe, whose name means "gray snow"
8. Kansas: Named after the Kansa tribe, whose name means "south wind people"
9. Kentucky: Origins are unclear, it may have been named after the Iroquoian word "Kentake", meaning "on the meadow"
10. Massachusetts: Named after the Algonquin word "Massadchu-es-et," meaning "great-hill-small-place,”
11. Michigan: From the Chippewa word "Michigama", meaning "large lake"
12. Minnesota: Named after the Dakota Indian word “Minisota” meaning “white water.”
13. Mississippi: Named after the river which was named by the Choctaw, meaning “Great water” or “Father of Waters.”
14. Missouri: Named after the Missouri tribe whose name means "those who have dugout canoes"

01/27/2026

Wes Studi's has had one long enjoyable acting career. He was raised in Nofire Hollow Oklahoma, speaking Cherokee only until he started school. At 17 he joined the National Guard and later went to Vietnam. After his discharge, Studi became politically active in American Indian affairs. He participated in Wounded Knee at Pine Ridge Reservation in 1973. Wes is known for his roles as a fierce Native American warrior, such as the Pawnee warrior in Dances with Wolves. In the Last of the Mohicans he plays the Huron named Magua, which was his first major part. Soon after he got the lead role in Geronimo: An American Legend. He was in Skinwalkers, The Lone Ranger, and The Horse Whisperer. He played the Indian out in the desert in The Doors movie, and he was also in Avatar. Studi also plays bass and he and his wife are in a band called Firecat of Discord. Wes Studi also serves as honorary chair of the national endowment campaign, of the Indigenous Language Institute that's working to save Native Languages. He and his family live in Santa Fe New Mexico, and Wes has been in several other movies, TV shows and movies, and mini series. He also received an Academy Honorary Award, becoming the first Native American and the second North American Indigenous person to be honored by the Academy, the first was Buffy Sainte-Marie, a First Nations Canadian Indigenous musician.

01/23/2026

01/13/2026

History of the Jingle Dress Dance
The Jingle Dress Dance began with the Mille Lacs Band of the Ojibwe Tribe in the early 1900s and became prevalent in the 1920s in Wisconsin and Minnesota (Great Lakes region) in the US and in Ontario, Canada.
The story is that the dress was first seen in a dream. A medicine man’s granddaughter grew sick, and as the man slept his Indian spirit guides came to him and told him to make a Jingle Dress for the little girl. They said if the child danced in it, the dress would heal her. The Jingle Dress was made, and the tribe came together to watch the child dance. At first, the child was too sick to dance alone so her tribe carried her, but after some time, the little girl was able to dance alone, cured of her sickness.
The dance has since been not only a ritual of healing but also one of pride.
What Do Jingle Dresses Look Like?
Jingle Dresses, also known as Prayer Dresses, are believed to bring healing to those who are sick. As mentioned above, the dance gets its name from the rows of ziibaaska’iganan (metal cones) sewed to the dress. These cones are traditionally made from rolled s***f can lids and hung from the dress with ribbon close to one another, so they make a melodic sound as the girls and women dance. Traditionally, the dress is adorned with 365 visible jingles, or cones. Nowadays, these cones are often machine-made.
The dresses come in every color imaginable, from yellow to bright blue, to deep red, and accented with sparkles and even neon-colored fabrics. They are often made with shiny and sparkly materials and decorated with fringes, embroidery, beading, and more.
They usually have three-quarter length to full-length sleeves and come down to mid-calf or the ankle. They are secured at the waist with a thick belt, often made of brown leather. On their feet, the dancer wears decorative moccasins embellished with the same kind of detail found on their dresses.
What are the steps for the Jingle Dance?
As the ziibaaska’iganan hit one another it sounds like rain falling, so it’s important for the dancer to be light on their feet, to move in time with the drum and stop when the beat stops. They keep their foot movements low to the ground while dancing, kicking their heels and bouncing on their toes to the music. Typically, this dance is done in a zigzag pattern, said to represent one’s journey through life—or so the story goes. Often, they keep their hands on their hips, and if they are dancing with a feathered fan (full of neutral colors, like eagle feathers) as the more modern Jingle Dress Dancers do, they will raise it into the air as they dance to receive healing.
The traditional Indian dance involves low, soft-footed steps, as could be performed by those who were sick, while the modern competitive dancers push the boundaries some as they try to out-dance their competitors. The manner in which the dance has evolved has built firmly on its origin story.
What are the songs and music for Jingle Dance?
The music for this style of dancing has a foundation of a solid drumbeat, and of course, the metal cones make a loud jingling (hence the name) as the women move, which contributes to the music you’ll hear at a Jingle Dress Dance. Jingle Dancers will usually dance to Northern drum groups. Special songs for Jingle Dance include a Side Step or Crow Hop

01/13/2026

Jay Silverheels (born Harold Jay Smith; May 26, 1912 – March 5, 1980) was an Indigenous Canadian actor and athlete. He was well known for his role as Tonto, the Native American companion of the Lone Ranger in the American Western television series The Lone Ranger.