"Iron White Man" Set of 5 Each 4" x 6" Blank Greeting Cards + US Tax

A pencil sketch of "Chief Iron White Man" - a leader of the Oglala Lakota Sioux hangs on the wall of my home.  Captivated by his face and story, his spirit has protected my home and land for several years.  Born in 1859, he defended the Sioux against General Custer in the Battle of the Greasy Grass (Battle  of the Little Bighorn), when he was only a teenager.  In 1902 he performed in the Buffalo Bill Wild West show, where he reenacted Wild West battles and demonstrated his skills as a warrior Chief and equestrian.  At the age of 70 or 71, he traveled to Washington D.C. to deliver legal testimony to the US 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.  The fight for sovereignty of the Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne nations (who were forcibly relocated from Red Cloud, Montana to the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota) continues.  His testimony is recorded in several legal cases, defending his community against the corruption and poor living conditions provided to them on the reservation.  Iron White Man's testimony added to mounting evidence that the United States had unlawfully seized Native land throughout the 19th century, violating existing treaties with Native nations.  He shared his story for the Indian's battle for existence against the white man's desire to gain control of all the rich lands of the west, culminating in the 1980 case of the United States vs the Sioux Nation.  Iron White Man didn't live to see the outcome of his suit, having died of pneaumonia in April of 1931 - just over a year after he delivered his testomony in Washington DC.  His fight for sovereignty continues today, and his life and story demonstrate the resilience of Native nations all over Turtle Island (United States) in the fight to preserve their culture and regain their lands.  We must never forget his story, and I am guided every day to be a good steward of my land.  Cards are printed on high quality card stock suitable for framing.