Chief Red Bird

Michele... I have been trying to find some information about Chief Red Bird that might give me verification that this photo is the chief. But to date I have not. My dad is no longer around to ask about this photo, so I have only gone by what he wrote on the negative. Dad was a very honest person, who I have never doubted. But with that said, I don’t want to present a description or title that can’t be authenticated, so I will deleted the name Chief Red Bird and try to find out who this person is. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. LK

Michele... I did find a 1941 article from Watonga, Oklahoma with a picture of Chief Red Bird standing outside their Post Office to protest a mural painted on the interior wall. Here's a copy of article from Monday, June 23, 1941: Cheyenne Indians, in complete tribal regalia, picketed the U.S. post office at Watonga, Okla. Inside was a mural by Edith Mahier of the University of Oklahoma, depicting their ancestors under the reign of Chief Roman Nose. Explained 71-year-old Chief Red Bird: "Picture not like Roman Nose. Breech clout too short, look like Navajo. Roman Nose's baby look like stumpy pig. No good. It stinks." Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,851185,00.html

We noticed that if the chief was 71 in 1941, so by the time my dad took this photo in the early 50's would make him 80 something, which by looking at his face look about the same. In the photo you can see a triangle shaped symbol on his head band which matches the same headdress in the Watonga 1941 photograph. With this find, I believe that the information my father wrote on the edge of this photo’s negative is correct till proven false. I will add Chief Red Bird’s name in this photos title and description. Thanks for the challenge to find this information. LK

Michele, I only went by what my dad wrote next to the negative as to subject, where and when. I didn't check for accuracies. Could there be more than one Chief Red Bird in history? I also have a second photo of the Chief and his wife (unknown name) taken at the same time. If you have any information about this Chief and/or his wife, we’d love to hear about it.