Native American AuthorsSimon Pokagon , 1830-1899Potawatomi
Simon Pokagon was born in Indiana, but his family moved near Dowagiac, Michigan during his youth. Pokagon went to Notre Dame (manual labor school) for three years. He then attended Twinsburg Institute in Ohio. He became a well-known public figure due to a trip to Washington as part of the Potawatomi delegation, his autobiography Queen of the Woods, and his popular public speaking engagements. Pokagon wrote his autobiography originally in the Potawatomi language, and then translated it into English. It should be noted that according to the book The Pokagons, 1683-1983: Catholic Potawatomi Indians of the St. Joseph River Valley by James A. Clifton, Simon Pokagon was never a chief of his tribe, and his autobiography was largely a work of fiction written by the wife of his personal attorney, Cyrus H. Engle. See pp. 78, 85, 92-93, 95, 97-98, 103-104.
Online resources by or about Simon Pokagon:The Future of the Red Man by Simon PokagonAuthor: University of Virginia Electronic Text Archive Type: etext Description: Full text of the article by Simon Pokagon. URL: http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgibin/browse-mixed?id=PokFutu&tag=public&images=images/modeng&data=/lv1/Archive/eng-parsed An Indian on the Problems of His Race by Simon Pokagon Author: University of Virginia Electronic Text Archive Type: etext Description: Full text of the article by Simon Pokagon. URL: http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgibin/browse-mixed?id=PokIndi&tag=public&images=images/modeng&data=/lv1/Archive/eng-parsed Indian Superstitions and Legends by Simon Pokagon Author: University of Virginia Electronic Text Archive Type: etext Description: Full text of the article by Simon Pokagon. URL: http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgibin/browse-mixed?id=PokSupe&tag=public&images=images/modeng&data=/lv1/Archive/eng-parsed Simon Pokagon on Naming the Indians Author: University of Virginia Electronic Text Archive Type: etext Description: Full text of the article by Simon Pokagon. URL: http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/browse-mixed-new?id=PokFutu&tag=public&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed Books by Simon Pokagon:Pokagon, Simon. Algonquin legends of South HavenSouth Haven, MI. : C. H. Engle, 1900. Genre: Folklore Audience: All Ages Pokagon, Simon. Birch bark booklets Genre: Folklore Audience: All Ages Pokagon, Simon. The Chi-kog-on of the Red Man New York : New York Sunday Press, 1897. Language: English Pokagon, Simon. O-gi-maw-kwe mit-i-gwa-ki (Queen of the woods) Hartford, Mich. : C. H. Engle, 1899. Genre: Autobiography Audience: Adult Pokagon, Simon. Pottawattamie book of genesis : legend of the creation of man Hartford, MI : C. H. Engle, 1901. Genre: Folklore Audience: All Ages Pokagon, Simon. Red man's greeting Hartford, MI : C. H. Engle, 1893. Genre: Essays Audience: All Ages Pokagon, Simon. The red man's rebuke Hartford, MI : C. H. Engle, 1893. Genre: Essays Audience: All Ages Return to Native American Authors Home |