Indian Child Life

Charles Alexander Eastman was an American physician, author, and social reformer who lived from February 19, 1858, until January 8, 1939. He was "one of the most prolific authors and speakers on Sioux ethnohistory and American Indian politics" in the early 20th century and the first Native American to receive a Western medical certification. Eastman's heritage included Santee Dakota, English, and French. His older sibling John went on to become a pastor. A Presbyterian missionary named John (Mapiyawaku Kida) Eastman worked in the Santee Dakota settlement in Flandreau, South Dakota. He became more involved in politics and Native American rights concerns after serving as a doctor on South Dakotan reservations. He established 32 YMCA chapters for Native Americans as part of his efforts to better the lives of children. He is recognized as the first Native American author to portray Native Americans in American history. The Boy Scouts of America was also founded with his assistance. At his Minnesota birth, Eastman was given the name Hakadah, which in Dakotan translates to "pitiful last." Because his mother passed very soon after his birth, Eastman was given that name.