James Bigheart

James Bigheart (Osage romanized Pun-Kah-Wi-Tah-An-Kah; ca. 1838 – October 5, 1908), also known as Big Jim, was an Osage politician who served as principal chief of the Osage Nation.

James Bigheart
James Bigheart in May 1894
Principal chief of the Osage Nation
Personal details
Born
Pun-Kah-Wi-Tah-An-Kah

ca. 1838
DiedOctober 5, 1908 (age 69–70)
CitizenshipOsage Nation
Political partyNon-Progressives
EducationOsage Mission's post
Known forNegotiating the creation of the Osage Nation Mineral Estate
Military service
AllegianceUnited States
Branch/serviceUnion Army
Years of service1862–1865
Rankfirst lieutenant

Early life

James Bigheart was born Pun-Kah-Wi-Tah-An-Kah in 1838 to Nun-tsa-tum-kah and Wah-hui-shah near St. Paul, Kansas. Bigheart converted to Catholicism, was educated at the Osage Mission's post, and fluent in multiple languages.[1][lower-alpha 1] He enlisted in the 9th Kansas Cavalry Regiment of the Union Army in Iola, Kansas on January 19, 1862. He left the army as a first lieutenant on March 22, 1865.[1]

Osage leadership

He signed his first treaty with the United States on May 27, 1868. In 1870 the United States bought the Osage Nation reservation in Kansas, and the Osage in turn bought a reservation in Indian Territory from the Cherokee Nation. In 1871 he moved to Silver Lake (now Bartlesville) and then to Pawhuska in 1872. He built a home near Bird Creek, about 15 miles (24 km) southeast of Pawhuska. In 1875 he became principal chief of the Osage Nation. By 1881 Bigheart was the leader of the "Full Bloods", or Non-Progressives Party, of the Osage Nation.[1][lower-alpha 2] Bigheart is credited with leading his faction to delay the allotment of the Osage Nation reservation by about ten years. When the Osage Nation organized their first written constitution, Bigheart was the President of the National Council who drafted it and a signer of the document. When the first Osage elections were held in November 1882 Bigheart became the first elected Principal Chief of the Osage Nation. He suffered a stroke in March 1906 and was left partially paralyzed.[1] He died on October 5, 1908.[3]

Legacy

The town of Bigheart, Oklahoma was named after James, until it was renamed to Barnsdall, Oklahoma in 1921.[4] In 1989, the Chief James Bigheart Memorial Bridge was dedicated on Oklahoma State Highway 11.[5] In 2016, the Osage Nation dedicated a statute to Bigheart at Law Building on the Osage campus in Pawhuska.[6]

Notes

  1. He spoke Ponca, Muscogee, Sioux, Cherokee, Osage, French, English, and Latin.[1][2]
  2. The Osage Nation at this point had a two-party system with the other being the "Mixed Bloods" or Progressives.[1]

References

  1. Russell, Orpha B (Winter 1954). "Chief James Bigheart of the Osage". Chronicles of Oklahoma: 384–394. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  2. "James Bigheart Memorial". Visit The Osage. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  3. "Chief James Bigheart". www.okcemeteries.net. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  4. "Tulsa District > Locations > Tulsa District Lakes > Oklahoma > Birch Lake > History". www.swt.usace.army.mil. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  5. "Oklahoma's Memorial Highways & Bridges". www.odot.org. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  6. Erwin, Mike (June 29, 2016). "Bigheart statue honors Osages Nation's revered tribal leader". Pawhuska Journal Capital. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
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