Charles Eastman

Charles Eastman

Charles Alexander Eastman (February 19, 1858 – January 8, 1939) was a Santee Dakota physician, writer, national lecturer, and reformer. Eastman was of Native American and European American ancestry, and he was raised traditionally by his grandmother following his mother's death and his father's capture during the "Minnesota Sioux Uprising". After being reunited with his father and adopting a European-American lifestyle, Eastman excelled in his studies, becoming one of the first Native Americans certified as a European-trained doctor.

Early Life

Charles Eastman was born "Hakadah" in a wigwam near Redwood Falls, Minnesota, to a Dakota father, Many Lightnings, and a mixed-race mother, Mary Nancy Eastman. His maternal grandmother was the daughter of a U.S. Army officer and his Dakota wife. Following the Dakota War of 1862, his father was captured but later pardoned, and his family was sent to a reservation in Nebraska. It was during this time that Eastman's father, now known as Jacob Eastman, converted to Christianity and changed Hakadah's name to Charles Alexander Eastman.

Education

Eastman attended mission and preparatory schools before entering Beloit College and later, Dartmouth College. After Dartmouth, he was admitted to Boston University, where he graduated with a medical degree in 1889. Eastman's education marked a significant achievement, as he was one of the first Native Americans to receive formal medical training and certification in the United States.

Career

After completing his medical degree, Eastman worked on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, where he provided medical care to wounded participants of the Wounded Knee Massacre. His experiences at Pine Ridge deeply affected him and influenced his future work and writings.

Eastman also served as a physician at the Crow Creek Reservation and later worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, where he was tasked with selecting Native American students for college scholarships.

Activism and Writing

Charles Eastman was a prominent advocate for the rights of Native Americans throughout his life. He worked with the YMCA and the Boy Scouts of America, promoting the inclusion of Native American culture and history in their programs. Eastman was also a founding member of the Society of American Indians, an organization that advocated for Native American rights.

As an author, Eastman wrote extensively about Native American culture and his experiences between two worlds. His works include Indian Boyhood (1902), The Soul of the Indian (1911), and Indian Heroes and Great Chieftains (1918), among others. Through his writings, Eastman sought to preserve Native American heritage and provide a bridge between Native American and European American cultures.

Legacy

Charles Eastman's contributions to medicine, literature, and the advocacy for Native American rights have left a lasting legacy. His life and work have been recognized in various ways, including the naming of medical facilities and educational programs in his honor.

See Also

• Santee Dakota
• Dakota War of 1862
• Wounded Knee Massacre
• Society of American Indians