Charles Journeycake was a significant figure in the history of Native American education and leadership, known for his role as one of the founders of Bacone College, an Indian school located in Oklahoma. Born in Ohio to the Lenni Lenape (Delaware) chief Solomon Journeycake and a French-Indian mother, he was immersed in both Indigenous and European cultures from an early age. After being baptized at sixteen, Journeycake became proficient in English and navigated between the white and Indian worlds with relative ease.

He held dual roles as a preacher and head of the Wolf Clan, demonstrating his commitment to both spiritual and community leadership. A staunch opponent of alcohol sales to Native Americans, Journeycake advocated for the well-being of his people. Throughout his life, he guided his community during multiple relocations, first to Kansas and later to lands previously allocated to the Cherokees in northeastern Oklahoma. Additionally, he was a key figure in the Indian Defense Association, further solidifying his impact on Native American rights and advocacy during a tumultuous period in U.S. history.