Little Priest
Little Priest was a prominent leader of the Winnebago people, succeeding his father as chief in 1840. That same year, the Winnebago relocated from Wisconsin to Iowa, a significant movement in their history. In 1846, Little Priest signed a treaty that exchanged their reservation land in Iowa for territory in Long Prairie, Minnesota. He later traveled to Washington, D.C., in 1855 to finalize a treaty that granted the Winnebago reservation space south of Mankato, Minnesota. During the Minnesota Uprising from 1862 to 1863, he supported the Sioux uprising and was arrested for his involvement, though he was acquitted. Following the uprising, the Winnebago faced another relocation to a South Dakota reservation, which lacked sufficient resources, prompting them to migrate to Nebraska where they received land from the Omaha tribe. Little Priest distinguished himself as a scout and leader for the Omaha, engaging in conflicts against the Sioux over the Bozeman Trail. His life came to a tragic end in September 1866 due to injuries sustained during a confrontation with the Sioux. Little Priest's legacy reflects the complexities of Native American leadership during a tumultuous period in U.S. history.
Little Priest
- Born: Unknown
- Birthplace: Unknown
- Died: September 1, 1866
- Place of death: Unknown
Category: Chief, representative, scout, warrior
Tribal affiliation: Winnebago
Significance: Little Priest was a Winnebago tribal representative and warrior
Little Priest followed his father in the role of chief of his village in 1840. In that same year, the people of the village had relocated from Wisconsin to Iowa. Then, in 1846, he and other leaders of the Winnebago signed a treaty trading the reservation land in Iowa for land in Long Prairie, Minnesota. He traveled to Washington, D.C., in 1855 to sign the treaty that exchanged the Long Prairie lands for reservation space south of Mankato, Minnesota.
Little Priest supported the Minnesota Uprising of the Sioux that took place from 1862 to 1863. He may also have participated in the fighting. Most Winnebagos did not fully support the Sioux, and Little Priest was arrested for taking part in the uprising in October, 1862; he was tried and acquitted.
In 1863, the Winnebago were once again relocated, this time to a reservation in South Dakota. There was no food at this reservation, however, so the Winnebago left the reservation and reached Nebraska, where the Omaha granted them some land. Little Priest became a scout and company leader for the Omaha, fighting the Sioux between 1866 and 1868 in a war for the control of the Bozeman Trail. In March, 1866, by the Powder River in Montana, Little Priest single-handedly held off a party of advancing Sioux. He killed three Sioux, being shot various times himself before reinforcements arrived. In September, 1866, he died as a result of the wounds suffered at the engagement.