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Julia was Ho-Chunk.
Contents |
Biography
Name
Julia's Hocąk name, Naw jin pn win kaw, is for Najupįwįga, which means "Pretty Hair Woman," from naju, "hair"; pį, "good, pretty"; -wį-, a feminine gender infix; -ga, a definite article suffix used in personal names.
Lineage
“Little is known about Lilian’s mother, Julia Decora St. Cyr. She was born about 1846 near Fort Atkinson, Iowa, which was built allegedly ‘to protect the Winnebago.’ The eldest daughter of Youkaw (Queen Woman) and Baptiste “Tall” Decora, Julia’s Indian name was Naw jin pn win kaw (Pretty Hair Woman). Julia’s father was the son of Ho-Chunk civil chief Conokaw Decorah whose father was Chougeka (Wooden Spoon).” (Waggoner)
Sources
- Linda M. Waggoner, “Starring Red Wing!: The Incredible Career of Lilian M. St. Cyr, the First Native American Film Star (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2019) Ch. 1.