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Ben was born into the Thunderbird Clan in 1829.
The name given in the 1905 census is Na He Kah, which is for Naxíga, a birth order name meaning "Fourth Son."
Waggoner (47, nt. 94) says, "Hounka was likely Coming Thunder Winneshiek’s brother, not son. Winneshiek’s father, who died in 1848, was Chief Mawaragah Winneshiek. He had four sons, only two of whom were well known: Coming Thunder, the eldest, and Short Wing. His other sons were probably Hounka or “Hoon kaw” and Ben Winneshiek. Coming Thunder in turn had three sons whose English names were John, George, and Little Winneshiek. Hughes thought that George might have been Hounka, but I disagree, because he was too young. The 1857 annuity rolls (101) show the following consecutive heads of family: Nau He Kaw [or fourth-born son, probably Ben Winneshiek]; Winnoshik [Coming Thunder]; Hoon Kaw; Wau sho pe we kaw [Coming Thunder’s mother]. Hau kaw kaw [or third-born son, who was probably “Ha-ya-ka-kay,” brother of “Hoon kaw,” otherwise known as Short Wing.
As can be seen from the 1905 census, Waggoner's supposition that Ben Winnoshiek was Nau He Kaw (Naxíga) proves to be correct. This means that Ben was the fourth son of Mąwáruga Winneshiek and the brother of Coming Thunder.
Thank you, Richard Dieterle, for the research and creation of this profile; see Richard's contributions to this profile prior to its rename.
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Ben is 18 degrees from John Adams, 23 degrees from Calvin Coolidge, 24 degrees from Dwight Eisenhower, 17 degrees from John Hanson, 19 degrees from William Harrison, 19 degrees from Thomas Jefferson, 21 degrees from Abraham Lincoln, 19 degrees from James Monroe, 20 degrees from Franklin Roosevelt, 20 degrees from Martin Van Buren, 16 degrees from George Washington and 22 degrees from Jana Diamond on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
H > Ho-Chunk | W > Winneshiek > Ben Naxíga (Ho-Chunk) Winneshiek
Categories: Ho-Chunk
Do any of these authors cite a source for him being born with that surname? 1829 was still early for the use of surnames by Native Americans.