Flight-of-Geese (Nawkaw) Decora (abt. 1800 - 1885)

Born about 1800 in Wisconsin, Native North America

Died 1885 at about age 85 in Winnebago, Thurston, Nebraska, United States

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Flight-of-Geese (Nawkaw) Decora is a part of Wisconsin history. Join: Wisconsin Project Discuss: Wisconsin

Biography

Flight-of-Geese was Ho-Chunk.

Birth

Her father was said to have died in the 98th year of his life in 1833, however, it was an almost universal practice of elderly people to exaggerate their age. Otherwise, Flight of Geese would have been born when her father was quite elderly. Her husband, Spoon Decorah, was said to have been born in 1806. She died before her husband, so she may have been a bit older than he.

Marriage

Spoon Decorah says, "I remember Karrymaunee, who was among those who signed the treaty of 1832. He was then the head of the tribe. I saw him often, for one of his daughters was my first squaw. She was named Flight of Geese, and died on the Nebraska reservation two years ago. We had parted many years before. Karrymaunee was large and powerful, — fully six feet high, and very broad. He was a fine many, every way. We never selected any but fine men for our chiefs." (Spoon Decorah)

Residence

In 1832, Flight of Geese, listed as "Day-kaw-ray's Mother," lived in the Upper Barribault (Baraboo) Village, No. 3 (43.543068, -90.031376). According to the census rolls, she lived in a lodge with five other people, one male, another woman (his wife?), and three children. Her share of the annuities promised in the treaty for that year was $22.13. (John Kinzie Census Rolls)

Death

Spoon Decorah says of his first wife, "Flight of Geese ... died on the Nebraska reservation two years ago [1885]."

Sources

• "Winnebago Village List, compiled by John H. Kinzie," Upper Barribault (Baraboo) Village, No. 3, note 14, in Richard Dieterle, The Encyclopedia of Hočąk (Winnebago) Mythology.

• "Indian History of Winneshiek County: 'Decorah Family - GENEALOGY AND HISTORY OF THE DECORAH FAMILY', compiled by Charles Philip Hexom (biographies by Dick Barton); A. K. Bailey & Son, Inc.; Decorah, USA; 1913, p. 29-31."

• "The Narrative of Spoon Decorah," in an Interview with Reuben Gold Thwaites," Wisconsin Historical Collections, XIII (1895): 448-462 (455).

• WikiTree profile Indian-8 created through the import of The Sammons Family Tree.ged on Jun 9, 2011 by Steve Sammons.