Existing comment:
Nawkaw, lifedates unknown
The much-respected Ho-Chung (Winnebago) chief Nawkaw led a delegation to Washington in the fall of 1828 to plea for a presidiential pardon on behalf of three imprisoned tribesmen. Nawkaw was described as a tall man of impressive appearance and commanding presence.
Smoking a ceremonial pipe was a time-honored ritual of tribal diplomacy, and Charles Bird King depicted Nawkaw as if addressing the president and extending his calumet at the conclusion of his speech. Nawkaw wore his three peace medals with great pride, according to the text, which noted that the medals, "presented to him at different times, as the head of his tribe and as tokens of respect for himself, are indicative of his rank."
J.T. Bowen Lithography Co., after Henry Inman, after Charles Bird King, 1838 |