"Memorial Monument of Chief Red Cloud"
By Rudie Adams, 1939
Pencil and ink on paper
15" x 9 1/2"
National Archives and Records Administration -- Central Plains Region, Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs

"Memorial Monument of Chief Red Cloud"
In September 1939 sculptor Rudie Adams proposed a large sculpture memorializing Red Cloud, the Oglala Sioux warrior and chief, in Washington, DC. In his letter accompanying the proposal, Adams described the symbolism in his design. An eagle, signifying the power of the Sioux, stands guard over the Western Hemisphere. The Sioux's power, however, "broken by agreements" with the U.S. Government, is signified by the broken bow and the arrow protruding from the eagle. Red Cloud appeals to the tribe to understand the progress for future generations through education, and a Sioux boy looks happily toward a bright future when he is told that schooling is available. Adams apparently wanted to raise the $6,000 to erect his sculpture by donations from the tribe. The Commissioner of Indian Affairs responded by referring Adams' plan to the Oglala Tribal Council but also warned that "the Pine Ridge Sioux are a poor people . . . and can ill afford to make any contributions such as you propose." Adams design was never completed.