Cecile Comes at Night

Cecile was a Piegan (Blackfoot) woman

The Piegan (also known as the Pikuni, Piikuni, Pikani, and Piikáni) are one of the three original tribes of the Blackfoot Confederacy. The Piegan are closely related to the Kainai Nation (also known as the "Blood Tribe"), and the Siksika Nation (also called the "Blackfoot Nation"); together they are sometimes collectively referred to as "the Blackfoot" or "the Blackfoot Confederacy". They were first thought to have lived west of the Great Lakes but later moved westward. However, according to oral history, the Blackfoot creation story is set near Glacier National Park in Montana.

The Three Chiefs Piegan by Edward S. Curtis, c. 1910

Like many Native Americans, the Blackfeet suffered from forced relocation and assimilation efforts instigated by white settlers. Many of them tried to resist assimilation, and for three decades after their first treaty with the United States, they refused to give up hunting in favor of farming. However, the buffalo were almost extinct by the early 1880s, and nearly one-quarter of the Piegan Blackfeet died of starvation.

The Blackfeet were forced to sign the “Sweet Grass Treaty” in 1888, which was supposed to secure land for them after their territory had been slowly taken by settlers. However, in 1896, the United States forced the tribe to cede the mountain lands promised to them in the treaty, adding another horrific injustice to the pattern of the United States mistreating Native Americans.

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. "Indian camp, Blackfoot Reserve, Alberta." The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1860 - 1920. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47dc-4568-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99''

Biography:
Cecile Comes at Night was a Piegan Blackfeet Indian born c. 1892, probably on the Blackfeet Reservation, Glacier County, Montana, to father Se-Peo-Tah Comes At Night and mother In-no-ka-ye Elk Robe.

According to records at the Canton Asylum for Insane Indians, Cecile was admitted by the Blackfeet Agency, Montana, on May 15, 1917, and while she had no diagnosis upon admission, it is worth noting that Cecile had an early aka as Fell Not Petrified, which may provide some insight. A specific incident was not linked to the aka nor has there ever been mentioned of a fall with lingering effects.

Cecile died at the Canton Asylum on May 9, 1919, and was buried in the Canton Hiawatha Cemetery. According to a letter from Dr. L.L. Culp, who assisted in closing the asylum in December 1933, dated February 23, 1934, to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, she was buried in tier 1 plot 32.

Her profile is part of the The Canton Asylum One Place Study.

Research Notes:
-This family is very well documented but the use of common names and nicknames has confused matters greatly. Both the parents and the Agency administrators likely contributed to the confusion. See the profile for her father for clarification here: Se-Peo-Tah Comes At Night
-https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/about/MLWG-RYX
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Sources:

1893 Sep 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP7Q-ZH6C : Wed Oct 04 12:44:57 UTC 2023), Entry for Elk Robe, pg. 653/705, line 1225-1230, census of the Piegan Indians, Blackfeet Agency

1895 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7446-DLN2 : Wed Oct 04 10:49:48 UTC 2023), Entry for Elk Robe, 1895, pg. 564/705, line 6, census of the Blackfeet Blood and Piegan, Blackfeet Agency, Montana

1897 (rcd 9/27) - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7WBC-DGPZ : Wed Oct 04 17:07:56 UTC 2023), Entry for Fell Not Petrified, pg. 19/698, line 259-263, census of the Indians, Blackfeet Agency (daughter Fell Not Petrified 4, Pretty Woman 3)

1898 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP7Q-ZH68 : Wed Oct 04 12:44:57 UTC 2023), Entry for Cecilia Comes At Night, pg. 653/705, line 1225-1230, census of the Piegan Indians, Blackfeet Agency, Montana

1899 Sep 1 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGLV-8GL9 : Thu Oct 05 05:52:52 UTC 2023), Entry for Cecil Comes In Night, pg. 174/698/, line 161-166, census of the Piegan tribe, Blackfeet Agency, Montana

1900 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGCT-P8R5 : Wed Oct 04 21:44:24 UTC 2023), Entry for Elk Robe, pg. 295/698, line 1615-1618, census of the Blackfeet

1903 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7WB4-L1MM : Thu Oct 05 00:28:55 UTC 2023), Entry for Cecile Comes At Night, pg. 494/698, line 1213-1219, census of the Piegan Indians, Blackfeet Agency, Montana

1904 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGR1-L9C3 : Wed Oct 04 23:36:53 UTC 2023), Entry for Cecile Comes At Night, pg. 543/698, line 33-39, census of the Piegan Indians, Blackfeet Reservation, Montana

1905 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7WBN-7XN2 : Wed Oct 04 21:00:46 UTC 2023), Entry for Cecile Comes At Night, pg. 609/698, line 1125-1131, census of the Piegan Indians, Blackfeet Agency, Montana

1906 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGT6-T42D : Wed Oct 04 12:59:25 UTC 2023), Entry for Cecile Comes At Night, pg. 678/698, 1061-1067, census of the Blackfeet Indians, Blackfeet Agency, Montana

1908 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGLJ-T3WL : Thu Oct 05 17:56:54 UTC 2023), Entry for Cecile Comes At Night, pg. 72/885, line 34-40, census of the Piegan tribe of Indians, Blackfeet Agency, Montana

1910 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP3M-813D : Thu Oct 05 04:06:58 UTC 2023), Entry for Cecile Comes At Night, pg. 303/885, line 1201-1210, census of the Piegans Indians, Blackfeet Agency

1910 Apr 22 - "United States Census, 1910", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MLC8-SKP : Thu Oct 05 03:03:12 UTC 2023), Entry for Joe Trombley and Jennie Trombley, 1910, pg. 289/1046, line 20, Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Teton County, Montana (Cecilie is 17 and a boarder with the family of John Trombley, Piegan Indian)

1913 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGP6-QKL9 : Thu Oct 05 22:50:15 UTC 2023), Entry for Comes At Night, pg. 817/885, line 1366-1376, census of the Piegan Indains, Blackfeet Reservation, Montana

1914 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q5PR-DC2M : Thu Oct 05 19:33:27 UTC 2023), Entry for Cecile Comes At Night, pg. 39/910, line 545-555, census of the Blackfeet Indians, Blackfeet Agency, Montana

1915 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q5P9-C4MM : Thu Oct 05 21:06:04 UTC 2023), Entry for Cecile Comes At Night, pg. 178/910, line 548/556, census of the Blackfeet Indians, Blackfeet Agency, Montana

1916 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q5PY-R4PZ : Thu Oct 05 17:37:05 UTC 2023), Entry for Cecile Comes At Night, pg. 325/910, line 553-561, census of the Blackfeet Indians, Blackfeet Agency, Montana

1917 Jun 30 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGP6-PS91 : Thu Oct 05 22:35:40 UTC 2023), Entry for Cecile Comes At Night, pg. 475/910, 549-558, census of the Blackfeet Indians, Blackfeet Agency, Montana

1917 Oct 1 - Camp Verde School: 1910-27; Canton Insane Asylum: 1910-22, Series: Superintendents' Annual Narrative and Statistical Reports, Record Group 75: Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 7th and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20408 @ https://catalog.archives.gov/id/155854182?objectPage=776, line 49, census of the Asylum for Insane Indians School

1918 Feb 2 - Camp Verde School: 1910-27; Canton Insane Asylum: 1910-22, Series: Superintendents' Annual Narrative and Statistical Reports, Record Group 75: Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 7th and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20408 @ https://catalog.archives.gov/id/155854182?objectPage=879, line 42, 1918 Canton Insane Asylum census

1919 Aug 1 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGR2-WNLG : Wed Oct 04 23:45:13 UTC 2023), Entry for Cecile Comes At Night, pg. 790/910, line 561-566, census of the Blackfeet Indians, Blackfeet Agency, Mont.

1920 Mar 13 - "United States Census, 1920", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M83P-LHP : Mon Dec 18 06:25:17 UTC 2023), Entry for Comes At Night and Double Charge Comes At Night, 1920, pg. 561/1164, line 60-65, census of Badger Creek, Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Glacier County, Montana

1919 Aug 12 - "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVVF-QBDK : 14 June 2022), Cecile Comes At Night, ; Burial, Canton, Lincoln, South Dakota, United States of America, Hiawatha Asylum Cemetery; citing record ID 14493689, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com., Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14493689/cecile-comes_at_night: accessed 31 January 2024), memorial page for Cecile Comes At Night (1893–12 Aug 1919), Find a Grave Memorial ID 14493689, citing Hiawatha Asylum Cemetery, Canton, Lincoln County, South Dakota, USA; Maintained by Graveaddiction (contributor 46528400).

1919 Aug 12 - Hilton, M. (Ed.). (2023, July 10). Hiawatha Asylum for Insane Indians Historical Marker. Historical Marker. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=183486 Photo by Ruth VanSteenwyk, July 10, 2023, courtesy of HMdb.org

Mary G. Buck 12-14-18 · Cecile Comes-At-Night 8-12-19 · Maud Magpie 4-24-20

1920 Jul 1 - "United States, Native American, Census Rolls, 1885-1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPQC-JND7 : Fri Oct 06 18:42:02 UTC 2023), Entry for Cecile Comes At Night, pg. 40/924, line 681-687 (misnumbered), census of the Blackfeet Indians, Blackfeet Agency