James Crow Lightning

James was a Santee Sioux man

Biography:

James was also known as James CROW and Crow Lightning. (2) Sophia is also known as Susan. (9)

James Lightning was born in April, 1857 at Yellow Medicine MN. He was a son of Sanwicakasda and Akpawin. He was baptized at Yankton in 1874. (1)

He married Sophia Tiyakasnawin on July 24, 1891.(1, 5) She was born in MN in 1852 and baptized at Mendota in 1863. Her parents were Tateyuhomni and Owaci. (1) (Sophia was first married to Joseph Pretty Feather. They had a son, Paul James b. at Choteau Creek, DT in 1879. Paul was baptized there on Nov. 2, 1879. (1))

James & Susan Lightning, Mary (Lightning) & David Zephier, Jr.
LIGHTNING, James Wakanhdiku & Sophia WinonanTiyakasnawin
James and Sophia had 2 daughters named Mary- (1, 2, 9, 10)
Mary #1 baptized in 1892. She died age 1 month in April 1892. (1)
Mary #2 b. April 20, 1893 at Santee, baptized Sept. 19, 1893. (1) She attended Genoa Indian School and completed 5th grade. (14) She married David Zephier, Jr. in 1914 (2, 14) Mary and David had a daughter also named Mary b. May 10, 1908 in SD, baptized on Sept. 6, 1908 at Greenwood SD. (1, 3, 13)
See the SDERA Survey for Mary Zephier. (13)

Sophia died on Dec. 18, 1912 (1)

James was admitted to the Canton Asylum for Insane Indians by the Santee Agency on November 9, 1920, where he died May 8, 1921, at Canton, SD (“Insane Asylum”) (1) and was buried in the Hiawatha Asylum cemetery tier 2 plot 50

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

References-

1. Santee Episcopal Mission Registers (Note that the LL Culp ltr of February 17, 1934, shows a death date of May 1, 1921)
2. Santee Indian Censuses
3. Federal Censuses
4. Santee Death Register
5. Santee Marriage Register
6. Knox County Marriage Licenses
7. Knox County Marriage Register
8. Iapi Oaye
9. 1893 and 1903 Annuity Payrolls
10. 1902 Register of Santee Indian Families
11. Probates, NARA, Washington DC
12. Find A Grave/ Tombstone
13. South Dakota Emergency Relief Administration Survey, 1935
14. SD State Census

© 2014 Vicky L. Valenta @ https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=381616795215166&set=a.38161324...

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Sources:

shows the cause of death and cemetery but the text is illegible - Santee Death Register Book 2 (Burials) pg. 234 line 10
James is at home in Santee Township, Knox County, Nebraska

1885 Santee Census- James Crow
Valenta, Vicky L. “Santee Sioux Genealogy.” Facebook, 2023, https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=381615058548673&set=a.38161324...

1896 Jun 30 - Valenta, Vicky L. “Santee Sioux Genealogy.” Facebook, 2023, https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1696014313775401&set=a.1696013..., census of the Santee Sioux pg 35/59, line 673-676, James Lightning, father age 87, wife Susan daughter Mary

1921 Mar 8 - Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14493884/james-crow-lightening: accessed 05 January 2024), memorial page for James Crow Lightening (unknown–8 Mar 1921), Find a Grave Memorial ID 14493884, citing Hiawatha Asylum Cemetery, Canton, Lincoln County, South Dakota, USA; Maintained by Graveaddiction (contributor 46528400).

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

Amos Brown 5-1-21 · James Crow Lightening 3-6-21 · John Martin 4-4-22