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EX
EXPO SIOUX CITY PO
at

The War Eagle Monument

War Eagle was a member of the Yankton band City with the peaceful coexistence of the Dakota
of the Dakota living in northwest Iowa prior to and Americans. War Eagle likely died from expo-
Euro-American settlement. In his younger days, sure during the winter of 1851, and was buried
he worked for the U.S. government during the on the loess hilltops near where his statue now
War of 1812 and supported ties with the Unit- stands. A massive landslide in 1988 required the
ed States over British interests in the area. He temporary removal of the statue and an archaeo-
later worked on a Mississippi riverboat and for logical survey prior to replacement. Site 13WD69
the American Fur Company. Sometime around was recorded as the location of several pioneer
1849, War Eagle met and befriended a French- era burials at the location of the original monu-
Canadian fur trader named Theophile Bruguier, ment. Park improvements were made and the
who also worked for the American Fur Company. monument was replaced. War Eagle was not a
As the story goes, they talked of settling in a war chief but rather elected by his people as a
place where two large rivers met and War Eagle social leader and is remembered and admired as
brought him to the confluence of the Missouri a friend to those early American settlers.
and Big Sioux rivers. Eventually, Bruguier mar- The monument along the loess bluffs above
ried two of War Eagles daughters, Dawn and the confluence of the Big Sioux and Missouri
Blazing Star, and established a presence in the rivers was a product of a U.S. Bicentennial proj-
area now known as River Side Park in western ect and depicts War Eagle wearing a long eagle
Sioux City. This formed the beginnings of Sioux feathered head dress and holding a calumet,
symbolizing his respected leadership and support
for peaceful relations between Native Americans
and Americans.
You can visit the monument today by driving
up to the War Eagle Park which contains a beau-
tiful vista of the confluence of these two mighty
rivers.

War Eagle
Monument

Portrait of War Eagle