Eagle of Delight (1804?–1822?), also known as Hayne Hudjihini, or Little Eagle (Wad-ben-da-bah), was born around 1804 at or near her combined Otoe-Missouria Indian village (near the present town of Yutan) in what is now eastern Nebraska. Because Otoe names and tattoos often indicated a person’s birth order and status, it appears she was a child of high position and a highly respected first or fourth daughter of an Otoe chief or elder. As such, in her early teens she underwent special teachings and a tattooing ceremony done by a holy man of the tribe to secure her esteemed place among her people and in their Night Dance (or Chiefs’ Dance) Society, as well as to mark her promise to always serve as a good role model. Her “mark of honor” tattoos included a small, pale-blue dot on her forehead between her eyes and blue-ink bands around her wrists....
Article
Eagle of Delight (1804?–1822?)
Jean A. Lukesh
Image
Eagle of Delight (1804?–1822?)
John T. Bowen
In
Lithograph of Hayne-Hudjihini, the Eagle of Delight,1801-1856?, by John T. Bowen
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 [LC-DIG-pga-07506]