Ho-Cank (“Winnebago”) Citizen, Foster DeCorah, pictured with two sons, was Killed In Action 1916/1917 during World War I in France while fighting for the u.s. and while breaking thru the famed ‘Hindenburg Line’ which lead the Allied Forces on to victory. Foster’s gravesite remains in France at the Oise-Aisne American Cemetery and Memorial, 70 miles northeast of Paris to this day.
Foster pictured with son Henry, 7, Father Foster DeCorah, son Arthur, 5 years old, taken 1906, can also be seen here:
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/whi/fullRecord.asp?id=7062&qstring=http%3A%2F%2...
Foster was the Grand Son of “Morning Glory Woman” or “Glory of the Morning”. She was the daughter of a Principal Spokesperson (misnomer ‘chief’) of the Ho Cank Nation during the early 1700’s. When Morning Glory Woman’s father passed away, because she learned the speaking and presentation skills from her father, she was selected by the Ho Cank Nation to carry on as Principal Spokesperson for the Nation for all major national and international business correspondence. Her sincerity and honesty and ability to eloquently present the Ho Cank stance to others led to her selection and Principal Spokesperson. Her duty as Spokesperson was a great honor for her and this gifted duty upon her lays to rest the common european stereotype misconception that indigenous women were relegated to ‘lower’ roles within indigenous communities and Nations. Her story proves the balance that existed within Indigenous Red “Indian” Nations prior to and even after the invasion of columbus.
Henry DeCorah, along with his father, Foster, and brother, Robert, assisted the u.s. army as Ho Cank Citizens and was injured with mustard gas during the battle in which his father was killed 50 feet away. Henry, in the heat of the famed “Hindenburg” battle, continued on with the fighting despite the loss of his father. Henry returned with his grandson, named Foster, during the late 1980’s and conducted a Canunpa “Peace Pipe” ceremony at his father’s gravesite in southern France.
Henry DeCorah’s daughter, Reva, was the National Secretary of the American Indian Movement (AIM) from 1971 till her passing in 2007. Reva married George Barta (1/4 Ihanktunwan DaNakota ‘Yankton Nakota’) and had son, Scott Charles, in 1960.
Choka resembles his Great Grand Son, Inyan – a world champion Traditional Dancer, below.
There is also a photo of Henry “Choka” (Ho Cank for ‘Grand Father’), 7, and Great Grand Son “Inyan” (Lakota for “Rock”), 10 yrs. at Scott Barta's facebook page.
For more information on Reva DeCorah-Barta, see her and family’s web page at: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rosadove/DeeDovey'sPage/revabarta.htm
Foster DeCorah gravesite:
DeCorah, Foster (Reva's Grand Father)
Killed In Action Aug 1, 1918
Oise-Aisne American Cemetery and Memorial
70 miles northeast of
Paris, France
Plot B
Row 04
Grave 33
From Wisconsin
32 Division, 128 infantry
Cemetery location, information and photographs at:
http://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries/cemeteries/oa_pict.pdf
Google map of overhead photo:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=N49+12.134++E3+32.894&sll=36.8653,10.331267&sspn=0.006558,0.009656&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=16&iwloc=A
