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Hodges Soileau (American, B. 1943) "Pontiac" Signed lower middle. Original Mixed Media painting on Paper. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which appeared on the Fleetwood Little Crow Commemorative Cover Postmarked February 18, 1982. Little Crow was chief of the Mdewakanton tribe of Santee Sioux. Early in his career, a drunken brother wounded him severely in both arms, permanently crippling Little Crow's hands. By the mid-1800's Little Crow's leadership was recognized by most of the Sioux who lived in the valleys of the Minnesota and upper Mississippi Rivers. To keep the peace and make room for white settlers eager for Sioux land, he reluctantly joined with other chiefs in signing a treaty with the U.S. on August 5, 1851. The treaty ceded millions of acres for formation of the State of Minnesota, leaving the Santee Sioux with a reservation along both sides of the Minnesota River and a promise from the government to pay them annuities for fifty years. A delay in payment combined with a crop failure in 1862 led to a sudden outbreak of violence by four hungry Sioux. Little Crow warned his people that war would be disastrous, yet the next morning he led the warriors in an attack upon Fort Ridgely, and the bloody Sioux War of 1862 was underway. From the beginning, Little Crow condemned indiscriminate killing of settlers, and after he was wounded he strongly opposed the assault upon New Ulm. As he had earlier predicted, General H. H. Sibley defeated his warriors at Wood Lake on September 23, and the chief and many of his followers fled westward or to Canada. In June 1863, when Little Crow returned with his son to his beloved Minnesota Big Woods, he was killed and his son was captured by two revengeful settlers. Image Size: 15.25 x 13 in. Overall Size: 19.5 x 17.5 in. Unframed. (B07233)