Ella Cara Deloria: Dakota anthropologist preserves native heritage
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Ella Cara Deloria, a Yankton Dakota woman born in South Dakota in 1889, dedicated her life to documenting and preserving Native American languages, cultures, and traditions.
She received a scholarship to Oberlin College and later worked with renowned anthropologists Franz Boas and Ruth Benedict, translating texts and conducting fieldwork among the Dakota, Navajo, and Lumbee peoples. Deloria’s linguistic skills in Dakota, Nakota, and Lakota proved invaluable to her research, and she often identified errors in the work of non-Native researchers.
Throughout her career, Deloria balanced her scholarly pursuits with a commitment to her family, providing care for her parents and sister. She also worked as a teacher at several boarding schools, encouraging her students to take pride in their Native heritage. Despite her significant contributions, Deloria faced financial difficulties and relied on grants from institutions like Columbia University and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to support her research.
Deloria published numerous articles and books, including “Dakota Grammar” co-authored with Franz Boas and the novel “Waterlily”, which was published after her death in 1988. In 1943, the Indian Council Fire recognized her work with a Distinguished Indian Award and Columbia University later established research fellowships in her name. She continued her work until her death in 1971, leaving behind a legacy of research still used by scholars today.
