Oklahoma Chief Iron Tail Indian Camp Bison Buffalo Nickel Design 1919 Real Photo Postcard

Chief Iron Tail (c. 1840-1916), an Oglala Lakota chief and warrior, achieved widespread recognition through his association with Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. He is notably among the Native American models believed to have inspired James Earle Fraser's design for the Indian Head, or Buffalo, Nickel, first minted in 1913. This postcard, referencing "The Indian on the New Nickle," was likely produced shortly after the coin's introduction, capitalizing on public interest in its imagery and the prominent figures associated with it.

The inclusion of a bison alongside Chief Iron Tail underscores the profound cultural and historical relationship between Plains Native American tribes and the American bison. The bison was central to their way of life, providing sustenance, materials, and spiritual connection. The postcard serves as a historical document from the early 20th century, reflecting the period's complex representations of Native Americans and the symbolic role of the bison in American national identity, at a time when traditional Native lifeways were rapidly transforming under reservation policies.