Charles Alexander EastmanCharles Alexander Eastman (February 19, 1858 – January 8, 1939) was an American physician, writer, and social reformer. He was the first Native American to receive Western medicine certification and was "one of the most prolific authors and speakers n Sioux ethnohistory and American Indian affairs" in the early twentieth century. Eastman's ancestors were Santee Dakota, English, and French. After working as, a physician on South Dakota reservations, he became more involved in politics and Native American rights concerns. He strived to enhance the lives of children and formed thirty-two Native American YMCA chapters. He is regarded as the first Native American novelist to write about American history from a Native American perspective. He also contributed to the formation of the Boy Scouts of America. Eastman was born in Minnesota and given the name Hakadah, which means "pitiful last" in Dakota. Eastman was named after his mother, who died shortly after his birth. He was the fifth child of Wakantakawin, a mixed-race lady also known as Winona (which means "First-Born Daughter" in Dakota) or Mary Nancy Eastman. She and Eastman's father, Wak-anhdi Ota (Many Lightnings), were Santee Dakotas who resided on a reservation near Redwood Falls, Minnesota. Read More Read Less