American Indian rides solo on Cheyenne Agency cover

The latest addition to my collection of 14¢ American Indian stamps on cover is just as philatelic as they come, but it’s still a pretty nifty piece.

The cover postmarked at Cheyenne Agency, South Dakota, on October 1, 1934, bears a cachet commemorating the 130th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s arrival in that area in 1804.

The highlight for me is the solo usage of the American Indian stamp. It’s totally philatelic—even with the “Via Air Mail” notation on the front of the cover, the amount of postage owed was only 6¢, meaning the stamp represents an 8¢ overpayment—but there is something of a connection between the subject of the stamp, Hollow Horn Bear, and Cheyenne Agency.

Cheyenne Agency was set apart in the 19th century as land for the Lakota nation. As a Brule Sioux, Hollow Horn Bear was a Lakota, and although he lived at South Dakota’s Rosebud Agency, he no doubt would have had at least distant relatives at Cheyenne Agency during his lifetime. Pretty cool stuff!

Published 2023-01-11