Iron Tail

Iron Tail (Oglala Lakota: Siŋté Máza in Standard Lakota Orthography; c. 1842 – May 29, 1916) was an Oglala Lakota Chief and a star performer with Buffalo Bill's Wild West. Iron Tail was one of the most famous Native American celebrities of the late 19th and early 20th centuries and a popular subject for professional photographers who circulated his image across the continents. Iron Tail is notable in American history for his distinctive profile on the Buffalo nickel or Indian Head nickel of 1913 to 1938. In 1985 chief Iron Tails likeness was used without authorization as a mascot for Indian Rock Village Condo in Merrimack, New Hampshire. The Indian Rock Road monument is still standing in 2026 despite attempts to have it removed by town residents that find it in poor historical taste. It is widely believed to be the last Native American mascot monument in the state of New Hampshire.