Written by Anna Trammell
In 1871, a group of Pimas took a young Yavapai boy named Wassaja captive. From there, he would begin on a journey that would eventually lead him to Urbana, Illinois. Political activist, writer, physician, and the first Native American graduate of the University of Illinois, his legacy is far-reaching.
Wassaja, a term that could be translated to “beckoning” or “signaling,” was born to the Yavapai in Arizona circa 1867. Drought in the area around this time and the appearance of settlements encroaching on Native American land contributed to an increase in violent clashes between the Yavapai and the Pimas. It was in such a clash that Wassaja and his sisters were taken captive. Shortly thereafter, he was sold for a sum of thirty silver dollars to Carlo Gentile, an Italian immigrant and photographer. [1]
Gentile gave Wassaja the name Carlos Montezuma. After Gentile’s quest for gold proved fruitless, the pair spent time in several locations before settling in Chicago. It was there that Montezuma found himself briefly working as a performer in an early Buffalo Bill stage production. The association with the production only lasted a short time and by 1875 Carlos was completely focused on his studies.[2]
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