Smoke Signal Debut, January 1948

 The Smoke Signal, Jan. 1948 (top portion of p. 1)

The Federated Indians of California (FIC) was almost two years old when the first Smoke Signal made its appearance.* Within months, a formal masthead with additional artwork was designed and introduced as a way to mark the transition from news letter to newspaper.  An image of that masthead will be posted next week, but it is worth noting that the organization's tag line, "In Unity There is Strength," can be seen penciled in on this archival copy, perhaps by the inaugural editor, Kitty Potts Flores. This motto would feature prominently on the newspaper masthead. The clips below are also taken from the January 1948 issue.

A note from editor Kitty Potts Flores

In mid-1949, Marie Potts succeeded her daughter as Smoke Signal editor. For three decades, she continued to edit and publish the paper out of the family home in the popular neighborhood of Oak Park, in Sacramento, California. The final issue of the paper was printed in January 1978, just months before Potts'  passing. At that time, The Smoke Signal was the longest-running, American-Indian owned and operated paper in the country.

*Prior to the introduction of the Smoke Signal, the FIC communicated with its membership by newsletter.

Indian Day Dance and Fundraiser

Freedom Train Publicity Appearance

The Federated Indians of California (FIC) formed in 1946, in Sacramento, California, in order to press a land claims case before the Indian Claims Commission, on behalf of all California Native peoples. Although the FIC representatives who posed for this early publicity photo represented Miwok, Pomo, Mountain Maidu, and Paiute peoples, they dressed for the occasion in attire that typified "American Indians" to the mainstream California public, whose political and financial support the group sought to tap.  The clothing was loaned, and in some cases made, by B.W. Hathaway, curator of the California State Indian Museum. Such clothing, along with the use of pan-Indian symbols and references on the masthead of their newspaper, The Smoke Signal, and on the organization's letterhead, helped to broaden their public and inter-tribal appeal during the post-WWII era. While the leadership of the FIC was savvy about the social and political appeal of such symbolism, they celebrated their California Indian heritage in countless social venues, including dance groups, parades, and fund-raisers organized to defray the cost of sending delegates to Washington, DC.  By the late 1960s the mainstream public, whom the FIC had once sought simply to educate about their land claims case, had come to appreciate the rich cultural heritage of California Native peoples, as it was embodied in and performed by the FIC membership in dance, food, language and artistic traditions.

The March 1948 Smoke Signal announced an upcoming appearance.
(Note: Gladys Mankins stood in for Bertha Stewart at the actual event.)