Born in 1876 on the Yankton Sioux reservation in South Dakota, Zitkala-èa willingly left her home at age eight to go to a boarding school in Indiana. But she soon found herself caught between two worlds―white and Native American. At school she missed her mother and her traditional life, but Zitkala-èa found joy in music classes. Her talent grew, and when she graduated, she became a music teacher, composer, and performer. Zitkala-èa found she could also "sing" to help her people by writing stories and giving speeches. As an adult, she worked as an activist for Native American rights, seeking to build a bridge between cultures.