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John War Eagle

Birth name:
John Henry St. Pierre

1901 - 1977

There were content and accuracy issues with the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), Find A Grave, and Wikipedia records for Native American actor John War Eagle. IMDb and Find A Grave corrections were online as of early July, 2023. Details in the red highlighted box at the bottom of this webpage.


Angela Aleiss, PhD, is author of Hollywood's Native Americans: Stories of Identity and Resistance (Praeger, 2022) and has taught at CSU Long Beach and UCLA. Her book has more on John War Eagle - he was born John Henry St. Pierre in Wagner, Charles Mix County, South Dakota in 1901 and was Yankton Sioux.

He married Harriet Pansy McBride in 1924, and they had two children, son Glen and daughter Ruby June. He spent his early adult years farming in South Dakota and in 1942 registered for the World War II draft. Soon after, he and his family moved to California where he found work portraying Native Americans in films and television using the screen name John War Eagle.

His Hollywood career spanned from the 1940s - to the mid 1970s and included films and TV programs. John War Eagle has a large role (and lots of Technicolor closeups) as "Chief Red Cloud" in TOMAHAWK (Universal International, 1951) which starred Van Heflin and Preston Foster. His last was portraying a tribal elder in TALES OF THE NUNUNDAGA (1977), a Children's Novel for Television special on ABC.

The death notice for John Henry St. Pierre mentions that he passed away on June 21, 1977 at a local hospital and survivors were wife Harriet and daughter June. And "Mr. St. Pierre was a member of the Screen Actors Guild in Hollywood, he was known as John War Eagle to the Motion Picture Industry."



Info is available at Family Search, Ancestry.com, newspapers, and other sources. Note the several variations in his surname - there's San Pierre, Stpierre, and St. Pierre. His wife was Harriet Pansy McBride (1906 - 1984), and they married in 1924 and she was Yankton Sioux.

  Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on John War Eagle: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0911272/

South Dakota Department of Health birth index for John Stpierre - he was born September 24, 1901 in Charles Mix County, South Dakota to Gilbert Stpierre and Carrie Anderson: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKD8-TZVB

Ancestry.com had the 1902 Yankton Sioux census - living there are 39 year old Gilbert San Pierre, his 35 year old wife Carrie San Pierre, two sons and three daughters. Their youngest child is one year old John H. San Pierre.

1910 Indian population census at the Yankton Indian Reservation - living in Wahehe, Charles Mix County, South Dakota were 46 year old Gilbert St. Pierre (born South Dakota; widowed; race was Indian; occupation Laborer) and his six children. The youngest child was 8 year old son John St. Pierre (born South Dakota): https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MPXJ-MLK

Ancestry.com had the South Dakota Board of Health, Record of Marriage of 23 year old John St. Pierre and 18 year old Pansy McBride on November 22, 1924 in Avon, Bon Homme County, South Dakota. Both lived in Wagner, South Dakota; was the first marriage for both; and their Nationality was Indian.

Ancestry.com had the 1930-1931 census roll for Ponca and Santee and Yankton Sioux Indians. Living on the Yankton Reservation in South Dakota on April 1, 1930 were 28 year old John H. San Pierre, his 24 year old wife Harriet Pansy, 2 year old daughter Ruby June, and 1 year old son Glen.

1935 South Dakota Census - living in Charles Mix, South Dakota were:
33 year old John H. St. Pierre. He was Indian, a farmer, wife was Pansy McBride, and they married in 1924: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MV4P-9L9
His 28 year old wife Pansy St. Pierre was Indian: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MV4P-9LF

Ancestry.com had the World War II draft registration dated February 16, 1942 for 40 year old John Henry St. Pierre. Home address was Ward 1, Wagner, Charles Mix County, South Dakota. Contact was wife Pansy St. Pierre, Wagner, South Dakota. He was born September 24, 1901 in Charles Mix, South Dakota; race was Indian; he was unemployed; and he was 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighed 150 pounds.

1950 census - 48 year old John H. St. Pierre was born 1902 in South Dakota. He and 43 year old wife Harriet lived in Alhambra, California. Both were born in South Dakota. His occupation was "Free Lance Movie Actor - Movie Studios": https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XGK-CQD5

California Death Index for John H. St. Pierre - he was born September 24, 1901 in South Dakota, and passed away on June 21, 1977 in the Orange County, California area: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VGTW-WHY

Death notice for John Henry St. Pierre / movie actor John War Eagle in the June 24, 1977 San Clemente, California Sun Post News. He passed away on June 21, 1977 at a local hospital and survivors were wife Harriet and daughter June. And "Mr. St. Pierre was a member of the Screen Actors Guild in Hollywood, he was known as John War Eagle to the Motion Picture Industry.":




Find A Grave notes that John H. St. Pierre (1901 - 1977) and wife Harriet (1906 - 1984) are interred at Eternal Hills Memorial Park, Oceanside, San Diego County, California: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/204134143/john-h-st_pierre

Find A Grave reports that his parents are interred at Greenwood Episcopal Cemetery, Greenwood, Charles Mix County, South Dakota:
Father Gilbert St Pierre (1863 - 1953): https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/147608573/gilbert-st_pierre
Carrie Anderson St Pierre (1868 - 1909): https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/147608550/carrie-st_pierre

May 28, 1950 Rapid City, South Dakota Journal has an article and photo of John War Eagle who was portraying 'Red Cloud' in the movie TOMAHAWK (Universal International, 1951). Includes mention of his Yankton Sioux lineage, his birth name of John St. Pierre, and his early years as a farmer: https://www.newspapers.com/article/rapid-city-journal-john-war-eagle-portra/125997921/

Getty Images has a color photo of John War Eagle and Guillermo San Juan in the ABC television Children's special 'Tales of the Nunundaga' (1977): https://www.gettyimages.ae/detail/news-photo/john-war-eagle-guillermo-san-juan-appearing-in-the-abc-tv-news-photo/1228735894

November 19, 1977 Greenfield, Indiana Daily Reporter paper has a large photo of John War Eagle portraying a tribal elder in 'Nunundaga' (1977) on ABC television: https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-reporter-late-picture/103611347/

Wikipedia biography - John Henry St. Pierre, AKA John War Eagle, was Sioux and born in Wagner, Charles Mix County, South Dakota. Has 1991 as his death date and that is incorrect: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_War_Eagle

Official website of the Yankton Sioux Tribe in Wagner, Charles Mix County, South Dakota: https://www.yanktonsiouxtribe.net/

Wikipedia page on the Yankton Sioux Tribe in South Dakota: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankton_Sioux_Tribe




(From Old Corral collection)

L-to-R are Robert 'Bobby' Blake (as 'Little Beaver'), Frank Lackteen, Chief Yowlachie, John War Eagle, and kneeling is Billy Cummings. Lobby card from OREGON TRAIL SCOUTS (Republic, 1947), one of the Red Ryder adventures starring Allan Lane.



Above from left to right are Frank Lackteen, Chief Yowlachie and John War Eagle in a crop/blowup from the above lobby card.



(From Old Corral collection)

Above is another lobby card from OREGON TRAIL SCOUTS.  From L-to-R are Roy Barcroft, unidentified player (possibly Pat Michaels), Martha Wentworth, John War Eagle, Chief Yowlachie, and on horseback is Frank Lackteen.



John War Eagle on the left, Chief Yowlachie on right and Frank Lackteen on horseback in a crop/blowup from the above lobby card.

 

Fixes, corrections, and updates to Find A Grave, Internet Movie Database (IMDb), and Wikipedia:
Find A Grave Memorial ID 85383865 is NOT actor John War Eagle

Find A Grave's bio for Memorial ID 85383865 was completely wrong and had him misidentified as Native American actor John War Eagle.

Memorial ID 85383865 is John Worley Eagle and he was born in England in 1901 and was a banker and Los Angeles attorney. He was also the 1957 president of the Los Angeles Kiwanis organization. And his World War II draft registration has his Race as White (not Indian). He died February 7, 1991 in California, and he and wife Monna are interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California.

In May - early June, 2023, I contacted Find A Grave on this erroneous biography. A corrected and updated bio on this English born bank manager and attorney went online on June 21, 2023:  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/85383865/john-worley-eagle

Find A Grave Memorial ID 204134143 is actor John War Eagle

Find A Grave notes that John H. St. Pierre (1901 - 1977) and wife Harriet (1906 - 1984) are interred at Eternal Hills Memorial Park, Oceanside, San Diego County, California: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/204134143/john-h-st_pierre

But there was no biography or mention that he was Native American actor John War Eagle.

Suggested bio: Native American actor John War Eagle was born John Henry St. Pierre in Wagner, Charles Mix County, South Dakota on September 24, 1901 and was Sioux. In his later years, he and family lived in San Juan Capistrano, Orange County, California. He passed away on June 21, 1977 at a local hospital.

I submitted that bio update on 5/29/2023 to Find A Grave and it was online on 6/7/2023. Added his parents and that went online on July 2, 2023.

Internet Movie Database

  Although some of the data is incomplete or inaccurate, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) has information on John War Eagle: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0911272/
The brief bio reads: "John War Eagle was born in 1902 in Leicestershire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Man from Laramie (1955), Last of the Comanches (1953) and The Great Sioux Uprising (1953). He died on February 7, 1991 in California, USA."

IMDb was updated on 5/30/2023 to correct his birth and death info and dates: John War Eagle was born on September 24, 1901 in Charles Mix, South Dakota. He was an actor, known for The Man from Laramie (1955), Last of the Comanches (1953) and The Great Sioux Uprising (1953). He died on June 21, 1977 in Orange County, California, USA.

Wanted to add some additional info to his biography. I did several bios for IMDb and all were declined as it did not meet IMDb's guidelines.

My fourth - and final - attempt was submitted on 6/17/2023:

John War Eagle was born John Henry St. Pierre on September 24, 1901 at the Yankton Sioux Indian Reservation in Wagner, Charles Mix County, South Dakota, USA. His Native American parents were Gilbert St. Pierre and Carrie Anderson, and were Yankton Sioux. In 1924, he married Harriet Pansy McBride, and they had two children, daughter Ruby June in 1925 and son Glen in 1927. He spent his early adult years farming in South Dakota and in 1942 registered for the World War II draft. Soon after, he and his family moved to California where he found work portraying Native Americans in films and television using the screen name of John War Eagle. His last role was portraying a tribal elder in Tales of the Nunundaga (1977), a Children's Weekend Special on ABC television. He died June 21, 1977, in Orange County, California, USA.

That bio was declined on 6/19/2023 as it did not meet IMDb's guidelines. Sadly, IMDb doesn't provide a hint, clue, or feedback as to what caused their rejection. And I'm not a mind reader. IMDb's guidelines are many pages long and updating is a frustrating and time consuming experience. I've wasted enough time on IMDb.

Wikipedia correction needed

Wikipedia bio - John Henry St. Pierre, AKA John War Eagle, was Sioux and born in Wagner, Charles Mix County, South Dakota: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_War_Eagle

The bio includes some incorrect info:
His birth is listed as June 8, 1901. Correct birth date is September 24, 1901.
His death is listed as February 7, 1991. That needs to be changed to June 21, 1977.


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