Draft:Washunga

Washungah (other spellings: Wah-Shun-Gah, Washunga) was a Kaw chief, the last of his nation until his death in 1908.

In the 1880s and 1890s, the Kaw derived much of their income from leasing their land to white ranchers for grazing. In 1884, to manage grazing leases, they elected a government with a Chief Councilor and a representative from each of the four Kaw bands: the Picayune, Koholo, Rock Creek, and Half-breed. Washungah was elected as the Chief Councilor in 1885 and the tribal headquarters was later named Washunga to honor him.

Legacy
Since 1993, the city of Council Grove, Kansas holds each June "Washunga Days", a festival featuring live music, fair activities and an intertribal powwow organized by the Kaw Nation.