Founded the National Council of American Indians

On January 26, 1926, Zitkala-Ša founded the National Council of American Indians, an organization dedicated to lobbying for the rights of Native Americans, including suffrage, citizenship protections, healthcare, and improved education. She served as its president, using the organization as a platform to unify tribes across the country in political advocacy.

This was a pioneering effort: Zitkala-Ša was among the first Native American women to establish a pan-tribal political organization aimed explicitly at federal policy reform. At a time when Native Americans had only recently been granted citizenship (via the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, which she had lobbied for), the council sought to ensure that this citizenship translated into meaningful political power and protection of tribal land and resources.

The council worked closely with the General Federation of Women's Clubs and other reform-minded organizations, and Zitkala-Ša traveled extensively, speaking and organizing on reservations to encourage political participation and awareness of legal rights.

Her leadership of the council cemented her legacy as one of the most important Native American political organizers of the early 20th century, laying groundwork for later Indigenous rights movements, including the American Indian Movement of the 1960s and 70s. She continued to lead the organization until her death in 1938.