Chief Sitting Bull Has Ties To Evansville

The Tri-state has numerous connections to some famous names in history, including Abraham Lincoln and George Rogers Clark. However, there is one famous Native American connection many in the Tri-state don't know. Finton Montochna's life ended early at the young age of 23. He died 122 years ago and is buried at Saint Joseph Catholic Cemetery on Evansville's west side, but Montochna is not like any other 23 year old. His uncle is one of the most famous Indians in history, Chief Sitting Bull. "Sitting Bull sent his nephew Finton here to Holy Trinity College to learn the modern day ways, of not necessarily the white man, but just of modern living." After Montochna finished school, Sitting Bull had a plan for his nephew. "He wanted him to come back out to Montana to teach out there to the younger braves and Indian people how the far east, out here, since we were settled first, was living."  Sitting Bull's hope for his nephew fell short when the young man became sick and died. "They were unable to ship his body back to Chief Sitting Bull because it was such a long trip by horse and wagon. They decided to go ahead and just bury him here in Evansville." More than a century has passed and Montochna's story has faded with time. Groundskeeper Trish Overton changed that when she posted a picture online of Montochna's grave. The picture caught the attention of Donna David, who is related to Sitting Bull and his nephew. "Chief Sitting Bull's great great granddaughter saw it and contacted me and said she'd love to bring her family down here. She didn't realize someone was buried over here."  The Sitting Bull "family reunion" could happen in Evansville soon. She's waiting for the monument to be placed back here and she's going to bring her family. The weather has deteriorated Montochna's head stone, so it is being repaired. Once it is, the family and others will have a better view of Evansville's connection to one of the most famous names in U.S. history.