Gichi-Onwaachige Nibwaskaa Songab is
Čhetáŋ Wakhúwa Máni
hereditary Chief of The Mdewakanton
The Red Bear Pembina Chippewa Indians
 

Nibwaskaa Songab "One Who Is Wise And Stands Strong" carries the traditional leadership assignment for responsibilities in a cultural context; the mantle of Čhetáŋ Wakhúwa Máni is the leadership title of the Mdewakanton.

NIBWASKAA traces to Petit Corbeau "Little Raven I" in five ways, through his grandson Misko Mukwuh Red Bear, his eldest son Pewanakum "Strong Warrior"; his son Little Shell La Petit Coqiulle known as Standing Firm or Red Earth, through the Matriarch of the Great Peace Mah Je Gwoz Margaret Songab daughter of Chief Delonaise Atetaŋkawamduška the brother of Petit Corbeau, and finally through Chief Red Cap Wáȟpe Šá I the brother of Petit Corbeau. 

The Little Crow lineage provided critical, localized leadership for Little Crow's Kapoža Band of the Mdewakanton Dakota, but they did not hold overarching command over the entire Oceti Śakówiŋ (Seven Council Fires). 

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The Oceti Śakówiŋ represents a vast confederacy encompassing all Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota nations. Due to its decentralized structure, the confederacy never concentrated central leadership in a single person or band. Instead, the hereditary chiefs known as Little Crow (Petit Corbeau) operated within a specific layer of this grand alliance. When Little Crow I (Čhetáŋ Wakhúwa Máni) traveled north to visit the British fur-trading settlement at Pembina and subsequently attended a massive inter-tribal council, he was formally addressed as "Father." 

• The Great Council: Little Crow I traveled through the Pembina region on his way to a massive council at Lake Traverse. This gathering brought together roughly 1,500 warriors from multiple sovereign nations, including the Assiniboine, Mandan, Hidatsa (Minnetaree), and Iowa, alongside all the bands of the Dakota.

• The Etiquette of "Father": During the formal proceedings, the speakers from these various tribes addressed Little Crow I using the title "Father". According to the strict rules of diplomatic etiquette and kinship terms, this was a profound sign of respect.

• Acknowledgment of Standing: By utilizing this specific kinship term, the visiting tribes formally acknowledged Little Crow I's senior status and hereditary lineage. It served as a symbolic diplomatic nod, recognizing the Mdewakanton Dakota as a foundational, elder nation within that regional alliance. 

This event highlights how, even though the Oceti Śakówiŋ did not have a single centralized ruler, Little Crow I possessed immense regional prestige that commanded reverence far beyond his immediate village of Kapozha.