Sauk, Fox, Potawatomi and Shawnee Indians

Literateparakeet · Mar 26, 2012

Ok my WIP is set in the Gold Rush period. Some of the 49er's encountered Indian tribes along their overland journey to California. There were relatively no problems between the Native Americans and the 49er's, and I will portray this.

I have read that the tribes in the area (Missouri/Nebraska) at the time who were pretty friendly and spoke English were: Sauk, Fox, Potawatomi, and Shawnee.

Though there were similarities, there were also differences in the way they dressed (since my MC's encounter with them is fairly brief, I will focus more on appearance than culture).

What I am wondering though is how likely is it that my MC would have run into people from different tribes in one meeting. Can I describe the clothing and appearance of the Sauk and the Potawatomi or should I keep them separate? For example, apparently Sauk men wore their hair in mohawk fashion, and Potawatomi men wore theirs long (except during war times) with a leather strap.

One diary from a woman 49er talks about Native American women, and they have different clothing styles in different tribes as well.

I'm not generally big on descriptions, but I think my MC upon seeing Native Americans for the first time and finding them to be friendly (after reading all kinds of scary things) would mention their unique dress.

If I am wrong about these tribes being in this area (Nebraska Territory) in 1849. Please do tell me, but that is what my research show so far.

I just want to make sure I get this correct. Thanks!

Puma · Mar 26, 2012

This is a website I've used previously for research work - a lot of links, and the map is good but doesn't go quite far enough west.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...a=X&ei=IrlwT77KNYWatwfz54yiBg&ved=0CBcQ9QEwAw

THis second map is also good, but is undated.

http://www.aaanativearts.com/North_American_Indians_Map.jpg

The last map is interactive, i.e., you can click on a state to see what Native Americans have lived there.

http://www.native-languages.org/states.htm

The tribes you listed in your post pretty much are not major ones, and/or were driven west by the white man. I think you need to look at the tribes that were already there too. Puma

Siri Kirpal · Mar 26, 2012

Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

This is a tangent, but you might be able to use it.

My husband's great-great-great-parents (some of them) crossed the plains in 1851 on their way to Oregon. His great-great-great-grandmother was baking bread when some Native Americans (tribe unknown) rode into camp. They traded her two small beaded bags for some of that bread. We've had the bags identified; one of them is Sioux and the other if from a tribe I'm not remembering at present. We're not sure that either came from the tribe of the people who rode into camp.

FWIW.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

blacbird · Mar 26, 2012

Literateparakeet said:
Ok my WIP is set in the Gold Rush period. Some of the 49er's encountered Indian tribes along their overland journey to California. There were relatively no problems between the Native Americans and the 49er's, and I will portray this.

Not entirely true. The best source study on the overland wagon train emigration to the west in the mid-19th century is a book called The Plains Across, by John D. Unruh, Jr. It was published by the University of Illinois Press in 1979, and won a bunch of historical awards. It was a Ph.D. dissertation, and an exceptionally fine one, both in terms of scholarship and in its writing. Unruh died young, of cancer, in 1976, shortly after finishing it, and so did not see its publication. I'd highly recommend it for source information.

See also my PM.

caw

Literateparakeet · Mar 27, 2012

Puma said:
The tribes you listed in your post pretty much are not major ones, and/or were driven west by the white man. I think you need to look at the tribes that were already there too. Puma

Thanks Puma! You are always a wealth of information. I didn't realize that about the indians, I will look again.

Siri Kirpal said:
His great-great-great-grandmother was baking bread when some Native Americans (tribe unknown) rode into camp. They traded her two small beaded bags for some of that bread.

Oh!!!! I love this. I definately plan to use something like that. Thanks!

blacbird said:
Not entirely true. The best source study on the overland wagon train emigration to the west in the mid-19th century is a book called The Plains Across, by John D. Unruh, Jr. It was published by the University of Illinois Press in 1979, and won a bunch of historical awards.

Oh!!! Thank you! I will get that book and study. That sounds like just what I need.

Sauk, Fox, Potawatomi and Shawnee Indians

Literateparakeet

Nerdy Budgie

Puma

Retired and loving it!

Siri Kirpal

Swan in Process

blacbird

Literateparakeet

Nerdy Budgie