Preface : a thousand dollar book -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- A note on illustrations -- About the text of Six Red Indians -- Six Red Indians -- About the text of History of the Tribe of the Osages -- History of the Tribe of the Osages -- About the text of Remarks about the Six Indians -- Remarks about the Six Indians -- Appendix A. Chronology of the Osage Tour -- Appendix B. Marquis de Lafayette to William Clark, March 22, 1830 -- Appendix C. Paul Wilhelm's Disquisition, translated by Olaf Schmidt.
Summary:
"In 1827 six Osage people--four men and two women--traveled to Europe escorted by three Americans. Their visit was big news in France, where three short publications about the travelers appeared almost immediately. Virtually lost since the 1830s, all three accounts are gathered, translated, and annotated here for the first time in English. Among the earliest writings devoted to Osage history and culture, these works provide unique insights into Osage life and especially into European perceptions of American Indians. Translated by [William Least] Heat-Moon and James K. Wallace, the three featured texts are surprisingly accurate as basic descriptions of Osage history, geography, and lifeways. The French authors, influenced by racist and sexist expectations, misinterpreted some of the behaviors they describe. But they also dismiss rumors of cannibalism among the Osages and observe that "the behavior of some whites . . . was not conducive to giving the Indians a favorable opinion of white morality." -- Publisher website.
Series:
The American exploration and travel series ; volume 81
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.