Glacier County chief., 1940-05-10
By WALTER E. TAYLOR

Montana's first publicity agent
was the great artist-writer, George
Of 1882 by going up the Missouri
river for the sole purpose Of paint
ing and studying the Indians Of
the northwest. Most men who went
into the west in Catlin's time were
out to make their fortune, but
Catlin risked the many dangers Of
frontier life for the noble purpose
for future students of the Indian
and his ways. He did what he set
out to do and more, for his writ
ings also present an accurate, in
teresting picture Of the lives of the
fur traders Of the era.
When Catlin arrived in St. Louis en-
route to the far frontier, he became
fur trade fame, and when they learned
his quest they suggested that he make
his headquarters at Fort Union, their
fur trading post at the mouth Of the
Yellowstone river. The fort was To-
Gated at a point just west of the
der, and from there he made long
excursions into the surrounding coun-
try to paint and study the Indians,
all the while writing numerous inter-
esting letters about his adventures to
friends in New York and in Europe.
The letters we're later included in his
book on the North American Indians.
Made Friends With Indians
Catlin, like many who followed him
was enchanted with what he saw there.
He was especially charmed by the In
dian tribes he visited and he became
the staunch friend of the redmen. One
of his greatest paintings shows an In
dian dog feast at which their favorite
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they really accepted as friends.
his time who realized that the fast
disappearing culture Of the Indians
would be of tremendous interest to
future generations Of Americans, and
he went into the far west for the
express purpose of recording the In
dian life and culture in word and pic
lure IN TIN meg Mes TTstsm m
lin of New York city, she states that
George Catlin was encouraged to re-
cord the Indian culture by the great
German scientist, Alexander Won Hum
boldt. Humboldt, the artist-naturalist.
had travelled over much of tropical
America to study the flora and fauna
of the region. He saw how rapidly the
old ways Of the native peoples were
and he wanted to go into
the west himself to preserve some por-
ton of their culture; but he was an
old man, too weak for such an arduous
task. and he suggested that Catlin go.
Catlin accepted Humboldts challenge
and from the first he gathered his
material and painted his pictures with
the idea in mind that one day all
would be included in museum dis
play. Accuracy was his watchword. He
was the first of the great Indian paint
ers and although he was followed by
such competent artists as Bodmer;
Schoolcraft. McKenna and Hall, and
Curtis, Catlin was the master. He saw
the Indians of the upper Missouri
river country when they were still all
most unspoiled by the contacts with
white men He saw them before the
beautiful old porcupine quill work dec.
Grafton had been displaced by bead
work. before their primitive dress was
influenced by white mans styles. His
is one of the few records we have OF
the unspoiled Indians. the earliest au-
thentic pictures representing costumes,
customs and Indian arts.
Indians Enjoyed Life
Catlin's feeling for the Indians, the
KEY to his perfect understanding OF
their character, is found in an excerpt
from one of his letters dated from
the mouth of the Yellowstone during
his sojourn at Fort Union. At that
time he wrote:
some writers, I have been grieved