MS 4452-a Two books of Cheyenne and Arapaho drawings
odd: label: Local Numbers
content: NAA MS 4452-a

NAA 4552A 000
name: label: Collector
content: McDonald, David N.
place: label: Place
content: North America
label: Place
content: Fort Reno (Okla.)
creator: label: Collector
content: McDonald, David N.
culture: label: Culture
content: Tsitsistas/Suhtai (Cheyenne)
label: Culture
content: Inunaina (Arapaho)
setName: label: See more items in
content: MS 4452-a Two books of Cheyenne and Arapaho drawings
bioghist: label: Biographical Note
content: David N. McDonald graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1877. He served at Fort Sill, Indian Territory in 1878 and at Fort Reno in 1878-1881.  He was subsequently posted in New Mexico, Arizona, and California.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 2 Volumes (disbound and laminated; 100 drawings, graphite, colored pencil, and ink, 12.5 x 7.25 inches)
label: Extent
content: 1 Folder
unitdate: label: Date
content: circa 1880
custodhist: label: Custodial History
content: The ledger books are reported to have been collected by Capt. David N. McDonald, US Army circa 1880-85 in the western United States. They were purchased from McDonald's estate by W.E. Myer, who consulted with the BAE regarding their identification in the 1920s.  Mrs. Annie Lee Myer Turner and Mr. W.H. Myer donated the books to the BAE in 1952 in memory of their father. It is not clear from the correspondence whether the collection history applies to both books or only to one.
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: National Anthropological Archives
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NAA.MS4452A
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Volumes
label: Type
content: Ledger drawings
label: Type
content: Works of art
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Ledger drawings
label: Genre/Form
content: Works of art
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The collection consists of two (2) ledger books of Cheyenne and Arapaho drawings, as well as related correspondence and notes.

Vol. 1: 46 drawings of war scenes on leaves of ruled and numbered paper from a ledger book.  The book was disbound and laminated; the covers have been retained.  The inside of the cover is inscribed "D.N. McDonald, US Army."

Vol. 2: 54 drawings on leaves of ruled and numbered paper from a ledger book.  The book was disbound and laminated; the covers were not retained. Scenes are primarily of warfare, but also include horse raids, courting, and two maps. Several pages are inscribed "Washee," a name recorded among both Cheyennes and Arapahoes in the 1880s.   Misreading of this as "Nashee" led to erroneous speculation that the drawings were associated with the Apache leader Naiche.

Please note that the contents of the collection and the language and terminology used reflect the context and culture of the time of its creation. As an historical document, its contents may be at odds with contemporary views and terminology and considered offensive today. The information within this collection does not reflect the views of the Smithsonian Institution or National Anthropological Archives, but is available in its original form to facilitate research.