An Osage journey to Europe, 1827-1830
Subtitle: three French accounts
By: edited and translated by William Least Heat-Moon and James K. Wallace
Series: The American exploration and travel series -- volume 81; American exploration and travel series -- v. 81.
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
Published: 2013
Language: eng
Number of pages: 154
ISBN-13: 9780806144030
Subjects: Public opinion; Osage Indians; Travel; Relocation; Indians in popular culture; History
Description: "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.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Preface : a thousand dollar book; title: Acknowledgments; title: Introduction; title: A note on illustrations; title: About the text of Six Red Indians; title: Six Red Indians; title: About the text of History of the Tribe of the Osages; title: History of the Tribe of the Osages; title: About the text of Remarks about the Six Indians; title: Remarks about the Six Indians; title: Appendix A. Chronology of the Osage Tour; title: Appendix B. Marquis de Lafayette to William Clark, March 22, 1830; title: Appendix C. Paul Wilhelm's Disquisition, translated by Olaf Schmidt.