Subject
Indians of North America -- Missouri River Valley Books
Best books
H. M. (Henry Marie) Brackenridge
Brackenridge's Journal of a voyage up the river Missouri, 1811; Franchère's Voyage to Northwest Coast, 1811-1814
Brackenridge's Journal of a voyage up the river Missouri, 1811; Franchère's… by H. M. Brackenridge and Gabriel Franchère is a collection of historical travel narratives written in the early 20th century. It reprints firsthand accounts of early 19th-century exploration and the fur trade, from a voyage up the Missouri with Manuel Lisa to the Astorian venture on the Northwest Coast, highlighting river navigation, frontier settlements, encounters with Indigenous nations, and the emerging American West. The opening of the volume frames the texts with an editor’s preface that sketches both writers’ careers and the significance of their narratives, then begins with Brackenridge’s own preface and journal. He explains the Missouri Fur Company’s aims and setbacks, Manuel Lisa’s leadership, and his plan to overtake Wilson Hunt’s party for safer passage through Sioux country. The narrative then launches from St. Charles, detailing difficult river work, storms, islands and tributaries, hunters’ camps, wildlife encounters, and scattered settlements, culminating in a stop at Fort Osage with observations of the Osage people and the factory before pushing onward, still intent on catching Hunt upriver.
Edwin Thompson Denig
Indian Tribes of the Upper Missouri Edited with Notes and Biographical Sketch
"Indian Tribes of the Upper Missouri" by Edwin Thompson Denig is a scholarly historical account penned in the mid-19th century. This work serves as an extensive report on various Native American tribes residing in the upper Missouri River area, particularly focusing on the Assiniboin, Sioux, Arikara, Mandan, and others. It highlights Denig's long-term observations and interactions with these tribes, delving into their customs, social structures, and historical context. The opening of the manuscript details Denig's correspondence with Isaac I. Stevens, the Governor of Washington Territory, in which he aims to answer a set of inquiries related to the history, current status, and future outlook of the Indian tribes he encountered. Denig emphasizes his vast experience—over two decades spent living among the prairie tribes—and the wealth of knowledge shared by the individuals from these communities to provide an authentic and insightful perspective. He outlines the structure of the report, which comprises both responses to specific queries and a rich description of tribal life, history, and culture, setting the stage for a comprehensive examination of the Assiniboin and their intricate relationship with their environment and societal dynamics.
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