Customer Reviews

Five Indian Tribes of the Upper Missouri: Sioux, Arickaras, Assiniboines, Crees, Crows (Civilization of the American Indian Series)

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While doing some research to write a western, I came across this book. What a research resource. Packed full of rich history and very often some graphic and little known facts of the Missouri River tribes.

Edwin Denig lived from 1812 to 1858. The manuscripts for this book were written in 1855-56. Denig, who had two Indian wives, and children by them, began trapping for the American Fur Company in 1833, and rose to authority at Fort Union. He didn't leave Indian territory until 1855. See the editor's introduction for more details on Denig and on how the first four chapters of this book were not published until 1950-52 and the fifth chapter not until a year later.

The book has historical value, and it is interesting in its own right, but don't expect detailed histories of the Sioux, Arickaras, Assiniboines, Crees, and Crows. Denig knew these tribes through experience, and what he does is give a short ethnography of each tribe, writing about the boundaries and geography of their territories, what they eat, who they fight, who the leaders are, an interesting story or two, and so forth. He intended to write a far more comprehensive book, but this is all there is of it.

"It would be well for the public if everyone who undertook to write a book was thoroughly acquainted with the subject of which he treats, but unfortunately this is not the case - authors spring up everywhere, and the community is saddled with an immense effusion of literature, the greater part of which when divested of the writer's own fancies and feelings, and submitted to the test of truth and experience, amounts to nothing. This is particularly the case in works purporting to describe the actual life and intellectual capacity of the Indians of North America; much evil has been the consequence of error thus introduced, bad feelings engendered, and unwise legislation enforced, which will continue until our rulers are enlightened as to the real state of their Government, character, organization, manner and customs, and social position. [...] Hence we find two sets of writers both equally wrong, one setting forth the Indians as a noble, generous, and chivalrous race far above the standard of Europeans, the other representing them below the level of the brute creation. People cannot form an opinion in this way [...]." (xxx-xxxi)

Not that bad considering it's straight exposition. Since the info is all derived from either first-hand observation or from talking to the Indians and traders as peers it's free from academic stodginess. There's also a fair amount of anecdote which livens things somewhat. I'm a little disappointed that the author omitted certain material because it was too filthy and disgusting. Nothing's too filthy or disgusting for me. There was, however, a couple juicy items in the section about the Crows. For one thing, the young bucks were totally shameless about having sex in full view of others. And the other was a footnote that said the Crows were so horny they'd have sex with their mares and freshly killed animals! Wow! Cool!

But you really gotta be a die hard frontier narrative fan to slog through this.

An outstanding book; I loaned mine to someone, can't remember to whom. Will buy another one. Two books, including Comanches by TR Fehrenbach, are too similar in their portrayal of the Amerindian to suggest that the authors are prejudiced. I am convinced that Denig called it as he saw it. The writing might seem pompous but that's the way authors wrote in those days. However, the importance of these books (Five Indian Tribes and Comanches) is to help Americans understand what is going on in Iraq today. Talk about relevance. Go back and read the NY Times article about the five Iraqi tribes in the immediate area protecting Saddam before he was captured. It is absolutely uncanny to see the parallels between the Amerindians in the 1800's and the Iraqi tribes today. During the time when I lived in that part of the world (Turkey, Syria, Iraq) my first thought was, my God, these are just like the Indians I grew up with in Williston, North Dakota. Absolutely uncanny. So, I wouldn't waste my time arguing about the picture these authors paint about these people; I would rather use these books to help understand and explain what is going on in Iraq today.

I entirely agree with the other reviewer that Denig was very prejudiced about Native Americans. For me, the value in the book - and it is great - is to have rare information about these tribes before their near-disappearance. Denig seems to save his harshest criticisms for the tribes that were most independent, and his stories about these groups give us a glimpse into their lives. I would very much recommend this book to people who are interested in the early 19th century world of the Upper Missouri.

i have heard alot about the man and the book from many people. so i decided to buy the book and read it myself. i must say that for a person that lived with the indians for such a long time it seems to me that denig could not overcome his prejudiced ideas of a civilized or "savage" people and although he describes the manners of the indians in much detail he speaks about them with great arrogance, prejudice and contemp much of the time. to call the indians savages, heathens, and some more contemptuous words like these after living with them for years and marrying one of them, does not show much for the man. one should take his information with much prudence and caution.