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Wilderness Woman
Watcher of the Wood
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
November 27 2002
Status: offline
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 Posted - January 15 2004 : 10:11:54 PM
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...One Thousand White Women.
And I enjoyed it very much. Very interesting the way the author presents the story, through the journals and letters. I had to keep telling myself that it was not really true, because he made it seem so plausible and real.
And yet... in reality, the offer was made. Could the U. S. government have secretly done something similar? We may never know.
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Theresa
Bumppo's Tavern Proprietress
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 17 2002
Status: offline
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 Posted - January 16 2004 : 07:20:10 AM
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Hey WW. 
I'm so glad that you liked the book. It has become one of my favorites. I can see a movie, can't you? A lot of strong women characters, handsome Army officer, and those magnificent Cheyenne warriors. Hmmm...
And you're right. It's hard to imagine this offer was actually made to the U.S. Government and the author is good enough to almost convince us that this story is true.
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Theresa |
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Wilderness Woman
Watcher of the Wood
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
November 27 2002
Status: offline
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Posted - January 16 2004 : 08:35:30 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Theresa
I can see a movie, can't you?
Yes, I sure can! Let's see now... who should play May?.........
Thanks for introducing me to this book!
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Carter
Colonial Militia
USA
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August 28 2003
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Posted - January 16 2004 : 08:58:03 AM
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| I am not familiar with this book. What is it about? |
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Wilderness Woman
Watcher of the Wood
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
November 27 2002
Status: offline
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Posted - January 16 2004 : 12:31:39 PM
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Carter, here is a synopsis I found online:
One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd, depicts an 1875 incident in which President Ulysses S. Grant and Cheyenne Nation Chief Little Wolf agreed to the Brides for Indians treaty to help solidify relations between the whites and Indians. Women recruited from mental hospitals and prisons were offered full pardons to stay with the Cheyenne for two years, bear children, and then be free to leave, alone. Having been committed to an insane asylum by her father because she fell in love with a man beneath her station, May Dodd saw this as her only option for freedom and some kind of life. Her journal tells her life with the Cheyenne, revealing her strength, courage, and sense of humor.
This is a well written, fascinating story premise that is apparently based on an actual incident. Although I have not been able to find any more information about it online, the author, Jim Fergus, states that a Cheyenne chief did offer to trade 1,000 of his finest horses for 1,000 white women. These women were to become Indian brides and bear children, in the hope of furthering white/Indian relations. The offer was refused. |
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Scott Bubar
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 17 2002
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Posted - January 18 2004 : 07:54:46 AM
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| That one requires a pretty high suspension of disbelief. |
~~Aim small, miss small. |
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Wilderness Woman
Watcher of the Wood
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
November 27 2002
Status: offline
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Posted - January 18 2004 : 10:21:33 AM
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Hi Scott!
Were you referring to the story premise of the book, or the possibility of the offer actually being made to a President?
If you meant the book, well of course, we suspend disbelief many, many times when we read stories... or watch movies.
If you meant the possibility of an offer like that actually being made, well remember the times in which it would have happened. I believe the claim was that it took place earlier in the century than the book did, before the Civil War. There have been tribes and chiefs who attempted, in their wisdom, to "get along" with the whites. Isn't it possible that a wise chief may have been very sincere, given his way of life, in offering something he deemed very valuable in an attempt to "get along" with the whites government?
Stranger things have happened! |
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Theresa
Bumppo's Tavern Proprietress
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
May 17 2002
Status: offline
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Posted - January 19 2004 : 10:28:25 AM
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WW and Scott,
If I read the preface correctly, I think it had more to do with the Cheyenne wanting the women for wives so that when children were born they would take on the ways (or tribe if you will) of the mother. They knew that the white mans' ways were coming (or perhaps already there) and that it would benefit their children to have a white mother to ease the transition. That probably didn't make sense...not very good at explaining sometimes. |
Theresa |
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Hey Theresa! I read it!
