North American Indians by George Catlin

North American Indians Reviews

• 
  Rick

  North American Indians is one of the essential primary sources, both in word and images, on North America’s indigenous populations in the early 19th century. It is also a fascinating, observant, and deeply empathetic account of Catlin’s western wanderings.
  
  Catlin, a self-taught American artist—he was trained as a lawyer but, a hundred and twenty years before the Beats, Catlin need to go, man, just go. So he did. Catlin covered thousands of miles on foot, horseback, in canoe, and riverboat between the Mississippi and the Rocky Mountains, between Canada and Mexico. Sometimes he was alone. Sometimes he traveled with trappers and guides. At least once he traveled with American cavalry troopers into Comanche territory. Always though he was sharp-eyed, careful in his analysis, respectful of the culture and way of life of those he visited, and sympathetic to the plight of the Native Americans generally, seeing their doom in the established pattern of interactions with whites, the fatalities caused by illness in sweeping epidemics, the corruption and dissipation brought by fur traders, the impact of whiskey, and, most fatal of all, the greed of advancing “civilization”.
  
  As a young man, Catlin had seen some western American Indians pass through his hometown on their way to Washington, D.C., and was captivated by them. He understood that the frontier was moving west, that so-called civilization was forcing eastern and midwestern tribes ever further west, dispossessing them of a way of life and the land upon which they lived and putting them in conflict with the Plains tribes. Catlin’s restlessness and his interest in the lives of these "wild people" came together in an ambition to document with paint and pen the lives of those Native Americans yet living in the wild. He would pay some heed to frontier Indians, those being pushed together west of the Mississippi as the whites filled the East, but was most desirous of traveling among and staying with those beyond the frontier.
  
  He wrote “letters” that found their way into Eastern newspapers and drew and painted portraits by the scores. He didn’t hesitate to call them “wild” or “savages” but also repeatedly compares their conduct with that of white civilization, finding the Native Americans more honest, more considerate, and more generous and kind than their white oppressors. And while he leaves off judging the motives of the whites in their interactions, he is clear and frank that the treatment received by whites is unjust, selfish, and unrelentingly destructive. He will say positive things about individual federal Indian Agents and particular actions of the national government—though they each inevitably fail to offer protection or aid—but views trappers and the fur companies they represent as a deadly plague, cheating the Native American tribes who provided furs, recklessly if unintentionally introducing smallpox, and recklessly and intentionally plying them with whiskey. He tip-toes around the subject of Christian missionaries but does allow one tribal leader to condemn the “black robes” as an evil that brought harm and no good to the Indian peoples.
  
  Peter Matthiessen edited the book, selecting from the larger published notes and letters of Catlin’s travels. He also provides a brief introduction that is helpful and interesting. It could have been longer and, knowing Matthiessen’s interest and expertise, it would have been wonderful had he annotated Catlin’s account as well in places. The book is well illustrated with black and white reproductions. If you have any interest in American history, the West, American Indians, American geography and culture, George Catlin’s North American Indians is essential and rewarding reading.
• 
  Pablo Paz

  ahh.. que buen libro lo de George Catlin en este libro es muy atractivo.. no tiene la complejida de esos ensayos etnograficos que por momentos se ponen pesados.. Catlin es de esos hombres del siglo 19 cuya historia me parece fascinante.. sus cuadros tienen algo que siempre me interesó y en sus libros relata de una manera muy chevre sus viajes.. que lo llevaron no solo por las praderas de norteamerica, tambien a la amazonia y a lugares tan remotos como los aleutianas.. este libro es solo sobre las tribus de norteamerica.. las cuales supó que iban a desaparecer y decidió dejar todo atras para ir a registrar como vivian esos hombres.. chevre e interesante.. LIBRAZO¡
• 
  Fredrick Danysh

  George Catlin's artwork and writings regarding the American Indian. Many of these were painted while Catlin lived among the various tribes.
• 
  Richard Myers

  Wonderful book
  
  This is a detailed journal by George Catlin the famous painter of the American Indians during his travels in the American West in the early 1800’s. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
• 
  Ellis

  I have been interested in Catlin since we learned about his portraits in several of my undergrad art history classes. Really fascinating guy who left a successful law practice to live with and record the Native Americans, whom he recognized as a dying peoples. His descriptions are remarkable and beautiful. He talks about the people he met in an endearing way and conjectures about their inevitable demise at the hands of "civilization". I've always loved his paintings, but have a much greater appreciation for them after learning the stories of their sitters. Read this book.
• 
  Andrea

  Unfortunately, the reproductions of Catlin's paintings in this 2004 Penguin edition are generally of poor quality: overinked, blacking out detail, and of course printed on cheap paper.
  
  However, the content of Catlin's letters, in the context of the period (1830's), is definiteley worth checking out. At times enlightened (again, for the period!), and humbly observant, at others more smug and self-righteous, Catlin's voice remains as vivid testimony to a land and people in profound mutation.
  
  Excellent introdution and editing by Peter Matthiessen.
• 
  Brook

  the writing is understandably dated, but the accounts are as straightforward as you'll find. replace some outdated terms with some other ones, and take the "noble savages/us-v-them" comparisons, and the detailed, relatively descriptions of day-to-day are incredibly detailed. it was interesting to see a man writing at a time when a) tribes were still warring against and taking each other captive, and b) the government had started taking land via treaty and was starting displacement. doubtless this book has inspired and informed many western movies and novels.
• 
  Wisteria Leigh

  journals,caitlin,American history,Native American Studies
• 
  Michael

  I must have read this a dozen times over the years. The author's style of writing is very gentlemanly too.
• 
  Mark

  Folio Society Edition is beautiful.
• 
  David Wolff

  Interessant boek over de native americans. Prachtig en bizar te gelijk hoe deze mensen leefden, met al hun tradities en rituelen. Het boek is een verzameling brieven van George Catlin en leest dan ook niet altijd makkelijk weg. Vooral in het begin is het even wennen. Ook is het vaak ‘ouderwets’ geschreven wat het soms wat vermoeiender maakt om te lezen. Toch zorgen deze punten juist ook voor een authentiek verhaal en reis je in gedachte mee met de schrijver.
• 
  Robert S Byrne

  Take in context
  
  Read with the thought this was the status quo of the day. He contradicts himself but his heart is sincere. Loved it
• 
  Renée

  A little repetitive but still interesting.
• 
  Dave Clarke

  a journey that describes the cultures of the great plains, laid down in the knowledge that these tribes were doomed, and all the more achingly poignant for it ...
• 
  Andy Febrico Bintoro

  Old book but great study
  
  This is a very old book. What's written in this book probably already obsolete, but I gave full stars for the author's adventure in the Indian land. It's not easy for traveling out in that era and write this anthropology book.
• 
  Darinda

  Interesting and informative.
• 
  lita

  satu dari sekoper buku yang belum sempat disentuh :D