White Shadows Among the Mighty Sioux

Specifications

Butterworth, F Edward, White Shadows Among the Mighty Sioux, published by the author, 1977.

Reading

This was read around 02/15/2008. This is from my personal library.

Review

This book is an historical novel based on the life of Frank Grouard, and his life with the Sioux in the late 19^th century.

I should write a warning. This talks about the life of the Sioux at that time, and does not reflect the Sioux culture before that time, nor after that time. In addition, as any true book about the American Indians in the late 19^th century, this does not paint the United States, and the dominant culture, in a very good light.

The information for this book comes primarily from a copy of the book Life and Adventures of Frank Grouard which is itself a reprint of an interview with Frank Grouard by Joe DeBarth, a reporter for the The Buffalo Bulletin. The interviews took place in the late 19^th century.

I also have to admit to some knowledge of Joe DeBarth, the reporter's grandson (who supplied a copy of the original book). Joe DeBarth lived in a small town in southern Iowa named Lamoni, which I lived in for many years. The DeBarth's family and my family were friends, and I still see his son Paul DeBarth every once in a while.

First there is an introduction which relates the general background of the story. Frank Grouard was the son of a missionary and a Polynesian woman. The Polynesian ancestry made him look quite a bit like an Indian, although he had no Indian blood. The family moved to the United States, where the woman couldn't take the harsh climate, and moved back to Tahiti, taking two children with her. Frank's father, Benjamin F. Grouard, planned to meet his wife there at a future date.

Unfortunately, Benjamin couldn't get a visa to travel to Tahiti, so he had to stay in the United States. He gave his son to a Mrs. Louisa B. Pratt to raise, and he dropped out of the picture. Frank's name was changed to Ephraim Pratt until he was about 15 years old in 1865. Then he ran away from home, and changed his name back to Frank Grouard.

He tried to find his father, but couldn't. Later, he worked a number of jobs, finally becoming a mail carrier for mail. (This means he carried mail between cities Pony Express style. In fact, the postal service was called "Pony Express" even though the express expectation had been dropped.

He was a big man - 230 pound, and over 6 feet tall. And an excellent fighter.

Since this is an historical novel, the author list some of the changes. Primarily changes in names. Therefore, the name Black Shield is given to one Sioux Indian who captured Frank. The name of an Indian who was kidnapped from the Assiniboin tribe is given as Hump, but it really was Jumping Bull. He was known as Little Assiniboin as well. Pale Dove is a name given to a white girl who was kidnapped as a child. Grouard's horse is called Watonka, but its name is never given in the record. Finally, the name White Fawn is used to for a young Indian woman named White Cow.

The first scene is of an attack by Blackfoot Indians on a stagecoach. Frank happens to be passing by on a mail run, and comes to the aid of the stagecoach, killing two Indians, and, more importantly, cutting loose several horses from the team pulling the coach. The Indians wanted the horses only, so they quit attacking as a result.

The stagecoach and Grouard were going in the same direction, so he accompanied the coach to it destination in Helena, Montana. This took him further than he intended to go, so he was late getting his next mail run. He, then volunteered for a dangerous run to Fort Hawley.

After doing the run for a while, he was surprised by some Sioux Indians and captured. There was a fight, and he fought well. Sitting Bull happened by, it was people from his tribe, and spared Frank's life, but he was compelled to live with the Sioux Indians, specifically, the Hunkpapas tribe.

The story relates how he first tired to escape, but couldn't as he was under 24 hour guard. He actually lived in the tepee of Sitting Bull, and was allowed a reasonable amount of freedom. It talks about a torture session which was used to initiate him into the tribe.

It also talks about Mixed Day, Sitting Bull's mother, and White Fawn. White Fawn was Sitting Bull's sister, and, ultimately, the reason he was spared. That is, Sitting Bull set his sister up with Frank, now called Standing Bear. She attended to Frank's wounds, and eventually she married Frank, so they set up their own Tepee.

She also paid a lot of money to get Frank some of the food he was used to, but Grouard didn't know this until later.

There is a recounting of hunting parties. Frank wasn't very good with a bow and arrow, but was very good with a gun, which the Indian's didn't use.

He also learned that the Indian that had captured him, called Black Shield, was still trying to kill him, which is why there was a guard. They were less afraid of his leaving than of Black Shield killing him.

Once, after he had been among them for a while, he was with the tribe hunting Buffalo when it is evident that Black Shield arranged an accident to try to kill him.

Finally, they have it out. They fight until Grouard gets the upper hand, then he, in front of the entire tribe, let's Black Shield go. This ends that threat.

There is a story about some Crow Indians, enemies of the Sioux, who creep up on camp, but are killed. The companions of Frank, who actually killed the Indian, said that if they had come in peace they would not have sneaked up on camp, but would have come in openly.

I should point out that the camp moves to follow the food. It is noted that it only takes fifteen minutes to get the camp ready to move.

There is a scene where they come upon a killing field, where the Whites have killed the buffalo for their hide. It was pointed out that the Indians were more angry at whites for killing and not eating Buffalo than for invading Indian land.

At one point, the tribe is moving because they have not been able to find buffalo. Frank and his group locate a large herd, so the tribe can kill many, and eat. In addition, they trapped the buffalo in the hills, placing their camp between the herd and the open plain. At that time they are in Crow territory, and they meet a Crow tribe which is upset because they claim the buffalo. Sitting Bull confers with them, being backed up by many warriors. They are forced to back down.

Sitting Bull does not want the buffalo on the plain where it is easy for the whites to kill the buffalo.

I should also point out that the camp has about 5000 tepees. It's big.

Finally, the Crow send men to the hills behind the camp, and stampede the buffalo through the Sioux camp to the plain. There is no damage because the camp was set up with the idea that the buffalo could stampede through it. But Sitting Bull is angry. He raids the Crow camp, and steals horses. (They talk about going into the Crow camp, the differences between the Crow tepees and the Sioux tepees, etc. Also, a Crow woman is seen.) There are very few people killed on either side, if any. Mostly the raid is done in total silence.

There is the story of a solar eclipse. The Indians shoot arrows at the sun, thinking that is what turns it on again.

There is a story about training the young to hunt, and to appreciate nature.

The end finally comes when Sitting Bull decides to trade with the Indians that have accepted life on the Reservation. The problem is that they take trade for food, but instead bring alcohol, so everyone gets drunk. Frank sees what is going on, and leads White Fawn, Mixed Day, and some others, out of the camp, as the Indians start fighting in a alcoholic stupor.

When they return to camp, many Indians have been killed. Also, White Fawn's tepee has been burned, so Frank and White Fawn are forced to move back in with Sitting Bull.

There is also a problem because the railroad has made a treaty with the Sioux Indians saying they will remain north of the Milk River. Instead, they decide to cross the river into land that was promised to the Sioux, and there are raids on the surveying parties as a result.

Frank decides to try to make peace, so he goes to the agency to report the incident with the alcohol, which was stolen from agency stores. He points out the guilty parties, and lets the whites take care of it. For this he is paid.

Unfortunately, Sitting Bull refused to admit that the Indians caused the problem. Therefore, when he finds out that Gouard turned in the "half-breeds" he vows to kill him. He is offered a place in Crazy Horse's camp, but he doesn't want to. So he is forced to leave his White Fawn, who he really loved, and return to the world of the white man.

In the end, he became a famous Indian guide, and directs operations against Sitting Bull (although I think it may be that he wanted peace in the end. After all, his White Fawn was still with Sitting Bull.)

Notes:

I should add a note about the author. He has written several books, usually about the south seas, as he lived there for a number of years. I suspect that his interest in Frank Grouard is because of his Polynesian ancestry.

At several points it talks about scalping. While the reports may be accurate - Indians, including Sioux, did scalp - it should be pointed out that this practice was started by the English, who would pay a bounty on scalps of Indians.

It was also pointed out during the course of the book that whenever the Sioux set up a new camp, all the tepees were placed in the same relative position, so it would be easy to find someone even if the camp moved.

Frank Grouard was the son of a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This would have been before the split in the church, that is, before Brigham Young lead so many people to Utah, and therefore I hesitate to call him a Mormon missionary. Most of the groups that came out of that movement do not like to be called "Mormon" so I won't use the term.

The author, in fact, has written many book, most of which are intended to promote the Community of Christ (Formerly the RLDS church) point of view. Therefore, the author does make veiled references to the Book of Mormon, though not by name. I think the references are really out of place, and it would read better if they were ignored.