Early Cheyenne Reservation Life -- A Masterpiece

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	• A Northern Cheyenne Album University of Oklahoma Press, 2007 - 286 pages average customer review:based on 2 reviews view larger image
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Early Cheyenne Reservation Life -- A Masterpiece

Even though they're long gone, these Cheyenne people seem very alive as they stare back at you from across expanses of time through photos captured by Thomas Marquis. Not only their expressions, but their clothing, their actions, and their ceremonies are frozen in a brief moment to reveal life's heartbeat during the early years on the Northern Cheyenne reservation.

Well-known anthropologist Dr. Margot Liberty, who published Cheyenne Memories with John Stands In Timber, gives us an early Christmas present through her extraordinary book, A Northern Cheyenne Album that contains Marquis' black and white photos of the Cheyenne people. The vast majority of these photos have never been published, so as you turn each page you'll discover another fascinating surprise.

Marquis was serving as doctor and historian researcher of the Custer Battle in the 1920s when he traveled throughout the reservation in his Model-T with camera in hand. The Cheyenne people loved and trusted Marquis, so they allowed him to enter their homes and way of life while freely posing for his camera.

Each Custer and Little Bighorn Battle enthusiast understands Marquis' role in researching the Custer Battle. This book is important to each of them because it includes many photos of warriors who fought in the battle as well as some noncombatants. Along with their photos are accounts of Custer's troop movements north of the current Custer National Cemetery.

For students interested in cultural studies or the Cheyenne people this book provides a wealth of material. Cheyenne leaders caption each photo. The editors at the University of Oklahoma Press made the right decision when they chose not to edit the captions, so we experience the complexity, beauty, and sound of the Cheyenne language. Dr. Liberty provides an additional caption that adds historical context and cultural understanding to each photo subject.

The quality of these photos is superb. Each photo takes up nearly one page of a 9¼ X 9¼ size book. Contrast, brightness, and shadows are at exceptional levels; we practically look into the hearts and minds of the Cheyenne people. They seem to reach out to us from across time.

Most importantly, A Northern Cheyenne Album reveals just how well the Cheyenne people adjusted to early reservation life. We are invited to their rodeos, social gatherings, and religious ceremonies. We visit their schools and see children during recess playing basketball. We witness their pride and strength in family as the first generation from Little Bighorn Battle warriors are born and grow into adulthood. We learn how they work to make a living and how hard they play. The result is we finally, really understand why they sacrificed so many lives to escape their forced exile in Oklahoma in order to establish the current reservation in southeastern Montana.

We should be thankful for Marquis giving his time and resources to share with us the Cheyenne people in everyday life. We also owe Dr. Liberty gratitude for finally bringing the photos into the 21st century in the form of this book. Her labor of love and dedication to this project is truly a gift to us; she receives no royalties from the book to ensure its high-quality presentation. A Northern Cheyenne Album is a treasure that you will refer to over and over again.

Following is a list of Little Bighorn Battle warriors and noncombatants (NC) whose photos are included in A Northern Cheyenne Album:

Limpy
Kate Big Head (NC)
Sun Bear
Wooden Legs
Bog Tail Horse
White Wolf
Maud Arapaho Chief (NC)
Buffalo Hump
Iron Shirt
Stump Horn
Little Sun
Wolf Chief
Big Beaver
Isaac Black Bird (NC)

You can read an interview with Dr. Liberty and read her most recent paper about the Cheyenne at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, "Cheyenne Primacy", on the Friends of the Little Bighorn Battlefield website [...].

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Great book but...

This book is truly wonderful for the images and explanatory text. However, Thomas Marquis, who is credited with taking these photos for posterity, is all but ignored. There should have been a brief biography of Marquis included for readers to learn more about the man without whom this book could not exist. Another issue I have with the book is exemplified on p. 156. Here it is stated that an additional image of Turkey Legs (there is a full page photo of Turkey Legs on p. 157) has been published in a book called Keep the Last Bullet for Yourself. In this photo, Turkey Legs and Marquis are photographed talking sign language. Being that this latter book is not readily available and this book (A Northern Cheyenne Album) is a collection of Marquis' photos, the image should have been included here, too. And one last thing. On page 5 it states: "By the time Marquis [one of the few times his name is mentioned] arrived in 1922, he found an active religious and social climate on the reservation. Catholic and Mennonite missionaries had introduced the Northern Cheyennes to Christianity." This is stated just as a matter of fact, like it was a good thing. Well, there should have been some further commentary on such an event. First of all, Christianity is not some type of ultimate truth. Like all religions, myth plays a heavy part and the rest is man made. By stating it so matter of factly, it's like giving it tacit approval. The Christians just have to change everybody to their way due to their sickness of having to save everyone. Heck, anybody who truly believes in God wouldn't believe that God created everyone to worship alike (if at all) or be killed off until beaten into submission, all in God's name. I'm I the only one who sees this foolishness?

All in all, this book is a worthy addition to your library if your interest in Native Americana extends beyond the warfare aspect of the Old West.

I expect this review to receive negative feedback due to my religious views, or as I prefer to call it, the truth.

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In 1878 the Northern Cheyennes left what is now Oklahoma, where they had been incarcerated, and began an epic journey back to their homeland. They suffered great losses, but a small group of survivors reached its destination in southeastern Montana in 1879 and eventually won the right to a reservation there. A Northern Cheyenne Album presents a rare series of never-before-published photographs that document the lives of tribal people on the reservation during the early twentieth century--a period of rapid change.

A valuable record of an all-but-forgotten generation, this volume is also an inspiring tribute to the Northern Cheyenne elders whose resilience and adaptability helped ensure the future of their people.

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