Page 145 - Confronting Race Women and Indians on the Frontier, 1815 - 1915

F R O N T I E R P R O C E S S : H U MAN IZING

encountering her first Indians outside St. Joseph explained that to her
"frightened vision, dressed in their long macinaw blankets, with eagle
f e athers in their hair, they looked ten f e et high."19 As late as 1886, Allie
Busby , visiting the quiet Mesquakis at the Tama agency in Iowa,
responded in a similar manner: "Wild visions of tomahawk or scalping
knife arose, while the Indian of romance disappeared altogether fr om
our imagination."20
Not all women were intimidated by the presence of Native
Americans along their routes. Rather, women displayed a spectrum of
reactions. Some, like Lavinia Porter, were annoyed by the Indians, even
though her party was not troubled by them to any extent.21 Others were
disillusioned not to find the color and dash that they anticipated. "We
had expected to see f e athered head-gear and painted f a ces," one
explained. Another, headed f o r Montana in 1864, complained that the
first Indian she spotted was a ragged, ugly creature who "was very dis­
appointing as the 'Noble Red Man' we read about."22
The characteristic of American Indians that first attracted women's
attention was their style of dress-or the lack of it. Coming fr om a
Victorian culture that advocated covering the body with layers and com­
plex types of apparel, women were shocked that these "barbaric" people
wore little or no clothing.23 Mary Sandford recalled that "the Indians
were nude save f o r a throw over one shoulder, and a strap around the
loins."24 Mary Staples declared that their" clothing was very scant." Sallie
Maddock added that they were "mostly naked." Margaret Hecox said
that they fr equently came "to our camp in a perfectly nude state." And
Harriet Smith reported that, in encountering an Indian man, she was "a
little streaked fo r he had nothing on but a blanket and great earrings and
bracelet, all brass."25 Apparently, Indians' state of undress did not stop these
good Victorian women fr om looking, however.
White women were f u rther appalled to discover that Indian children
were seldom clothed.26 Mary Fish wryly commented that the "papooses
were perfe ctly naked and some of the seniors did not come very f a r fr om
the same predicament."27This was a typical observation. Helen Carpenter
was distraught that Pawnee Indians she met had "no clothing" and were
wrapped only in "very unsanitary looking blankets." Standards of
Victorian modesty stayed intact, at least in this situation. Carpenter was

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