Page 157 - Confronting Race Women and Indians on the Frontier, 1815 - 1915
P. 157

FRONTIER  P  R  O  C  E S S :   H  U  MAN I Z  I N  G


                         -- Finding  "Good" Indians      --

             Even  though  white  women's  anti-Indian  biases  were  deep-seated,
             women had a  softer side  as well. At the  same  time  that women con­
             demned Native Americans, they often pointed out-frequently, in lavish
             and extravagantly generous  terms-attractive  qualities  of Indian peo­
             ples. Paradoxically, women who appeared so intent on casting Indians
             as  evil, criminal, and primitive simultaneously recognized a number of
             positive qualities in natives. Although whites in general detected f a vor­
             able  and  unfavorable  qualities,  or  "bad"  and  "good" sides  in  Native
             Americans, women had additional motives f o r viewing Indians as good.
             White women hoped to see a glimmer of honor in Indians that would
             respond  to  women's  moral  blandishments.  Even  more  importantly,
             women's view of themselves as inferior in certain respects to men caused
             them to search f o r superior qualities in the  Indians they met. Because
             they had been taught to think of themselves as weak, helpless, and vul­
             nerable  to  harm, they relied on the  nobility and fine  character of the
             "primitive savage" f o r survival. Although white men could defend them
             to some degree, it was the  Indians, in the last analysis, who would-if
             "good"-make the trail reasonably pleasant f o r Anglo  women, but-if
             "bad"-could destroy women  through thievery, sexual  assault, or out­
             right warfare. Therefore, many f r ontierswomen were inclined to  seek
             out a bit of nobility ,  a hint of kindness, or an indication of intelligence
             in the native peoples they confronted. Despite their negative judgments,
             women also  cited positive aspects  of the physical appearance, customs,
             and character of Indian peoples.
                 Even those women who were  malevolent in describing the ugli­
             ness, filth, and  odor  of some  Indians  characterized  other natives with
             such phrases  as "an imposing sight in the wilderness," "good-looking,"
             "fine-looking," and "noble-looking."II6 Contradicting their unfavorable
             judgments, women depicted some Indians as "grave" and "stately," and
             "fine looking," with "the  appearance of wealth and independence," or
             as "tall, strongly made," with "firm f e atures, light  copper color, cleanly
             in appearance, quite well dressed in red blankets."  II7 A f e w   women punc­
             tuated their derogatory remarks with words  such as "industrious" and
             "intelligent." One woman spoke of "mannerly conduct" and "a degree



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