Page 205 - Confronting Race Women and Indians on the Frontier, 1815 - 1915
P. 205

FRONTIER  P  L A  C  E :   G  E  N  D  E  R    M  A  TTE R  S

              native  women. White  and  Indian  women  shared  interests  in  home,
              f a mily, children, and domestic matters, and espoused beliefs that crossed
              cultures, including being  nurturing  and  supportive,  which  created  a
              connection largely unavailable to white and Indian men.
                  Consequently, white women seemed earnest when they spoke of
              Indian women as f r iends. When a white woman said "She-wicket was
              my best f r iend," the statement carried a ring of veracity.  156 As far as it is
              possible to judge fr om mute documents, which are incapable of reveal­
              ing  tone, inflection, or f a cial  expressions, these  women  seemed to  be
                                               V
              sincere. Granted, women like Ward or  o gdes may have been aware  of
              the shock value as they wrote their f r iends about their willingness  to
              share space with an authentic "savage" companion, but most  of these
              women appeared truthful. One even said  she was glad  to  see  Indians
              arrive and sorry to  see  them leave. "We have  parted  with white f o lks
              that we did not regret so much," she insisted.  157
                  White  men lacked  opportunities  available  to  women. Although
              men  visited  native  camps  and  villages,  they joined  the  "braves"  and
              "chiefs" at the fire to  smoke the  pipe, to talk about land and politics,
              and to negotiate trades. They were often treated to meals prepared by
              the women, and sometimes were expected to admire the children, but
              men were not welcomed into  Indians' homes  and f a milies  as women
              were.  Other  situations  that  existed  f o r  women were  unthinkable  f o r
              men. It is unlikely, fo r example, that a native man would call on a set­
              tler, telling him that he thought the white man "might be lonely." And
              it is  ridiculous  to  picture  a male  settler partially  disrobing so  that his
              new Indian fr iends could see his intimate apparel. Instead, males helped
              each other with weapons, stock, hunting, fighting, and similar activities
              that only infrequently resulted in the mutuality and confidentiality that
              women so easily shared.
                  W o men  not  only  visited  Indians, but  regularly  attended  Indian
              dances  and  ceremonies, including cries  (mourning ceremonies), wed­
              dings, fu nerals, beef issues  (distribution of government rations), stomp
              dances, war dances, and mock battles. The more generous and sympa­
              thetic among them regarded weddings, cries, and f u nerals  as times f o r
                                 S
              respect and empathy.l 8  But white women were more reserved about
              other ceremonies, which often allowed Indians to behave in ways that



                                           I 9 7
   200   201   202   203   204   205   206   207   208   209   210