Cynthia Ann Parker: The Life and the Legend

Southwestern Studies #92

by Margaret Schmidt Hacker

Although Cynthia Ann Parker never recounted her experiences as a captive of the Comanches (1836-60), her story is probably the most familiar of all the pioneer women captured by Indians in the Southwest. Margaret Hacker's five years of research have produced a balanced and dependable account of this tragic story.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Adult, Native American

52 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1990

Reviews

[Sharon Huether]

At the age of nine years old Cynthia Ann Parker was captured by the Comanche Indians. In the raid
her father and other relatives were killed.

Cynthia Ann assimilated into Comanche life, tanning hides, tending horses, moving tipis and many other things. She was married to a chief Peta Nocona and had three children .

When she was returned to white society, her daughter died and one of her sons died also. the other son Quanah Parker became a chief and vowed not to kill white women and children.

Cynthia Ann died ten years after her relocation to the white society. She starved herself.
At heart she was always a Comanche

She lived between 1836 and 1860

[The Reading Countess]

Margaret Schmidt Hacker has left no stone unturned in this page-turning account of one of Texas' tragic victims of Native American-setter disputes. It boggles the mind to think she spent the first nine years of her life in a white society, twenty five in the Commanche fold, and her final ten again in the white society where she never assimilated and grieved for her former life. Her Indian chief husband, Peta Nacona, never took another wife besides Cynthia Ann. To the outsider, this was taken as a sincere sign of his devotion. The photo of her on the cover, in fact, depicts her in short hair--deliberately sheared short as an outside sign of grief. It saddens me to think that she suffered so much, was so misunderstood, and died without reaping the monetary and land grants promised by the government. Adding insult to injury, her son, Quannah, never inherited them, either. "No record was found" of either the money or the land. And as a disturbing sidenote, Cynthia Ann, Quannah, and her young daughter Topsannah were uprooted from their supposed final resting place by the government in 1957 so that the land could be used for "missile testing." Seriously. How much more did they have to give?

[Diana Petty-stone]

The true story of Cynthia Ann Parker's life.

[Cornmaven]

A Very short book, but a very sad one which details the capture and purported rescue of Cynthia Ann Parker from the Comanches in the 19th century. All the hatred of Indians is in here, the genocide, and the inability of women to make their own decisions. Hacker rightly talks about the two cultures both thinking themselves superior to the other. But it broke my heart to read that when Quanah Parker inquired about Cynthia's whereabouts many years after she had been 'rescued', the guy who knew couldn't even be decent enough to reply properly - he wrote an article for a newspaper instead. How cruel and unkind.

This book made me want to read more about Parker.

[BJ]

Cynthia was a strong child and woman.

[Barb]

This is a very interesting book about a pioneer woman who was made captive of a Comanche group and became integrated into it, wishing to remain. The book is not very well written, but clearly presents a fascinating subject.

[Karen Koppy]

Good historical study, but not much information available about her daily life while she lived with the Comanches. A tragic ending to her life due her inability to assimilate into her original white family. Such a disservice to this woman who died so lonely.

[Holly]

Well researched essay on this remarkable an tragic woman.