Traits of American Indian Life

by Peter Skene Ogden

This curious book, first published in 1853, offers "sketches and anecdotes illustrative of life on the wild borders of the Pacific and of the savage tribes" that did business with the Hudson's Bay Company. Canadian explorer PETER SKENE OGDEN (1794-1854), a Hudson's Bay Company trader, had a unique perspective on the peoples and the work, and this firsthand account is a valuable artifact of the settling of the North American West by Europeans. In his own inimitable and colorful style, Ogden introduces us to the native peoples of what the Europeans named British Columbia and Washington Territory, through tales including: "An Indian Festival" "The Burning of the Dead" "The Unfortunate Daughter" "The Shewappe Murder" "The Suicide's Cross" "The Death of our Favourite Donkey" and others. Anyone interested in the history of the western U.S. and Canada will find this a fascinating book."

Genres: History

157 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1972

Reviews

[Mike Suter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Skeene Ogden was a Canadian fur trader who was the first to explore much of Oregon in the 1820's. This is his memoir -- the first book about Indians in Oregon and the broader Northwest -- which collects a series of anecdotes, most involving Native Americans who he considers tragic and savage figures. The male Indians, in particular, are described as preoccupied with only a few activities: tobacco, gambling, hunting, and horse stealing. Ogden describes widespread Indian demise from unexplained epidemics (now attributed to diseases brought in by white men). One chapter also discusses rampant relapsing fever (malaria), which Ogden theorized as due to exposure to damp weather. Somewhat meandering, overly focused on dramatic events (suicides and murders), and colored with the bias of prejudice, but a historically important book.

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really informative primary source on the Indians of America's Pacific Northwest.