Memoirs of a Captivity Among the Indians of North America from Childhood to the Age of Nineteen

by John Dunn Hunter

John Dunn Hunter (1798?-1827) was white, but was reared by the Kansas and the Osage from around age two, after his parents were killed by Kickapoo. In 1816, he left his family, eventually living with whites and learning English; and writing this book about his life, the people he knew growing up, and the wonderful landscape in which he lived most of his life.

Genres: Memoir, History

460 pages, Paperback

Published May 26, 2006

About the author

1798-1827

Reviews

[Tom Schulte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an amazing memoir of growing up from captured child to participating adult among the Kickapoos, Kansas, and Osage Indians. The biography of that time is enough, yet this is augments with a the notes of a naturalist. However, Hunter was no naturalist and thus the flora and fauna overview is so cursory it could have been left out. Later, the books picks up with this encyclopedic "Materia Medica" on the plants and minerals employed medicinally. It would be interesting to see someone track these to the proper plant identifications and speak to the basis of any ascribed efficacy. Unlike several other such accounts, this author adapted to civilization with no yearning to returning to the tribes. There is some sad addenda here as Hunter tries to advise on a path forward for Native Americans to find peace and stability. He advises that they do embrace Western civilization and settlement.

Among general praise of the Indian orators, there is a singular report here of Hunter being present for a speech by Tecumseh.

[Valerie]

Hunter was not trying either to excuse his captors (who adopted him at a very early age) nor to blame them.

His story of his life among the Osage is basically a realistic story. It's not quite an ethnography. It's just a story of his childhood, which wouldn't have been very remarkable except that he WAS adopted by an Osage family, essentially as a surrogate for their own dead son.

This book had one lasting effect: it introduced the Osage Orange tree to many later settlers, who began keeping the trees for food, shelter, and firewood, where otherwise they might just have wiped them out.

Otherwise, it's almost forgotten.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is mostly Hunter's story of growing up among the Osage; he also includes chapters on Osage social life. But he's no anthropologist; he reports only what he saw. The third edition of this book is the most complete: it includes Hunter's story, his observations of Osage life, and a discussion of various medical remedies.

[Amos · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting book: The author was kidnapped as a young child and raised in a native American tribe. He tells of his experiences from the point of view of the Indian country, right before its destruction, which existed in the western USA before the expansion west.
The author witnessed Tecumseh speak before a native audience and details many other interesting and little known facts including a chapter on medicinal uses of plants.

[C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this e-book on Barnes & Noble instead:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/memo...
(The Amazon link went to a blank page with a picture of a dog.)