The Captivity of the Oatman Girls Among the Apache and Mohave Indians (Dover Books on the American Indians)

The Captivity of the Oatman Girls Among the Apache and Mohave Indians (Dover Books on the American Indians) Review

I found this book in a Souix Indian Tribe Bookstore in the Dakotas a long time ago. (For the reviewers who think it is racist, why do Indian bookstores feature this book then?)

After reading the amazing story of the Oatman family and what happened to them, I understood the reason why Americans rose up and insisted that the government squelch Indian uprisings in the West and Southwest. This book destroyed many popular myths in my mind about Indian culture and American English culture in the 19th century. It also reveals a lot of detail about the way these two sub tribes of the Apache & Mohave Nations lived. The good and the bad are depicted side by side. For example, the Oatman girls were apparently never molested by the Apache or the Mohave, but they were treated pretty harshly at times (not to mention the unprovoked murder of their parents).
The account of the difference in lifestyle between the two tribes that held the Oatman girls is also very interesting (at least for me it was fascinating). It was like looking back into history and seeing things from a perspective you would NEVER see in the movies.

It shows that the tribes varied quite a bit, and that America was reluctant to send out the Cavalry-at least in this case. But this book may have been the trigger that changed the reluctance into a "righteous" indignation.

I think it also reveals something about one Mormon family who travelled (or tried to travel) to California...and what happened to them on the way. The spirituality of the family (if the account is accurate) is remarkable and the customs of other religious people around them are as well. (I'm not a Mormon). The book is not about spreading religion, be does exhibit the religious practice and character of many of the people in the story in detail.

This book shows how the US government was slow to rescue people who were captives...and how the power of the free press turned that around. For when this book was first published, it was a best seller in the USA. The newspapers in the west coast apparently splashed this story throughout LA. Apparently it created a groundswell public outcry that the military provide safer passageways across this vast land.

I think every American should be required to read this as part of a US History class. I'm sure some of the accounts are hyped a bit...but one cannot help but feel they are looking into history from the authentic eyes of a 19th century history shaping author. And that it brings one far closer to something that happened, that may have been very important to changing the way the US Government dealt with Indian tribes out west, even though it is clear not all tribes acted as the ones in this book did.

I highly recommend this book!

Riveting true-life story of two sisters taken by Indians, their life in captivity, and their brother's search for them.