Indian Tribes of the Upper Missouri Edited with Notes and Biographical Sketch

This richly annotated manuscript offers a rare glimpse into mid‑nineteenth‑century life on the Upper Missouri River. The observer, who spent more than two decades living among the Sioux, Arikara, Mandan, Cree and other prairie peoples, recorded their languages, rituals, and daily routines in a clear, hand‑written style, complemented by delicate pen sketches and a few period photographs. The editor’s notes and biographical sketch help modern listeners place these observations within the broader context of early American ethnography.

Listeners are invited to hear the observer’s firsthand accounts of council meetings, hunting expeditions, and the spiritual beliefs described using native terminology such as “diviner” for medicine man. The report follows the structure of the 1851 congressional questionnaire, offering concise answers that reveal both the richness of tribal customs and the challenges of translating them for a government audience. While the manuscript stops short of later policy debates, it nevertheless paints a vivid portrait of a world on the brink of profound change.