INTRODUCTION to Native American Delegations
DELEGATIONS: ver. 08/01/2024
OVERVIEW:
During much of its history, the United States government invited delegations of Native Americans to Washington, D.C. in order to make treaties and to impress them. From the 1850s onwards many of the delegates and groups were also photographed by both professional and government photographers. Indeed Indians were the subject of the first recorded exhibit of photography in an American museum at the Smithsonian in the late 1860s. Over the years though, proper identification of the Indian delegates, the photographers and specific dates have become confused or lost. My book, North American Photography at the Smithsonian: The Shindler Catalogue provides corrected information for many misattributions. My research centered on locating relevant newspaper stories from the 1850s-1899, which are transcribed below. Using these documents helps to provide a deeper understanding of historical events as they relate to Native American relations as well as pinpointing which photographers were in Washington, D.C. and could have taken photographs. (The results of my 19th-century D.C. photographers are in the next section.)
HOW TO USE THIS SECTION:
This section is divided into two major sections:
-- The first consists of transcriptions of newspaper reports. These are arranged
Chronologically. Tribes references are noted with the bibliographic reference.
-- The second is a summary spreadsheet tracking the newspaper articles which have been
transcribed. This gives quick access by date to publications, and is especially useful in
searching for specific tribes. Once an article(s) of interest is located, note the full date,
then go to the relevant year and scroll down chronologically.
SEARCHING:
To find names or tribes in either section, do a word search (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F on Mac).
It will be useful to read through my introductory notes below which will provide
parameters and standards I have used for this work. I have also provided the names of the
U.S. Presidents and the Commissioners of Indian Affairs, listed by the years they served.
This is useful when newspaper reports do not mention them by name.
This information is provided FREE OF CHARGE, but please be mindful and credit my work. And please do not copy entire sections and publish as your own.
INTRODUCTION AND NOTES:
Subsections are:
--In depth background and parameters of my work
--Versions and updates to this work
--Dates covered
--Entry formats
--Names, spellings and conventions
--Tribal designations
--Treaties and other primary resources
--Dates and 19th c. dating conventions
--Newspapers referenced & links
--Presidents of the U.S.
--Commissioners of Indian Affairs
--Photographs (location of originals)
In-depth background, parameters, and general comments:
My goal is to document photographs of Native American delegates who came to Washington, D.C., thus dating from first such delegations in 1851 thru the 1890s. It is not intended to document all aspects of Native American delegations, their history, or U.S. policies. It does provide a rich resource documenting Native American Indian delegations and the photographs made of them in the 19th-century.
What follows are my transcriptions. I have deemed this necessary as many original newspapers were only available in microfilm format which was frequently dark, scratched, or out of focus thus rendering thermal-copies difficult to read. I have original copies for reference for most and can recheck transcriptions if necessary. For those entries for which I do not have copies, generally transcribed from on-line resources, they are marked "online" or "no copy".
Much of this was done before digital scans with word-search capability. I have since then searched the important/available Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland newspapers and added the results, and in some cases other states. Nonetheless, word-searches do not always turn up important items even when one knows they must exist, or I may simply have missed something. Additionally, newspaper runs are not always complete and they may be missing issues that might, or might not, have had relevant articles. Thus there is no guarantee this is a complete listing of all relevant articles.
My original concentration was on newspapers from Washington, DC, Philadelphia and New York during the time when delegations were in the capitol. I have, however, included newspaper accounts from other areas of the country if they specifically help to date the travel of delegations as this helps to date original photographs. There is a list of all newspapers I have researched.
Only those stories that substantially help to document delegation visits and their daily activities have been included. Many newspapers shared news stories and thus articles are reproduced verbatim, or nearly so. This duplication of stories increased with the early advent of the Associated Press. I have noted duplication of articles to help keep track of which stories appeared in major newspapers. I have not, however, attempted to track all copies of the same story in newspapers beyond Washington, D.C.
In many cases we have evidence from government correspondence and financial accounts that delegates were in Washington, D.C. but for which I have not found newspaper stories. It is impossible to locate all stories about Indian delegations in all newspapers. Regardless, an attempt has been made to locate as many relevant documents as possible. Fortunately more and more newspapers are being uploaded on to the web and searches will no doubt locate more stories although we are at the mercy of search engines. Some publications, years or issues though are currently unavailable.
While many articles explaining background, meetings, conferences, etc. have been copied in full to provide more information, some articles which were too long and did not contribute new dating or activity information have been excluded. I have also not included all news or references to Native Americans, generic discussions regarding Indians or Indian affairs, policy, government reports, etc. I have, however, included general articles when I deemed important to delegation research, such as relevant articles about photographers and photographic studios, or the making of peace medals since their presentation to delegates helps to date photographs.
I have also included references to less official activities of the delegations as these are rarely documented. Some unofficial, but interesting (and photographed) delegations have also been covered, e.g. when Frank Hamilton Cushing brought the Zuni’s East to visit the ocean. When exceptions such as these are made, their relevance is noted. On the other hand, many long speeches were made during delegation meetings, which were transcribed in the newspapers. Frequently I have included these, but just as frequently I have edited them out as they are predictable and while important for understanding Indian-white relations, they do not materially add information about the schedules of the delegations. When text has been edited out, it has been noted.
Coverage of the Native Americans by newspapers slowed down over the years. When the Indians were being treated as sovereign nations and treaties being negotiated, many delegations were brought to the capitol, and the newspapers covered these events in great detail. In addition, the Indians, dressed in their native clothes, were considered exotic which interested readers and inspired reporters. In 1871 the US Government stopped recognizing each tribe as having a unique status and thus no longer negotiated treaties. Regardless Indian delegations continued to come to DC to discuss various situations. Delegations, and thus newspaper stories are still abundant in the 1870s. By the 1880s there are fewer stories because there are fewer delegations, and the Indians are no longer as exotic as they once were. After Wounded Knee in 1891, very few delegations are made and covered in the newspapers. There are, of course, exceptions and several very large delegations came in the late 1880s - 1890s, but for the most part, the stories become fewer and further apart.
--Versions and updates to this resource:
The date of the current version is noted in the heading of this section. As new material is added, or changes made, the updates will be summarized at the beginning to save the researcher continually going through this material.
--Dates covered:
Yearly from 1851 to 1890s. I have started with 1851 which is the date of the first known delegation of Indians that were photographed. Transcriptions are arranged by calendar year. Delegations frequently came during the winter months when Congress was in session. Thus one delegation can be documented in two different years. To insure location of material related to a specific delegation, researchers may need to check the year before or after a delegation's major date for all relevant material. Also as many tribes made several trips to the East, reference may be made in the text to previous delegations. Such references to earlier visits are not usually cross-referenced in listings for previous years unless truly relevant and not just a passing reference. These articles appear only under the general date of the relevant year, and are placed at the end of each section.
--Entry format:
Date and title of newspaper are given. Volume, issue and page numbers are normally not listed, but newspapers were frequently only a few pages so locating originals by date is usually not problematical. If an article about a delegation includes extraneous material unrelated to the topic at hand, I have included only relevant excerpts, this is noted. For ease of searching, I have indicated in brackets the tribes mentioned in each article. Not all tribes are referenced in articles. If they could not easily be identified, I have noted, "unidentified." This is especially true when there are many delegations in D.C. at one time, or when a delegation consists of several tribes, or there are a large number from one tribe and one delegate from another. When this is the case, I have supplied the tribal designation if obvious. If the tribes could not be easily identified, I have noted, "mixed." When an article only broadly discusses delegations, I have entered, "general."
--Names, Spellings & Conventions:
Native American names, especially phonetic renderings, were frequently spelled in different ways. Plus individuals may have different names given to them over the years. I have recorded them as published within the text of a transcription. When possible, I have included English translations of names as recorded in treaties or other official documents when only phonetic renderings of native names are given. These translations are in brackets and the sources are referenced.
Some spelling and grammatical conventions were different in the 19th-century, and original typos occur. These have been preserved, and in some cases noted. I have tried to catch my own errors, some, no doubt, have crept in, but these should be obvious.
When I have added information to a transcription, my notes have been placed in brackets [ ]. If brackets appear in an original documents, they have been changed to parenthesis ( ) to avoid confusion.
--Tribal designations:
Tribal names used are those referenced in newspapers and/or in common use in the 19th century. Spellings may vary. In my article headings, tribes referenced are listed alphabetically, not in the order they may appear in the newspaper. When known, specific bands are listed, otherwise the broadest tribal designation has been used. Frequently delegations are referenced in articles, but the specific tribes are not noted. When it is clear which delegation is being referenced, such as when only one is in town, then tribal identifications have been supplied. Further, articles do not always list all tribes covered by a story. Additionally, not all tribes participated in the same events even though they were in Washington, D.C. at the same time. Therefore, unless absolutely certain about all tribes covered in an article, only those noted have been recorded. Sometimes articles cover both delegations and Indian affairs outside of Washington, D.C. In such cases, only the tribes coming to Washington, D.C. have been referenced.
Tribal groupings. For easy reference the following groups were divided as below:
Dakota Agencies:
Cheyenne River Agency: Miniconjou, Two Kettle, Blackfoot, Sans Arc
Pine Ridge Agency: Oglala
Standing Rock Agency: Hunkpapa
Rosebud Agency: Upper Brule
Lower Brule Agency: Brule
Crow Creek Agency: Lower Yanktonai, Lower Brule
Siouan Linguistic groups:
Eastern Dakota: Santee, Sisseton
Western Dakota: Yankton, Yanktonai
Lakota/Teton Sioux: Blackfoot, Brule, Hunkpapa, Miniconjou, Oglala,
Sans Arc, Two kettle
--Treaties and other primary documents:
Only newspaper articles, treaties and other primary documentation useful in documenting photographs taken of Native American delegations to Washington, D.C. are included. With few exceptions, only treaties negotiated in Washington, D.C., or at a location where photographs are known to have been taken, are referenced. Readers interested in the full text of the treaties
should consult: Indian Affairs: Laws and Treaties. Vol. II (Treaties) in part. Compiled and edited by Charles J. Kappler. Washington : Government Printing Office, 1904. This is available on line. Occasionally references to memorandums of agreement, or unratified treaties are included if they provide supporting documentation.
--Dates:
When reference is made in the text to a day but the date is not obvious, e.g., "The delegation arrived on Wednesday", I have endeavored to provide the full date in brackets. This information is useful in dating when a delegation was in Washington, D.C. and thus, when photographs could have been taken.
Date conventions common in the 19th-century:
"ultimo" = last month
"instant" = this month
"promixo" = next month
--Newspapers referenced: (ver. 11/3/2020)
Aberdeen Daily News [Aberdeen, S.D.]
Albany Evening Journal [NY] (1830-1925)
Albuquerque Citizen
The Alexandria Gazette (1834-1974)
Augusta Chronicle [Augusta, Georgia]
Ballou's Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion (1855-1859)
Bismarck Tribune [Bismarck, N.D.]
The Boston Daily Advertiser (1813-ca. 1929)
The Boston Herald (a.k.a. Sunday Herald)
The Boston Journal
Bridgeton Evening News [Bridgeton, NJ]
Caledonian [St. Johnsbury, Vermont]
Cherokee Advocate [Tahlequah, Ok.]
Cincinnati Commercial Tribune
Cincinnati Daily Gazette (1855-1883)
Cleveland Leader
Commercial Advertiser [NY]
Constitution [Washington, DC] (1844-1861)
Critic Record [Washington, DC] (1868-1896)
Daily Albany Argus
The Daily Evening Star and Evening Star ["Star"] (1852 - )
The Daily Illinois State Journal
The Daily Inter Ocean (Chicago, Ill.) (1879-1902)
The Daily Chronicle/ Daily Morning Chronicle (Wash., D.C.) (1862-1874)
Daily Globe [Washington, DC]
Daily Illinois State Register
The Daily National Intelligencer ["DNI"] (1813-1867)
The Daily National Republican (1872-1888)
Daily Nonpareil [Council Bluffs, Iowa]
Daily Register [Rockford, Illinois]
The Daily Union (1845-1857)
Dallas Morning News
Dallas Weekly Herald
Denver Republican
Denver Rocky Mountain News
Duluth News-Tribune
Easton Gazette [Easton, Md.]
Eaton Democrat [Eaton, Ohio]
Enterprise [Wellington, Ohio]
Evening Leader [Grand Rapids, Mic.]
Evening Post [New York]
Evening Union [Washington, D.C.]
Fort Smith Elevator [Fort Smith, Ark.]
Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper (New York, NY)
Grand Forks Daily Herald [Grand Forks, ND]
Kalamazoo Gazette
Kansas City Star
Kansas City Times
Milwaukee Sentinel Journal
Minneapolis Journal
Morning Journal and Courier [New Haven, Ct.]
Morning Telegraph [New York] (1839-1972)
National Era
National Republican
New Haven Register
New National Era (1870-1874)
New Mexican [Santa Fe, NM]
The New York Daily Times (1836-1922)
New York Herald
New York Tribune
The North American [Phila., Pa] (1935-1925)
Omaha World Herald
Oregonian
Owosso Times [Owosso, Mich.]
Palatka Daily News [Palatka, Florida]
The Patriot [Harrisburg, Pa.] (1854-current)
Philadelphia Inquirer
Pittsburg Dispatch
Plain Dealer [Cleveland, Ohio]
The Public Ledger [Phila., Pa.] (1836-1942)
Quincy Daily Whig [Quincy, Ill.] (1850-1909)
Repository [Canton, Ohio]
Richmond Whig
Rockford Journal [Rockford, Ill.]
Sacramento Daily Union
Saginaw News [Saginaw, Mich.]
Salt Lake Herald
The Salt Lake Tribune
San Francisco Chronicle
Sault Ste. Marie News [Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.]
St. Albans Daily Messenger [St. Albans, Vt.]
The Sun [Baltimore]
The Sunday Herald [Boston]
Teller [Lewiston, Idaho]
Truth [New York, N.Y.]
The Washington Daily Chronicle
The Washington Tribune (1875-1875)
The Washington Post ["Post"] (1877 - )
The Washington Review and Examiner [Washington, Pa.] (1865 - 18??)
The Washington Sentinel (Oct. 2, 1853 - March 24, 1855)
The Washington Union (1857-1859)
Watertown Daily Times [Watertown, NY]
Weekly Democratic Statesman [Austin, Texas]
Weekly Expositor [Yale, Michigan]
The Wheeling Register
Worcester Daily Spy [Worcester, Mass.]
The World [NY] (1860-1931)
Links:
Library of Congress on-line newspapers: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/
-Presidents of the US during the period covered by these documents:
July 9, 1850 - March 3, 1853 Millard Fillmore
March 4, 1853 - March 3, 1857 Franklin Pierce
March 4, 1857 - March 3, 1861 James Buchanan
March 4, 1861 - April 15, 1865 Abraham Lincoln
April 15, 1865 - March 3, 1869 Andrew Johnson
March 4, 1869 - March 3, 1877 Ulysses S. Grant
March 4, 1877 - March 3, 1881 Rutherford B. Hayes
Sept. 19, 1881 – March 4, 1885 Chester A. Arthur
March 4, 1885 – March 4, 1889 Grover Cleveland
1889 -- 1893 Benjamin Harrison
1893 -- 1897 Grover Cleveland
March 4, 1897 – Sept. 1901 William McKinley
-Commissioners of Indian Affairs during the period covered by these documents:
[Source of info. is BIA website & Kvasnicka/Viola 's The Commissioners of Indian Affairs, 1824-1977]
1850-1853: Col. Luke Lea (July 1, 1850 - early 1853)
1853-1857: George Washington Manypenny (May 24, 1853 - March 11, 1857)
1857: James W. Denver (April 17, 1857 - Dec. 2, 1857)
1858: Charles Eli Mix (June 14, 1858 - Nov. 8, 1858; as Chief Clerk, Mix served
as Acting Commissioner in other years)
1858-1859: James W. Denver (Nov. 9,1858 - March 11, 1859)
[1859: Charles Eli Mix, Chief Clerk, but acts as Commissioner]
1859-1861: Alfred Burton Greenwood (May 4, 1859 - April 1861]
1861-1865: William Palmer Dole (ca. April 1862 - July 6, 1865)
1865-1866: Dennis Nelson Cooley (ca. July 1865 - ca. April 1866)
1866-1867: Lewis Vital Bogy (Nov. 1, 1866 - ca. March 12, 1867)
1867-1869: Nathaniel Green Taylor (March 29, 1867 - April 25, 1869)
1869-1871: Ely Samuel Parker (spring 1869 - early 1871)
1871-1873: Francis A. Walker (Nov. 1871 - resigned Dec. 26, 1872)
1873-1875: Edward Parmelee Smith (March 20, 1873 - Dec. 1875)
1875-1877: John Quincy Smith (Dec. 11, 1875 - Sept. 27, 1877)
1877-1880: Ezra A. Hayt (Sept. 17, 1877 - ca. Jan. 1880)
1880-1881: Roland Ebenezer Trowbridge (March 15, 1880 - March 19, 1881)
1881-1885: Hiram Price (May 6, 1881 – March 27, 1885)
1885-1888: John D. C. Atkins (March 21, 1885 – June 13, 1888)
1888-1889: John H. Oberly (Oct. 10, 1888 – June 9?, 1889)
1889-1893: Thomas Jefferson Morgan
1893-1897: Daniel M. Browning
-Photographs. Many of the delegates had their photographs taken while in Washington, D.C. Original glass plate negatives still exist for many in the Smithsonian Institution National Anthropological Archives. To locate these, search by name and tribe in the Smithsonian’s online catalog: https://collections.si.edu/search/
Transcriptions of newspaper reports.