Other editions of book My Life as an Indian

In this fascinating memoir, first published as a book in 1907, the author recalls the remarkable story of his journey westward as a young man to the Montana Territory. Traveling in the days before railroads crossed the continent, he sought wild life and adventure and found both among the Piegan Blackfeet.As a welcome guest of the Indians, J. W. Schultz took part in almost every aspect of tribal life, enabling him to write vivid and dramatic descriptions of buffalo hunts, war parties, daring raids on enemy quarters, and other adventures; but he also paints a detailed picture of the quieter side of life in the vast encampments of lodges that dotted the plains: religious ceremonies and customs, child-rearing, food preparation, burial practices, tales told around the campfire, and much else.The author’s sensitive commentary testifies to his deep love and affection for the people with whom he lived, among them Nät-ah’-ki, the young and beautiful Blackfoot girl who became his wife; Ashton, an Easterner with a secret sorrow; Diana, an orphaned Indian girl, who, as Ashton’s loving ward, received a proper education but met a tragic death; and Berry, a tall, fearless Indian trader of mixed blood who became the author’s long-time friend.Spanning a period in American history that saw the Indian way of life dwindle to near extinction, this extraordinary firsthand account of a white man’s experiences in the word of the Plains Indian will not only captivate general readers but will also appeal to ethnologists and students of Native American life and culture. A new Introduction by Hugh A. Dempsey, Chief Curator Emeritus, Glenbow Museum, Calgary, Alberta, provides biographical information on the author and traces the book’s publishing history and cultural impact.

Beautiful, tender, haunting, and extremely excitingThis is the memoir of famed author, explorer, guide, trader, and historian of the Blackfoot Indians, James Willard Schultz. Here he tells of his life with the Blackfeet and his marriage to a Blackfoot woman, whom he deeply loved. From 1880 to 1903, Schultz lived the life of a Blackfoot Indian with Nat-ah'-ki and her people. During this time, he began writing for magazines, at times running a trading post, and working as a guide in the West.He met historian, writer, and naturalist, George Bird Grinnell, who encouraged him to write this heartfelt and important memoir. As an ethnography of a people and a time it is invaluable.Though he would marry again after Nat-ah'-ki's death, Schultz eventually went back to live near the Native peoples he'd come to love and is buried in the traditional ground of Nat-ah-ki's people. You won't read another memoir like it.Every memoir of the American West provides us with another view of the migration that changed the country forever.For the first time, this long out-of-print volume is available as an affordable, well-formatted book for e-readers and smartphones. Be sure to LOOK INSIDE by clicking the cover above or download a sample.

Beautiful, tender, haunting, and extremely excitingThis is the memoir of famed author, explorer, guide, trader, and historian of the Blackfoot Indians, James Willard Schultz. Here he tells of his life with the Blackfeet and his marriage to a Blackfoot woman, whom he deeply loved. From 1880 to 1903, Schultz lived the life of a Blackfoot Indian with Nat-ah'-ki and her people. During this time, he began writing for magazines, at times running a trading post, and working as a guide in the West.He met historian, writer, and naturalist, George Bird Grinnell, who encouraged him to write this heartfelt and important memoir. As an ethnography of a people and a time it is invaluable.Though he would marry again after Nat-ah'-ki's death, Schultz eventually went back to live near the Native peoples he'd come to love and is buried in the traditional ground of Nat-ah-ki's people. You won't read another memoir like it.Every memoir of the American West provides us with another view of the migration that changed the country forever.