Brand new, unopened. 348 pages.
Cheyenne and Arapaho cultures recorded their histories with drawings: first on stone as petroglyphs, then on hides, and later in the pages of ledger books. When white traders arrived on the Plains, they used accounting ledgers to track profits, losses, and inventories. The Indians, seeing the importance white people placed on ledgers, wanted the technology too. The result was a transformation of account books into a uniquely Indian product.
Created by Cheyenne and Arapaho Scouts in the employ of the U.S. Cavalry in Indian Territory, the drawings in the Pamplin Ledger tell of bloody combats with enemy tribes, personal coups, and other adventures of the warrior class, usually on horseback.
War shields, clothing, weapons, and horse gear were carefully drawn, some never seen by outsiders until now.
To understand the drawings, the authors consulted with tribal members, compared old photographs, examined archival and ethnographic material, and researched personal accounts from the Indian Wars. The results of their efforts is the identification of some of the Indian artists, an interpretation of the ledger, and the telling of the history of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Scouts at Fort Reno, Indian Territory. The historical context of ledger art on the Plains is also explored, together with an explanation of the ledger's war shields, which empowered the warriors and protected them against dark forces and death.
Only a handful of ledger books survive intact, including the Pamplin Ledger, which is reproduced here in its entirety. The remaining ones were broken up and their drawings sold individually. With the publication of the Cheyenne and Arapaho ledger book from the Dr. and Mrs. Robert B. Pamplin Jr. Collection, enthusiasts and scholars of Native American culture can have a better understanding of the sometimes brutal life of Plains Indians in the 1860s-1880s.
Richly annotated with photographs and illustrations which help explain and interpret the ledger drawings, this book attempts to bring alive the last great days of the Cheyenne and Arapaho warriors on the Plains.
About the Authors
& the Pamplins
Craig D. Bates is the Curator of Ethnography for the National Park Service, Yosemite National Park.
Bonnie B. Kahn is the Curator of the Dr. and Mrs.
Robert B. Pamplin Jr. Collection of Native American Art.
Benson L. Lanford is a researcher of American Indian history, arts, and material culture.
Ime Nagy is an expert on Cheyenne shields, and Scientific Director of the Ferenc Mora Museum, Szeged, Hungary.
Pamplin Collection Curator Bonnie Kahn has joined with scholars Craig Bates, Benson Lanford, and Imre Nagy to produce this intriguing and insightful analysis of a significant Plains ledger book. A bonus are the precise drawings of horse gear and weapons by Paul Rossi, which, along with the associated glossaries, are a real help in understanding those aspects of the ledger draw-ings. The publication of the Pamplin Ledger is a welcome addition to the growing body of Plains ledger art references.
- - Bill Holm, Curator Emeritus, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture.
Dr. Robert B. Pamplin Jr. is a businessman, farmer, ordained minister, and author of thirteen books, including two Book-of-the-Month Club selections. He is considered one of America's greatest living historical preservationists.
Marilyn Pamplin has served on the board and as President of many volunteer organizations. She is esteemed and admired for her dedication to children's issues.
In 1997 Dr. and Mrs. Pamplin were recognized as Philanthropists of the Year in Portland, Oregon.
Touching lives has been their mission. Preserving and sharing American Indian cultures and art is an important part of that legacy.