Captured by Indians

~ History ~

Some of my earliest memories come from my childhood in Texas.  My grandfather loved hearing me say, “I’m a Texas Partner”.  I wore my Annie Oakley outfit at every opportunity. I watched a movie called “The Searchers” with John Wayne and Natalie Wood.  My first exposure to a tale about a girl captured and raised by Indians. I was enthralled and secretly wished to be that girl.

Over the years two more prize winning films hit theaters. In the 1970’s Little Big Man and in the 1990’s Dances with Wolves.  Tons of others did not become blockbusters.  There are heaps of books, too.  Some were written and/or narrated by the captors, themselves. 

~ A Recent Novel ~

In 2016, the novel, News of the World, by Paulette Jiles was released.  Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd travels through Texas in the year 1870.  A difficult time for Texas and its post Civil War reconstruction. A veteran of the War of 1812 and the Mexican American War, Kidd wanders from town to town entertaining locals for a dime. He reads newspapers aloud to his audiences, sharing the news of the larger cities.

Captain Kidd stumbles upon an unexpected task. A self-imposed assignment of returning a girl to her remaining family members in Castroville, Texas.  The girl, Johanna, was removed from a Kiowa Tribe who captured her four years prior. Johanna has no desire to be anywhere other than with her Kiowa family.

~ Historical Nitty Gritty ~

Captured children assimilated quickly into tribal life. They refused to go back to their civilized lives.  Returned kids ended up stuck between two worlds. One world that wanted them and the other who couldn’t have them. Read some of their stories here.

Children from the white homesteads adapted well to Native life. Less stress. There were no crops to tend or livestock to care for.  The low maintenance and nomadic lives of the Natives was a lot more fun. 

Why did the Natives capture children?  Tribal conflicts have gone on for centuries. Survivors of the conflicts were often children. Those children would replace tribal members lost to disease and to wars.

~ The Newest Movie ~

News of the World Movie is now available on HBO.  As with most movies made from novels, details were missing.  Details that add more insight to the characters.  Missing was the depth of confusion and discontent among Texans regarding reconstruction. The movie was, however, engaging on its own.  The acting by Tom Hanks as Captain Kidd and Helena Zengel as Johanna was excellent. If you like the movie, read the book.  You won’t regret it. 

~ Alas ~

Gone are the days of my childhood fantasies. Yet, I’ll never grow out of my love and fascination with the Wild West. Novels and movies alike.

See ya next month, Partner!

Note: This blog is sponsored by Karen J Adams. Any recommendations or suggestions are purely my own opinion without the exchange of money.

 Unpublished work © 2021 Karen J Adams