"Indian Cowboy." Topic

That's really not usual to see.
Picture taken in 1908 and shows a Sioux Indian wearing a unique combination of both Cowboy and Indian items.

From this interesting link
old-photos.blogspot.com.ar

Were there in the Old West more of this mixed clothed riders or you think it was only for a propaganda or only for picture?

Thanks in advance for your guidance.

Amicalement
Armand

It's 1908. The Old West was gone by then.

Thanks,

John

Armand,

I don't mean to discredit your find, but in my personal experience there is nothing unique about an Indian cowboy. I wish you could come to the States and attend some Pow-Wows. There you will find all kinds of modern clothing mixed with some very traditional dress (usually reproduction). Indians today live in the "modern" world just as they always have and dress accordingly.

Indians (yes, the less political do call themselves that sometimes) as a rule, can be an extremely accepting group of human beings. Assuming, like any other group of people, you come with honest intentions. And yes, politeness counts (ask before taking photos). I love this particular old photo that shows a man proud of his heritage; both Indian and cowboy. Yes, the Old West of the dime novels was gone by 1908, but the tradition still lives on today in some circles.

Thanks for the photo,
JP

This looks like a staged, late Wild West sort of photo to me rather than something to judge according to Historical accuracy.

Probably is a staged photo in that 1908 most pictures were still studio portraits and folks wore their best for them.

As to indian cowboys, there were many. Most were probably mixed race rather than full blood but many natives took up the white man ways. In fact one of my projects here at work this month is trying to restablish tribal enrollment for a family that was removed from the rolls in 1912 for having given up traditional ways and taken up ranching off the reservation.

One interesting note the fellow in the picture appears to have had very short hair and no sign of the traditional Sioux long hair or braids. That was a real indicator someone was trying to fit in.

Quanah Parker who quickly learned the "white man ways" convinced the Comanche & Kiowa to lease reservation grasslands to cattlemen. One of the provisions of the leases were that the cattlemen were to hire a number of Indians as cowhands.

He also ran a protection racket for cattle drives through the reservation lands.

Also, don't forget there were Hawaiian cowboys as well!

Our fellow member corporalpat wrote:

"… I love this particular old photo that shows a man proud of his heritage; both Indian and cowboy…"

Totally agree with the sentence and that was the idea of the picture.

I had a huge respect for the american indians and the pleasure to see some of their parades in USA and Canada.

Amicalement
Armand

And by now I remember that in my favourite Western serie "The Hight Chaparral" there were a indian cowboy in the last season.
And those were the days of the Old West!.

Amicalement
Armand

Great picture, thanks for posting.

Maybe he was part of a wild west show. His dress is that type of feel t it.

'Quanah Parker who quickly learned the "white man ways"'

a white mother must've helped…

Dunno about that. Cynthia Ann Parker was only a little girl when the Comanches adopted her. She became very much a blonde Comanche. When she was recaptured and returned to the Parker family she spoke no English; she soon died of loneliness and despair. I doubt she remembered any 'white man ways' that she could have taught to Quanah.

On the other hand, Quanah's Texan heritage may have made the whites a bit friendlier to him than they might otherwise have been.