Heroes of the Wild West: Trail Guides

There’s something timeless about the Wild West. Maybe it’s the echo of hoofbeats on prairie ground or the image of a wagon cresting a ridge at sunset. For Christian readers of western historical romance, these wide-open landscapes offer more than scenic beauty—they provide stories of courage, faith, and the kind of love that thrives in hard places.

Imagine such a story with the hero as a trail guide. You know the type—quiet, rugged, full of knowledge and secrets. He’s the one helping settlers cross rivers, scale mountain passes, and make it to the other side of danger. He might not wear a tin star or ride into town with a posse, but he’s brave in ways that count. He leads others through the wilderness—sometimes even when he’s lost inside himself.

And what’s more romantic and evocative--not to mention literary--than a hero on a journey?

Real-Life Trailblazers

While fictional guides have captured our hearts, the history behind them is just as compelling—and even more inspiring. Let's look at three trail guides who truly walked the path, each with a story worth remembering.

1. Thomas “Broken Hand” Fitzpatrick

Thomas Fitzpatrick (1799-1854) trapper and Indian Agent; public domain image

Known as one of the most respected mountain men and trail guides of the 19th century, Thomas Fitzpatrick earned his nickname after a hunting accident, but his legacy runs far deeper. He led countless wagon trains west, including pioneers on the Oregon Trail, and helped guide military expeditions. Later in life, he served as an Indian agent and peacemaker, respected by both settlers and Native American tribes. Fitzpatrick was known for his integrity, fairness, and moral compass—traits that fit beautifully with the Christian ideal of servant leadership. His dedication to justice and peace makes him an excellent model for a trail guide hero grounded in faith and conviction.

2. Sacajawea’s Son: Jean Baptiste Charbonneau

Sacajawea and Jean-Baptiste sculpture in Washington Park, Portland; public domain image

Born during the Lewis and Clark expedition, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau was the son of Sacajawea, a Shoshone woman who was one of the most famous Native American guides in history. Jean Baptiste grew up multilingual and deeply skilled in frontier life. As an adult, he became a scout, guide, and interpreter. What makes his story unique is how he navigated two worlds—Native and European—just like many mixed-heritage trail guides in western fiction. His life reminds us of the deep contributions Native Americans made to westward expansion—and how God works through all people, across all cultures.

3. Medicine Calf (also known as George Bent)

George Bent in wedding attire for the camera in 1867. A survivor of the Sand Creek Massacre, Bent continued to translate for peace chiefs and Indian Agents of the Cheyenne; public domain image

Now here’s a story tailor-made for historical romance readers. George Bent, or Medicine Calf, was the son of a prominent Cheyenne woman and a white trader from Bent’s Fort in Colorado. Educated in both white and Cheyenne traditions, he later fought in the Civil War, then returned west to serve as a mediator, scout, and interpreter during a time of immense cultural upheaval. His mixed heritage gave him a unique perspective that helped him guide others—not just across physical terrain, but between two worlds at war. Imagine the kind of quiet strength and identity struggle he must have lived with. A character based on George Bent could easily step off the pages of a novel: scarred, spiritual, and steady in the storm.

These men, and others like them, weren’t just skilled at reading landscapes—they were navigating history, culture, and faith in incredibly complex times. And that’s part of what makes trail guides such captivating heroes in our favorite stories.

Why We Love Them

Trail guides often aren’t the loudest or flashiest characters. They’re the ones who’ve seen too much, said too little, and carry maps in their heads and burdens in their hearts. But in Christian romance, they often become the protectors, the steady hands, and sometimes the prodigals finding their way back to the Father.

They also have a habit of falling in love with strong, stubborn heroines who challenge them—ladies who are just as determined to survive the journey west and make a life out of the wilderness. These relationships aren’t built on ballrooms and pretty words—they’re forged in hardship, patience, and prayer.

And really, what better soil is there for love?

Final Thoughts

Maybe one of the reasons we love trail guides so much is because we’re all on a journey of our own. We might not be dodging rattlesnakes or crossing rivers on horseback, but we are trying to find our way. And just like in the stories, we need guides—mentors, pastors, friends—who’ve walked the path before us and can point us to truth when the trail gets hard to see.

Ultimately, the best trail guide in any story—and in life—is the One who promises to never leave us or forsake us. As Psalm 32:8 says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” Whether we’re walking the Oregon Trail or facing a personal wilderness, God goes before us.

So the next time you open a western romance and meet a brooding, Bible-carrying hero with trail dust on his boots and a mysterious past—pause and remember: you’re meeting someone with roots in real history. Someone who reflects the human longing for purpose, belonging, and the faithful God who guides us every step of the way.

Over to You

Which historical trail guide would you love to see as the inspiration for a romance hero?

About Janalyn Voigt

Janalyn Voigt fell in love with literature at an early age when her father read chapters from classics as bedtime stories. When Janalyn grew older, she put herself to sleep with tales "written" in her head. Today Janalyn is a storyteller who writes in several genres. Romance, mystery, adventure, history, and whimsy appear in all her novels in proportions dictated by their genre.

Learn more about Janalyn, read the first chapters of her books, subscribe to her e-letter, and join her reader clubs at http://janalynvoigt.com.

Fall in Love with the Wild West!

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Unsung Heroines in American History – by Donna Schlachter

With Women’s Month a blip in our rear view mirror, I wanted to share some fascinating stories about women in American History. We often think of Molly Brown, Calamity Jane, and Amelia Earhart when we consider women who made a difference in our history and culture, but there were many more we never hear about.

In researching this post, I found an article from Time magazine, my primary source. Feel free to check it out here: https://time.com/5786065/womens-history-month-women-to-know/ . All photos came from that article. (Please note, there are women featured in this article that I chose not to highlight primarily because of their political leanings and affiliations.)

Emilia Casanova de Villaverde

Emilia Casanova de Villeverde: She lived most of her life in New York City, serving tirelessly as an abolitionist. She formed a women’s club and raised funds to support the elderly, widows, and orphans. Her mansion in the South Bronx hid weapons and ammunition, to aid the liberation army in Cuba, in a series of vaults. Emilia passed in 1897.

If you’re thinking about writing about your own heroine who uses her wealth and position of influence in society, you might want to use Emilia as your model.

Dorothea Dix

Dorothea Dix: Dorothea’s focus was on asylum and prison reform. During her lifetime, 1802-1887, women were silent victims in both of these institutions. A husband or her parents could have a woman committed to an asylum indefinitely without a court hearing or psychological examination, merely because she spoke out against popular topics such as abolition, women’s rights, and many other topics.

Dorothea headed the Union Nurses during the Civil War, inspected prisons, jails, poorhouses, and workhouses. She forced states to allocate land, money, and legislative attention on the creation and improvement of these institutions.

A heroine in a story based on Dorothea might be portrayed as standing up to irate wardens, judges, and husbands to force better conditions for the incarcerated.

Laura Cornelius Kellogg

Laura Cornelius Kellogg: Laura was a Native woman, but also an activist, author, orator, and policy reformer. She helped found the Society of American Indians, which was run for and by American Indians. In doing so, she resisted the government’s policy to send Native American children to boarding schools, a direction that hoped to eradicate Native culture and language.

A Native American heroine based on Laura could share the story of Native children learning their tribal language in secret, for example.

Mary Tape at around 11 years old

Mary Tape: Born in China in 1857, Mary emigrates to the United States with her family, ending up as a servant in a brothel in San Francisco. She ran away, took on a different name, then met Joseph Tape while he was delivering milk. They marry, and together they build a prosperous transportation and immigration brokering business.

Despite their fabulous wealth, they are not immune from anti-Chinese sentiment and racial hostility. In 1884, their daughter is denied admission to public school, sparking the landmark court case Tape v. Hurley, which guarantees Chinese children the right to a public school education.

Perhaps this triggers an idea for a book about a rags-to-riches heroine who overcomes her past.

Maggie Lena Walker

 

Maggie Lena Walker: Maggie was the first black female bank president in the United States, founding the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank in 1903. She was also a member of the Independent Order of St. Luke (IOSL), a secret society for women of color that was founded in the 1850s. In the 1920s, she, her bank, and the IOSL, provided financial services to more than one hundred thousand members in over twenty states, and was the largest employer of professional, white-collar black women in the country.

Regardless of color, any book featuring a heroine who was among the movers and shakers of her time would thrill readers.

Of course, there are plenty more unsung heroines in our history, but this sample of different ethnicities, different backgrounds, and different heart focus is a good example of what can be accomplished when we stand up for what is right.


About Donna:

A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 60 times in books; is a member of several writers groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both, and is an avid oil painter. She is taking all the information she’s learned along the way about the writing and publishing process, and is coaching committed career writers. Learn more at https://www.donnaschlachter.com/the-purpose-full-writer-coaching-programs Check out her coaching group on FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604220861766651



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Native American Ledger Art

By Jennifer Uhlarik

 

From prehistoric times, Indigenous people across the world have been drawing or etching their artwork on cave walls, boulders, animal hides, and other surfaces. From the earliest times, these drawings or carvings were a way of chronicling life among their various cultures.

Newspaper Rock, Arizona
(copyright Jennifer Uhlarik)

 

It was no different for the Native American tribes of the Great Plains. They drew or painted pictures on their tepees, on their war shields, other animal hide products, and even on themselves or their horses as they prepared to ride into battle against an enemy. Their pictures told stories. Stories of daily life among their camp, courting their loves, successful buffalo hunts, important ceremonies and meetings, and great battles they fought. It was a way to preserve their history when many of the Plains tribes didn’t have written language, but rather an oral tradition.

Two Hunkpapa Sioux tepees adorned with drawings
depicting coup the owners counted during the 
Battle of Little Bighorn. Photo taken circa 1890
(Public Domain)

 

But what happened when the Native Americans were moved to reservations and were no longer going on buffalo hunts to obtain the animal skins in which to record their lives, or no longer living in tepees or carrying war shields on which they could draw? How would the tribes keep track of the important events that defined their existence? They drew on paper, of course! Paper was easily obtained among the Army forts of the west, especially in the form of ledger books. So a new art form was created—Native American ledger art. Adding to the phenomenon was man by the name of Lieutenant Richard Henry Pratt. Pratt was an Army officer who was put in charge of seventy-three Plains Indians who were incarcerated in St. Augustine’s 350-year-old Spanish fort (known today as the Castillo de San Marcos) between 1875 and 1878. While these men were under his charge, he gave them bookkeeping ledger books and colored pencils on which to draw. The artwork that was created by these Native Americans while at Castillo de San Marcos (or Fort Marion as it was known in that day), is some of the most notable examples of this art form that we have today.

An example of Native American ledger art
drawn by Bear's Heart.

 

The bookkeeping ledgers were an inexpensive source of paper, and they were readily available. No hunting required to get a new “canvas” on which to create art. Just open the cover and find a blank page. Lieutenant Pratt asked “his Indians” to draw pictures in their books that told of their life before coming to the ancient fort, as well as the events that happened while they were there. So these men began to draw pictures of buffalo hunts, of battles, the surrender of their tribes to the Army, the journey they took to get from Indian Territory (modern-day Oklahoma) to Florida on wagons, trains, and steamboats, and then daily life in and around the fort. 

Drawn by Zotom (or "Biter"), this example depicts
the Native American prisoners arriving in Jacksonville, FL
and transferring onto a steamboat for one of the final legs of their
journey to St. Augustine's Fort Marion.

 

While much of this type of artwork is not particularly refined in technique or skill level, it serves an important purpose in telling the story of the Native Americans who created it. The Plains Indians were known for their story-telling abilities. They spent many nights around the fire telling stories of their buffalo hunts or great feats in battle, funny events or tragic happenings. These pieces of ledger art were a way of the Native Americans preserving those stories in pictorial form so future generations could also understand the events that shaped their lives. 

 

This style of art not only tells of the history of people from the past, but it also serves to inspire artists of today. Many artists from within the Native American communities look at what their ancestors did with ledger art and find the vision and creativity to make their own brand of art and a way to put their stamp on the world around them.

"On the Parapet of Ft. Marion, next day after arrival."
Drawn by Zotom (or "Biter").

 

Interestingly, in researching the value of different examples of Native American ledger art for my upcoming novel, Love’s Fortress, which deals with the incarceration of the seventy-three Plains Indians at the fort in St. Augustine and the artwork they drew while there, I stumbled across two different samples that went to auction. The first I found was from an art auction website, where a book of ledger art with twenty-nine drawings was sold in 2009 for over $20,000. The second was even more interesting. In the second case, a book of seventy-six ledger art drawings was inadvertently given to Goodwill in 1993 when the file cabinet it was stored in was donated to the charity. Once found, the organization’s director contacted the Lakota tribe to ask about provenance and wound up getting into a bit of a legal tangle because of the Native America Grave Protection and Repatriation Act, a law from George H.W. Bush’s tenure as president. The book was eventually sold at auction by Sotheby’s for nearly $400,000, and it is now part of the private collection of Eugene and Clare Thaw, though it is kept at the Fenimore Art Museum.

 

It’s Your Turn: Have you ever seen examples of Native American ledger art in museums or on display in cultural centers or historic sites? What is your impression of it?

 

 

Award-winning, best-selling novelist Jennifer Uhlarik has loved the western genre since she read her first Louis L’Amour novel. She penned her first western while earning a writing degree from University of Tampa. Jennifer lives near Tampa with her husband, son, and furbabies. www.jenniferuhlarik.com

 

 

COMING MARCH 1, 2022

 

Love’s Fortress by Jennifer Uhlarik

 

A Friendship From the Past Brings Closure to Dani’s Fractured Family

 

When Dani Sango’s art forger father passes away, Dani inherits his home. There, she finds a book of Native American drawings, which leads her to seek museum curator Brad Osgood’s help to decipher the ledger art. Why would her father have this book? Is it another forgery?

 

Brad Osgood longs to provide his four-year-old niece, Brynn, the safe home she desperately deserves. The last thing he needs is more drama, especially from a forger’s daughter. But when the two meet “accidentally” at St. Augustine’s 350-year-old Spanish fort, he can’t refuse the intriguing woman.

 

Broken Bow is among seventy-three Plains Indians transported to Florida in 1875 for incarceration at ancient Fort Marion. Sally Jo Harris and Luke Worthing dream of serving on a foreign mission field, but when the Indians reach St. Augustine, God changes their plans. However, when Sally Jo’s friendship with Broken Bow leads to false accusations, it could cost them their lives.

 

Can Dani discover how Broken Bow and Sally Jo’s story ends and how it impacted her father’s life?

 

(NOTE: This blurb does not yet match bookseller’s descriptions, but it IS the same book).

 

 

Camas Roots: How Early Nez Perce Women Built a Business Empire

by Misty M. Beller

As I've been researching for my current Call of the Rockies series, I've had the pleasure of diving deep into the culture of the Nez Perce tribe. I found it interesting that one of the primary food sources of The People (as they called themselves) was camas roots.

But what really drew my notice was how the women would cultivate entire fields of camas root, store what they needed for their family through the winter, then use the extras for bartering. Some savvy women would become quite wealthy from their business dealings!

Nez Perce woman named I-ah-to-tonah (or Little Woman Mountain) and her son, ca. 1909. She might have acquired many of these possessions through the trade of camas route.

Why camas root? 
The bulbs of the camas plant are full of calories and nutrients, and each fall, Nez Perce families would travel to their particular camas meadow (a section of land whose camas rights had probably been passed down from generation to generation within their family). Many of these meadows were located near present-day Weippe, Moscow or Grangeville, where the onion-shaped bulbs grew thickly.

Edible Camas Plant. Photo courtesy of Walter Siegmund (public domain)

Women used pointed wooden tools to harvest the bulbs, and could often gather over 50 pounds a day, satisfying their full winter's supply within just a few days.

The Nez Perce are known for their detailed knowledge of the plant life around their region, which was helpful because there was another type of camas that sometimes grew in the same area as edible cams. This other type was called death camas, and the results that came from accidentally eating that bulb are self-explanatory! The two are easy to tell apart by flower color—edible camas is blue, the other creamy white. But since harvest occured after flowering was over, this color cue would not be present. The Nez Perce women had to know their camas roots!

Camas bulbs were cooked to improve taste and food value. A carbohydrate in camas called inulin is difficult to digest, but after cooking for up to two days in a carefully tended pit oven, the inulin converts to fructose, which is more easily digested and tastes sweet, almost like a sweet potato. When Lewis and Clark's expedition spent time in the Nez Perce camps after almost starving to death passing through the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Mountains, they were initially excited to have camas roots to eat. Until the stomach upset started! 

Camas bulb

Baked camas can be eaten right away. For long-term storage, though, the cooked bulbs were sun-dried, pounded into a flour, shaped into a flat loaf, and baked again.

To remain productive, camas meadows need to be open and sunny, free of encroaching tree growth. Fire was used as a tool to accomplish this. Camas bulbs themselves were tended, too. During harvest the bulbs were sorted by size: large ones were collected but smaller bulbs or bulblets were put back into the newly worked-up soil for next year.

A Business Empire

Native American peoples who ate camas include the Nez Perce (Nimíipuu), Cree, Coast Salish, Kalapuya, and Blackfoot, and Yakama, among many others. Not all of these people groups harvested camas themselves. Instead, many relied on trade in order to procure it. Trade networks were established all the way from the Rockies to the Pacific Ocean, and a shrewd businesswoman who tended her camas meadows well could provide everything her family needed and more!

***

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

Her latest release, Hope in the Mountain River, is an epic journey along the path taken by the Lewis and Clark expedition—an epic journey through breathless landscapes and adventure so intense, lives will never be the same.

For a limited time, you can get one of Misty's bestselling novels free here: https://www.subscribepage.com/s8n2o1

The History of Appaloosa Horses

by Misty M. Beller

All my life I’ve been a horse lover, and was blessed to grow up on a farm. My older brother and I each had ponies of our own and rode hours every day. When we were old enough to graduate to full-size horses, we met neighbors who also had horses and loved to ride together. The two mares they rode had a mottled black and white spotted look, which I knew to be part of the Appaloosa breed. Through years of riding together, I developed a deep appreciation for those two Appaloosa horses, as well as respect for the entire breed! Those two mares proved they could outrun and outlast any of the other horses in our riding group. 

 Leopard Appaloosa

As I met other Appaloosas, I learned the breed has a wide variety of coat patterns, from dramatically spotted horses (called leopard Appaloosas) to solid horses whose rumps sport white “blankets” (with or without spots). You don’t always know what pattern a horse will have at its birth. 

Appaloosa mare with blanket on rump. Foal is born without a spot pattern, which will grow in later.

I’ve long wanted to include Appaloosas in one of my stories, especially since the breed was said to have begun in the Nez Perce tribe who lived just west of the Rocky Mountains. Most of my books are set in the majestic Rockies, so anything from that area snags my attention!

The animal takes its name from the Palouse River, which is the area where many of the Nez Perce people lived. When white settlers and soldiers came to the area in the mid-1800s, a war ensued between the Nez Perce tribe and the whites.

Photo of Chief Joseph, Nez Perce leader during the war between his tribe and the U.S. Army. Photo taken in November 1877 by O.S. Goff in Bismarck -- photo courtesy of Dr. James Brust (public domain)

After the Nez Perce War, the Appaloosa breed nearly died out as the U.S. Army killed some of the animals and bred the remaining stock with draft horses. But in 1938, a number of concerned supporters of the breed created the Appaloosa Horse Club to preserve these beautiful horses and regain their earlier refinement through selective breeding. This process is continuing today and the Nez Perce tribe is a leader in this effort.

When I was brainstorming ideas for a new series, I realized this was the perfect time to include Appaloosas! Especially since my story is set in 1830s, before the conflict between the Nez Perce tribe and the white people.

This series follows band of five good friends—as close as brothers. One sets off on a mission to find the famed Paloose horse bred by the Nez Perce tribe. When he doesn’t return as promised, the other four set off to find him. Thus begins the journey of a lifetime…
In my latest release, Hope in the Mountain River, I was able to include many of my personal experiences with Appaloosas. I’d love to hear about any experiences you’ve had with Appaloosa horses! Or is there another breed you’ve always admired?

***

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

Her latest release, Hope in the Mountain River, is an epic journey along the path taken by the Lewis and Clark expedition—an epic journey through breathless landscapes and adventure so intense, lives will never be the same.

For a limited time, you can get one of Misty's bestselling novels free here: https://www.subscribepage.com/s8n2o1

Traditional Navajo Clothing

by Kiersti Giron

Navajo weavers at Hubbell Trading Post.
U.S. National Archives, Public Domain.

When many of us Americans of immigrant descent think of traditional Native American clothing, we think of deerskin, beading, and blankets. For the Navajo, or Dine', people of the southwestern regions of this country, however—in present day New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah—this image is not quite correct. Instead, think flounced skirts, velvet blouses, and turquoise and silver jewelry. After living in New Mexico for several years during my teens, most of my novels have been inspired by the history and culture of the Navajo people, and I have found learning about their distinctive and beautiful traditional clothing to be quite fascinating.

While most Dine' men and women dress in contemporary clothing today, their traditional historical clothing still frequently is worn at ceremonies and during special occasions, and it forms an integral part of their cultural identity and heritage.

Before European Contact

The wife of the great Chief Manuelito, wearing a blanket dress.
By Pierce, C.C. (Charles C.) 1861-1946 Public Domain.

Before the mid-19^th century, Navajo clothing held more similarity to that of many other First Nations tribes on this continent. Both men and women wore deerskin clothes, such as skirts, shirts, and leggings.

Women also wore the “blanket dress,” a simple woven garment made similarly to a poncho. Weaving remains a central piece of Navajo culture to this day, though the craft shifted in the 19^th century from making clothing to weaving the famous Navajo rugs.

After the Long Walk

After the tragic period of the “Long Walk” in the 1860s, when the U.S. government forced the Navajo from their homeland and marched them hundreds of miles to be held at Fort Sumner (read more about the Long Walk here), Navajo clothing, as well as other aspects of their culture, underwent a dramatic change.

The Dine' have always been an adaptable people, taking elements from other cultures and weaving them into their own in a style distinctly Navajo. It is easy to see the influence of European settlers, as well as the impact of Mexican culture, on the style of Navajo dress that emerged from this period. Still, traditional Navajo clothing is also completely unique.

Navajo girl, 1941. By Ansel Adams, Public Domain.

Women’s Clothing

A traditional outfit for a Navajo woman evolved to include a skirt and blouse, perhaps inspired by contact with the wives of European-American traders. From these trading posts, the Navajo in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries purchased cloth like calico and velveteen in exchange for their high-quality wool and rugs. The full skirt is usually pleated and often tiered, made from calico, velvet, or satin, and the blouse is usually velveteen and decorated with silver buttons. Often in the past, the buttons were actually coins and might comprise a good portion of the woman’s wealth.

Navajo Squash Blossom necklace
By Barbarabarrington - Own work, Wikimedia Commons

Navajo jewelry is known throughout the world and is still a significant household industry in the Dinetah (land of the Navajo) today. Silver and turquoise form the classic elements, and the jewelry is shaped by skilled silversmiths into beautiful and elaborate bracelets, rings, and necklaces such as the famous squash blossom necklace. The jewelry is not only sold to tourists but also forms a significant part of the Navajo traditional clothing or regalia. Coral is a popular traditional element in jewelry as well.

Deerskin moccasins, either ankle or knee-height, also remained an important part of Navajo clothing both before and after contact with Europeans.

Edward S. Curtis, from The North American Indian.
Northwestern University Library,
sponsored by U.S. Library of Congress. Public Domain.

Men’s Clothing

Navajo men also traditionally wear a velvet shirt, as well as jewelry such as necklaces. Today, jeans are a common accompaniment to the traditional shirts, though breeches from thin material and deerskin leggings would have taken their place historically.

Both genders will also often wear a concha belt, with large silver conchas strung on a belt. Originally the conchas would be made from silver dollars, with scalloped edges, leather backing, and holes punched through.

For headgear, traditionally a Navajo man would wear a headband, but hats similar to cowboy hats have also become incorporated as a common piece of traditional clothing, often with a bit of embellishment around the brim.

Navajo Cowboy. By Moyan_Brenn - https://www.flickr.com. Wikimedia Commons.

Hairstyles

Traditionally, both Navajo men and women wear their hair long and twisted in a distinctive bun, or tsiiyéél, on the back of the head, tied with white sheep’s wool yarn. The hair binding was typically a bonding family ritual, done between brothers and sisters or parents and children, and with the aid of a traditional hair brush called a be’ezo, a bundle of dried grass bound tightly together, and remains an important part of Navajo culture today.

Navajo Woman Baking Bread, By Unknown
Carli Digital Collections, Illinois University, Public Domain.

So, which aspect of traditional Dine' clothing do you find most interesting or attractive? Were you familiar with any traditional Navajo clothing already? What cultural connections or differences do you see? Please comment and share!

Kiersti Giron holds a life-long passion for history and historical fiction. She loves to write stories that show the intersection of past and present, explore relationships that bridge cultural divides, and probe the healing Jesus can bring out of brokenness. Kiersti has been published in several magazines and won the 2013 ACFW Genesis Award - Historical for her manuscript Beneath a Turquoise Sky. A high school teacher and member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Kiersti loves learning and growing with other writers penning God's story into theirs, as well as blogging at www.kierstigiron.com. She lives in California with her wonderful husband, Anthony, and their two kitties.

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Dreams and Destinies at Michilimackinac

And I'm doing a giveaway this week! Scroll down to the end of the article for more informaiton.

In January I wrote about the history of Colonial Michilimackinac, a fort that was built by the French, taken over by the British, and then destroyed once it was moved to a more strategic location on Mackinac Island. But what was the fate of two fur traders during the surprise attack in 1763? One, Charles de Langlade, was Metis—of French and Odawa ancestry. The other man, Alexander Henry, was born in in the colony of New Jersey. 

Portrait of Alexander Henry. (C-1036121—National Archives of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario) - http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/story/chap3.htm, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19621668

Henry worked during the French and Indian War, as a merchant in Albany, New York, supplying the British troops. A fur trader told him of the riches to be had on Lake Superior and at Michilimackinac in the fur trade. He traveled to the area, disguised as a voyageur because he’d been warned of the enmity between the English and the Ojibwa. And, later his life was saved because a minor Ojibwa chief, Wawatam, had a dream about making an Englishman his brother and he was adopted by Wawatam. 

Charles de Langlade had been educated by Jesuits, but his first language was Odawa. When he was ten years old, his uncle, the war chief, Nissowaquet, had a dream that if they took the boy into battle with them, they would win. Thus began his military career as he went into battle that day against the Chickasaw. By then his father had established a fur trading post in what is now Wisconsin.

Voyageurs in a canoe, "Quetico Superior Route, passing a waterfall," By Frances Anne Hopkins - This image is available from Library and Archives Canada, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2248108

As an adult he led Native Americans and fought on the side of the French during the French and Indian Wars. He was well respected by the native peoples. As tensions mounted between the French and English in the 1740s, de Langlade stayed with the French. He distinguished himself in a battle against pro-British forces and a British fur trader. He was awarded a pension and appointed as an Indian agent. 

In 1750 he married Agathe, an Odawa woman, and started his family. Nobody knows what actually happened to this relationship but it was dissolved and he married again, this time to Charlotte Bourassa, a wealthy merchant’s daughter from Montreal. 

During the 1750s, he continued to side with the French during the French and Indian War. Governor Duquesne asked him to raise up an armed force from the native peoples. He went on to lead them into victory over the British General Edward Braddock in Pennsylvania. After the war was won by the British, de Langlade settled in at Fort Michilimackinac as second in command of the French forces.

After New France passed into British rule, they also took over the fort. By October of that year the French had evacuated. However, Charles de Langlade remained as a fur trader and his family stayed with him.

Inside Fort Michilimackinac, by Left Hook~commonswiki, 2006 [cc]

In 1763, the local Ojibwa, as part of Chief Pontiac’s uprising, took part in a surprise attack on Fort Michilimackinac. They invited the English to watch them play Baggatiway, a game much like lacrosse, during festivities of the English king’s birthday. When a ball went through the open gates the native American warriors collected the knives and tomahawks hidden beneath the blankets their wives had wrapped around themselves, despite the June weather. 

Charles de Langlade had warned the commanding officer, George Etherington of the likelihood of attack. Safe inside with his family, de Langlade waited things out. 

By this time, Alexander Henry was his next door neighbor. He watched through his window as the English were led away to slaughter while those of French Canadian descent were left alone. He hurried to de Langlade’s door and pleaded for protection. De Langlade basically asked Henry what he wanted him to do about it, in French. However his Panis (a Pawnee captured and enslaved by another tribe) slave girl took pity on Henry and hid him in the attic. 

"Ball Players," by George Catlin - [1], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1897895

The next day the Ojibwa found him and he was taken with other prisoners and forced into a canoe. The hungry prisoners were taunted by the warriors offering them bread spread with blood from their knives. 

Due to fog, the canoe wound up at what is now Cross Village, where some Odawa were encamped, rather than their intended destination. The Odawa were angry not to have been asked to take part in the raid. They seized the Ojibwa’s prisoners and took them back to the fort. Eventually, they were released into the hands of the Ojibwa.

This is where Wawatam, recognizing Henry as the man from his dream, adopted him as his brother. Henry later found several of the other prisoners he’d been with had been executed. Henry went on to write of his adventures in the memoir, Travels and Adventures in Canada and the Indian Territories between the years 1760 and 1776, for which he became quite well known. 

Both he and de Langlade went on to live full lives. De Langlade made Green Bay his permanent home and fought on the British side during the Revolutionary War. 

Alexander Henry settled in Montreal as a merchant, still connected to the fur trade, after he left Michilimackinac in 1781. He’d left his Native American family behind and married Julia Kittson in 1785. He went on to make and lose at least one fortune. 

I found it very interesting how the lives of these two men intersected at Fort Michilimackinac. Though from distinctly different backgrounds, they had much in common. 

Whether de Langlade wanted to eliminate competition to his fur trade or was antagonistic toward Henry for another reason, no one knows why he denied help to his neighbor during the surprise attack. But as we can see, God had other plans for rescuing Henry and we can rest assured His plans are good for us even when they don't seem to make sense. 

Do you have a favorite historical place you’ve visited and have been fascinated by its story? Please share in the comments below! 

Kathleen Rouser is the award-winning author of Rumors and Promises, her first novel about the people of fictional Stone Creek, Michigan, and the novella, The Pocket Watch. She is a longtime member of American Christian Fiction Writers. Kathleen has loved making up stories since she was a little girl and wanted to be a writer before she could even read. She longs to create characters who resonate with readers and realize the need for a transforming Savior in their everyday lives. She lives in Michigan with her hero and husband of 36 years, and the sassy tail-less cat who found a home in their empty nest. Connect with Kathleen on her website at kathleenrouser.com, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kathleenerouser/, and on Twitter @KathleenRouser.

Please leave a comment by Friday, Feb. 23, 2018 for the chance to win a copy of either Rumors and Promises or Secrets and Wishes, winner's choice. U.S. winner only will be eligible to receive a paperback copy, Kindle copy available for an international winner.