The Blue Tattoo: The Life of Olive Oatman (Women in the West)

In 1851 Olive Oatman was a thirteen-year old pioneer traveling west toward Zion, with her Mormon family. Within a decade, she was a white Indian with a chin tattoo, caught between cultures. The Blue Tattoo tells the harrowing story of this forgotten heroine of frontier America. Orphaned when her family was brutally killed by Yavapai Indians, Oatman lived as a slave to her captors for a year before being traded to the Mohave, who tattooed her face and raised her as their own. She was fully assimilated and perfectly happy when, at nineteen, she was ransomed back to white society. She became an instant celebrity, but the price of fame was high and the pain of her ruptured childhood lasted a lifetime.Based on historical records, including letters and diaries of Oatman’s friends and relatives, The Blue Tattoo is the first book to examine her life from her childhood in Illinois—including the massacre, her captivity, and her return to white society—to her later years as a wealthy banker’s wife in Texas.Oatman’s story has since become legend, inspiring artworks, fiction, film, radio plays, and even an episode of Death Valley Days starring Ronald Reagan. Its themes, from the perils of religious utopianism to the permeable border between civilization and savagery, are deeply rooted in the American psyche. Oatman’s blue tattoo was a cultural symbol that evoked both the imprint of her Mohave past and the lingering scars of westward expansion. It also served as a reminder of her deepest secret, fully explored here for the first time: she never wanted to go home. (20090910) In 1851 Olive Oatman was a thirteen-year old pioneer traveling west toward Zion, with her Mormon family. Within a decade, she was a white Indian with a chin tattoo, caught between cultures. The Blue Tattoo tells the harrowing story of this forgotten heroine of frontier America. Orphaned when her family was brutally killed by Yavapai Indians, Oatman lived as a slave to her captors for a year before being traded to the Mohave, who tattooed her face and raised her as their own. She was fully assimilated and perfectly happy when, at nineteen, she was ransomed back to white society. She became an instant celebrity, but the price of fame was high and the pain of her ruptured childhood lasted a lifetime. Based on historical records, including letters and diaries of Oatmans friends and relatives, The Blue Tattoo is the first book to examine her life from her childhood in Illinoisincluding the massacre, her captivity, and her return to white societyto her later years as a wealthy bankers wife in Texas. Oatmans story has since become legend, inspiring artworks, fiction, film, radio plays, and even an episode of Death Valley Days starring Ronald Reagan. Its themes, from the perils of religious utopianism to the permeable border between civilization and savagery, are deeply rooted in the American psyche. Oatmans blue tattoo was a cultural symbol that evoked both the imprint of her Mohave past and the lingering scars of westward expansion. It also served as a reminder of her deepest secret, fully explored here for the first time: she never wanted to go home. In 1851, Olive Oatman was a thirteen-year-old pioneer traveling west toward Zion with her Mormon family. Within a decade, she was a white Indian with a chin tattoo, caught between cultures. Orphaned when her family was brutally killed by Yavapai Indians, Oatman lived as a slave to her captors for a year before being traded to the Mohaves, who tattooed her face and raised her as their own. She was fully assimilated and perfectly happy when, at nineteen, she was ransomed back to white society. She became an instant celebrity, but the price of fame was high and the pain of her ruptured childhood lasted a lifetime. Based on historical records, including letters and diaries of Oatman's friends and relatives, The blue tattoo is the first book to examine Oatman's life from her childhood in Illinois, through the massacre, her captivity, and her return to white society, to her later years as a wealthy banker's wife in Texas.--From publisher description Contents ......Page 8 Illustrations ......Page 9 Acknowledgments ......Page 10 Prologue: Emigrant Song......Page 16 1. Quicksand......Page 24 2. Indian Country......Page 32 3. “How Little We Thought What Was Before Us”......Page 37 4. A Year with the Yavapais......Page 59 5. Lorenzo’s Tale......Page 68 6. Becoming Mohave......Page 79 7. Deeper......Page 97 8. “There Is a Happy Land, Far, Far Away”......Page 107 9. Journey to Yuma......Page 115 10. Hell’s Outpost......Page 124 11. Rewriting History in Gassburg, Oregon......Page 141 12. Captive Audiences......Page 161 13. “We Met as Friends, Giving the Left Hand in Friendship”......Page 188 14. Olive Fairchild, Texan......Page 197 Epilogue: Oatman’s Literary Half-Life......Page 213 Notes......Page 226 Bibliography......Page 246 Index......Page 262 In 1851 Olive Oatman was a thirteen-year-old pioneer traveling west toward Zion with her Mormon family. Within a decade, she was a white Indian with a chin tattoo, caught between cultures. Orphaned when her family was killed by Yavapai Indians, Oatman lived as a slave to her captors for a year before being traded to the Mohaves, who tattooed her face and raised her as their own. At nineteen, she was ransomed back to white society and in her later years was the wife of a wealthy banker in Texas Quicksand -- Indian Country -- How Little We Thought What Was Before Us -- A Year With The Yavapais -- Lorenzo's Tale -- Becoming Mohave -- Deeper -- There Is A Happy Land, Far, Far Away -- Journey To Yuma -- Hell's Outpost -- Rewriting History In Gassburg, Oregon -- Captive Audiences -- We Met As Friends, Giving The Left Hand In Friendship -- Olive Fairchild, Texan. Margot Mifflin. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 231-245) And Index.