“When the Indians ruled the Great Plains and the land was a sea of grass,” George Catlin gave up a successful portrait business and chose a more “noble purpose,” to paint the people and the Indian way of life before it was gone. Starting from St. Louis, MO (1830) he accompanied government agent, William Clark (of Lewis & Clark fame), into the interior. After a treaty signing, George continued up the Missouri River to Ft. Union. Author Nancy Plain captures the details of his encounters with the Sioux, Comanche, and other tribes who traded at Ft. Union. From there he traveled the region to paint many other Indian groups. The bold print and engaging narrative will appeal to young readers. It is illustrated with Catlin’s paintings. Catlin’s “noble purpose” now provides us with an eyewitness pictorial history. The colorful pictures portray women, warriors, great chiefs, and tiny children dancing, working, hunting, at ceremonies, and playing ball. Catlin also painted the landscape, the rolling hills, and buffalo. Catlin visited the Pipestone Quarry in SW Minnesota, now a state park. Sacred ground to the Indians, the red stone is used to carve ceremonial pipes. George collected a rock sample to take back home; pipestone still bears his name, “Catlinite.”

When his travels were over, George, with his family, settled in Europe. After his death, his Indian memorabilia, along with many paintings were donated to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. In my travels across Nebraska, I was pleased to find his work at the Museum of Nebraska Art, Kearney, NE. Their Catlin collection can be viewed online.

Thanks to Nancy Plain for showcasing this frontier artist who lugged paints, paper, and art supplies through the Midwest wilderness, befriending Indians, and overcoming the rigors of outdoor life. Plain’s book is rich with Native American history, a fine resource for students, teachers, and will also be of interest to art students and art historians.“ –Janice E. Kirk, author and illustrator of Milton the Mouse