In this Book
- The Life of Ten Bears: Comanche Historical Narratives
- Book
- 2016
- Published by: University of Nebraska Press
summary
The Life of Ten Bears is a remarkable collection of nineteenth-century Comanche oral histories given by Francis Joseph “Joe A” Attocknie. Although various elements of Ten Bears’s life (ca. 1790–1872) are widely known, including several versions of how the toddler Ten Bears survived the massacre of his family, other parts have not been as widely publicized, remaining instead in the collective memory of his descendants. Other narratives in this collection reference lesser-known family members. These narratives are about the historical episodes that Attocknie’s family thought were worth remembering and add a unique perspective on Comanche society and tradition as experienced through several generations of his family.
Kavanagh’s introduction adds context to the personal narratives by discussing the process of transmission. These narratives serve multiple purposes for Comanche families and communities. Some autobiographical accounts, “recounting” brave deeds and war honors, function as validation of status claims, while others illustrate the giving of names; still others recall humorous situations, song-ridicules, slapstick, and tragedies. Such family oral histories quickly transcend specific people and events by restoring key voices to the larger historical narrative of the American West.
Kavanagh’s introduction adds context to the personal narratives by discussing the process of transmission. These narratives serve multiple purposes for Comanche families and communities. Some autobiographical accounts, “recounting” brave deeds and war honors, function as validation of status claims, while others illustrate the giving of names; still others recall humorous situations, song-ridicules, slapstick, and tragedies. Such family oral histories quickly transcend specific people and events by restoring key voices to the larger historical narrative of the American West.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Title Page, Copyright
- pp. i-iv
- Introduction
- pp. vii-xix
- Ten Bears–Attocknie Genealogy
- pp. xx-xii
- Dedication
- pp. 1-2
- THE DATED NARRATIVES
- 2. Peace with the Kiowas | ca. 1825
- pp. 30-38
- 7. The Badger’s Mirror | 1855
- pp. 63-67
- 8. Disaster in Coahuila | 1856
- pp. 68-76
- 11. Wutsuki | 1858
- pp. 88-89
- 17. The Battle of Adobe Walls | 1874
- pp. 131-134
- THE UNDATED NARRATIVES
- 19. Esitoya’s Loyalty
- pp. 139-143
- 20. Pukumahkuh’s Two Escapes
- pp. 144-153
- 22. Mubsiihuhtuko: The Peaceful Nephew
- pp. 158-162
- 26. Violation of a Dance Ground
- pp. 169-171
- 27. Pohocsucut and the Two Kiowas
- pp. 172-174
- 28. The Mule
- pp. 175-176
- 29. Querherbitty
- pp. 177-181
- 30. Comanche Pictographs
- pp. 182-184
- 31. Miscellaneous Religious Matters
- pp. 185-195
- 32. Fragmentary and Incomplete Narratives
- pp. 196-206
- Appendix: Lexicon
- pp. 207-218
- Bibliography
- pp. 221-222
Additional Information
ISBN
9780803286740
Related ISBN(s)
9780803285507
MARC Record
OCLC
945553108
Pages
264
Launched on MUSE
2016-04-08
Language
English
Open Access
No