Different Tribes for Different Strokes

As women became more balanced and realistic in their attitudes, they began to discriminate between types of Indians and to realize that different groups had different qualities.  Taken from women's journals, these are some of their own observations...

The Pawnees of the Platte River country were the most troublesome.
The Sioux in the upper Plains  and Oregon were the most handsome and the cleanest, a fine intelligent looking tribe. 
The Cheyenne were the most intelligent, wealthy and had the most stalwart appearance.
The Diggers of the Plains who dug roots and insects for food, were the most loathsome.
The Snake were the worst beggers.
The California Mission were the friendliest.
The Apache were the most blood thirsty warriors.

The Five Civilized Tribes: Chickasaw, Choctaw, Cherokee, Creek and Seminole were peaceful in dealing with white settlers in Oklahoma Territory.  Settlers referred to their neighbors as "lovely people, honest, hard-working, and the warmest friends in the West".

These settlers shared schools, towns and reservation lands in the spirit of peace and friendship, according to the settler's accounts.

Navjo - says on settler's account:  "I learned to respect the way the Navjo made use of the rocky, arid land.  I admired the architecture, the design, skills, and sincerity in carrying out their art.  As a rule they were industrious and their religion wholesome and clear, and their respect for their belief compares favorably with the white man's attitude toward his God".

"Why do we try to thrust our civilization on a people like this?" said one man when the Navajo problems were blamed on the white man supplying the Apache with whiskey.  Why indeed, sir!

Next time...time improves all things, almost.