Minneapolis Institute of Art

Book of Drawings

Bear's Heart

Date: c. 1876
Medium: Pencil, ink, and crayon
Culture: Tsistsistas (Cheyenne)
Department: Arts of the Americas
Institution: Minneapolis Institute of Art

This ledger book is a poignant reflection of the sweeping changes that Cheyenne men felt when they were forced from their homeland on the Great Plains and imprisoned at Fort Marion in St. Augustine, Florida. There, they were given military uniforms, lived in barracks, and conformed to military disciplines. Through these efforts, the U.S. government hoped to compel them to assimilate. In these pages, we witness the transformation from individual to collective, from warrior to soldier. Visits from U.S. dignitaries such as Father Whipple from Minnesota, depicted here with General Pratt, punctuated the daily routines of military drills and roll calls. Tsistsistas (Cheyenne), United States, Americas

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