The Canoe and the Saddle
The Canoe and the Saddle (1862) is a novelized adventure memoir by the American author Theodore Winthrop (1828–1861).[1] It vividly describes the beauty of Washington’s landscape and natural resources as well as the tumultuous relationship between Winthrop and the Native American people he interacted with. Winthrop described the landscape and scenery of the great Northwest, Washington State in particular, as well as his adventures with Native American guides during his journey.
The Canoe and the Saddle presents a picturesque image of the Pacific Northwest and later inspired travelers, activists, and artists. Conflicting themes of nature and evolving civilization are at odds with each other in this novel with Winthrop's belief that “preservation of the civilized world resided within its wildness-but only if that wildness could be kept at arm’s length.” (Lindholdt 11).
Winthrop’s literary depiction of the Northwest, particularly Washington Territory, earned him great popularity. The town of Winthrop, Washington took on his name in 1890 as well as Mount Rainier’s Winthrop Glacier due to his detailed descriptions of the landscape in his book.
Native American Relations
During the time of Theodore Winthrop’s 1853 expedition of the Northwest, there was already extreme racial tension between the Euro-American settlers and explorers and the Native American People. Native people were being dislocated and forced to adopt new lifestyles while battling diseases. Theodore Winthrop used S’Klallam and Klickitat people as his guides during his journey through the Northwest Territories. While Winthrop did not clearly acknowledge the racial conflict in his writing, his accounts exposed his prejudice and aggressive conflict with Native Americans.
Winthrop treated his Native American guides with little respect and used violence regularly. While he was dependent upon the Native people for their skills and knowledge of the area, he regularly used his guns and physical violence against them during his journey. At one point, his aggression resulted in his getting lost and alone in the wilderness without a guide.
References
- ↑ "The Canoe And The Saddle". Internet Archive. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- Lindholdt, Paul. "Theodore Winthrop." Columbia: The Magazine Of Northwest History 21.1 (2007): 5-11.
- Winthrop, Theodore. The Canoe and the Saddle: A Critical Edition. [1862.] Ed. and introd. Paul J. Lindholdt. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2006.