Comments on: Deerskins and Church Security among LDS Shoshones, 1938

By: Mormon Pioneer Relations with the Native Americans | Mormon History

Mormon Pioneer Relations with the Native Americans | Mormon History — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:48:19 +0000

[...] in 1938, Church leaders requested deer hunters to save their deer hides and donate them to an all-Shoshone branch, to give them more of a livelihood making clothing to use and sell. Brigham Young also urged [...]

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:01:50 +0000

That’s very welcome news, Jeannine. I hope they’d be pleased by publication of this small bit of their history.

By: Jeannine

Jeannine — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:50:31 +0000

Ardis,

My dad was buddies in school with one of Amy Timbimboo’s sons or grandsons–I don’t remember off the top of my head which. I know I remember my parents talking about Amy Timbimboo and I kinda knew the story that she was a grandchild of the Shoshones that joined the church back in the day. I went to school with my dad’s friend’s son. They are good, successful people who are still “pitchin in”. They have done their ancestors proud.

By: Maurine

Maurine — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 02:46:12 +0000

One of my sons got really involved in the Order of the Arrow. He learned various Indian dances and made his own headdresses. He was also interested in the mountain men culture. He made pants and shirts from tanned leather, beaded moccasins, etc. And, he tried tanning a racoon skin following old methods (the brains and all). He would work on the hide for awhile, then roll it up, put it in a plastic freezer bag, and keep in in my freezer. It really freaked me out to get in the freezer and find that hairy thing. He is the one who taught me to have respect for all of the hours it took to achieve beautifully tanned hides and beadwork items, plus respect for the history of the Indian tribes.

I had never heard of this request by the Church for deer hides for the Shoshone.

By: kevinf

kevinf — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:14:17 +0000

Too late for the beer, and fresh out of beef brains. Another great post, and an example of how our religion often works very well.

Not to threadjack, but my recollection from studying the Bear River Massacre a number of years ago, had Colonel Connor and his California Volunteers itching for a fight after signing up for the civil war, and getting sent to Utah instead. When he couldn’t goad the Mormons into a fight, he jumped at the chance to go after the Shoshone, even though it appeared that the theft that prompted the attack probably was done by American Indians of some other band.

By: Martin

Martin — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:08:37 +0000

Thanks, Ardis (and Curt). And I complain about my job…

I’d never heard about the Bear Creek Massacre, so I went straight to Wikipedia. Very interesting. And disturbing.

By: Researcher

Researcher — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:58:37 +0000

Bravo, Mark B. There’s no subject that can’t be made better with a good pun. (Or even a bad one. )

By: Curt A.

Curt A. — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:06:26 +0000

Yes, Ardis, Yeager was the son of Sagwitch, and was twelve years old at the time of the massacre. He was spared when one soldier refused to kill him.

The conspiracy-minded revisionist will have to cope with Colonel Connor’s official report of the battle which is readily available via the Guild Press Official Records CD and is within my reach at this moment. It comes through perfectly clear Connor was his own motivator.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:51:31 +0000

Sorry, Mark, no beer for you today. And I second your cheer for tanners everywhere! /wink/

By: Mark B.

Mark B. — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:32:46 +0000

What a process–tanning. For most of us, that word conjures up a lazy day at the beach (or a later trip to the dermatologist), and I suspect we don’t appreciate all the effort required to turn the hide of some animal into the leather in our shoes, purses and briefcases, jackets and belts and whatever else.

A hearty cheer for tanners everywhere!

And thanks Ardis for this terrific post. Sadly, the beer was all gone by the time I arrived.