Cart 0
1855 Original Hand colored lithograph of RANT-CHE-WAI-ME, from the octavo edition of McKenney & Hall’s History of the Indian Tribes of North America (RANTCHEWAIME)
1855 Original Hand colored lithograph of RANT-CHE-WAI-ME, from the octavo edition of McKenney & Hall’s History of the Indian Tribes of North America (RANTCHEWAIME)
1855 Original Hand colored lithograph of RANT-CHE-WAI-ME, from the octavo edition of McKenney & Hall’s History of the Indian Tribes of North America (RANTCHEWAIME)
1855 Original Hand colored lithograph of RANT-CHE-WAI-ME, from the octavo edition of McKenney & Hall’s History of the Indian Tribes of North America (RANTCHEWAIME)
1855 Original Hand colored lithograph of RANT-CHE-WAI-ME, from the octavo edition of McKenney & Hall’s History of the Indian Tribes of North America (RANTCHEWAIME)
1855 Original Hand colored lithograph of RANT-CHE-WAI-ME, from the octavo edition of McKenney & Hall’s History of the Indian Tribes of North America (RANTCHEWAIME)
1855 Original Hand colored lithograph of RANT-CHE-WAI-ME, from the octavo edition of McKenney & Hall’s History of the Indian Tribes of North America (RANTCHEWAIME)
1855 Original Hand colored lithograph of RANT-CHE-WAI-ME, from the octavo edition of McKenney & Hall’s History of the Indian Tribes of North America (RANTCHEWAIME)
1855 Original Hand colored lithograph of RANT-CHE-WAI-ME, from the octavo edition of McKenney & Hall’s History of the Indian Tribes of North America (RANTCHEWAIME)
1855 Original Hand colored lithograph of RANT-CHE-WAI-ME, from the octavo edition of McKenney & Hall’s History of the Indian Tribes of North America (RANTCHEWAIME)
1855 Original Hand colored lithograph of RANT-CHE-WAI-ME, from the octavo edition of McKenney & Hall’s History of the Indian Tribes of North America (RANTCHEWAIME)
1855 Original Hand colored lithograph of RANT-CHE-WAI-ME, from the octavo edition of McKenney & Hall’s History of the Indian Tribes of North America (RANTCHEWAIME)
1855 Original Hand colored lithograph of RANT-CHE-WAI-ME, from the octavo edition of McKenney & Hall’s History of the Indian Tribes of North America (RANTCHEWAIME)
1855 Original Hand colored lithograph of RANT-CHE-WAI-ME, from the octavo edition of McKenney & Hall’s History of the Indian Tribes of North America (RANTCHEWAIME)

1855 Original Hand colored lithograph of RANT-CHE-WAI-ME, from the octavo edition of McKenney & Hall’s History of the Indian Tribes of North America (RANTCHEWAIME)

HISTORY OF THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA

RANT-CHE-WAI-ME
Hand colored Lithograph, 1855.
Paper size 10 1/4 x 6 5/8" (26.2 x 16.6 cm).
Great condition and color.

We have also added text that came from the same volume.

This original, hand-colored lithograph comes from the octavo edition of McKenney & Hall’s History of the Indian Tribes of North America, published by Rice & Hart in Philadelphia and printed & colored by J.T. Bowen.

An admirer and supporter of the American Indians, Thomas McKenney spent his tenure in office fighting for their cause and preserving their legacy through a gallery of paintings that were commissioned by various artists. Unfortunately, the original paintings burned in a fire, and all that is left to remember these Indians are the lithographs found in History which were modeled off the paintings.

This print is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction.  It is authentic. Due to its age, it may have slight imperfections such as foxing so, please, examine the octavo carefully to be satisfied, as photos tell better than words.

RANTCHEWAIME & MAHASKA

Mahaska, whose name meant White Cloud in English, was the chief of the Iowa tribe of Indians. He took Rantchewaime, one of his many wives, who was considered a very beautiful Indian woman to Washington, to shake hands with the Great Father, as the Indians called the President.

We do not know whether Rantchewaime got to see the President or not, but Mahaska did, and he and another chief sold some of their land in Missouri to the white men.  In return the tribe was to get five hundred dollars in cash and the same amount each year for ten years.  They were also to receive farming tools, blankets, and cattle, for Mahaska promised the President to live in peace.  Then Mahaska and Rantchewaime went back to Iowa.  Rantchewaime told the other Indian women wonderful stories of the white people and their houses.  Mahaska built a large log house and decided to plant cornfields instead of going on the warpath.

It was not long, however, before a terrible thing happened.  One day Mahaska and Rantchewaime were riding across the prairie.  Rantchewaime was carrying before her on her pony a little son about four years old.  Mahaska rode ahead to see if there were enemies around.  When he looked back he could not see Rantchewaime anywhere.  He turned and rode back to look for her.  First he saw the pony and then he saw his wife and little boy lying on the ground.  The little boy said, "Mother is asleep," but Rantchewaime had been killed by a fall from her horse.

Mahaska was very sad.  He took his little boy and the body of his beautiful wife to his home.  Then he prepared for her funeral.  He took all the presents Rantchewaime had been given by the white people and put them in a rude box with her body.  Then the Indians put this on a high platform to bring her as near to the Great Spirit as possible.

Next Mahaska killed a dog and invited his warriors to a feast.  After this he killed another dog and a horse and left their bodies near the platform.  The horse was to carry Rantchewaime to the happy hunting ground and the dog was to hunt deer for her.  Rantchewaime was a very good woman.  She prayed to the Great Spirit, who was the only God she knew, and she would give her last blanket or piece of meat to anyone who needed it.

Mahaska missed Rantchewaime, but he was a chief and he had his work to do.  In 1825 he attended a great council of the Indians at Prairie du Chien.  Here he tried to get the Indians to live in peace, as he had promised the President he would do.