The Blue Tattoo: The Life of Olive Oatman (Women in the West)

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After some discussion, in which Olive was this time included, the Mohaves decided to accept these terms, and Olive was escorted to Fort Yuma in a 20-day journey. Topeka (the daughter of Espianola/Espanesay and Aespaneo) went on the journey with her. Before entering the fort, Olive was given Western clothing lent by the wife of an army officer, as she was clad in a traditional Mohave skirt with no covering above her waist. Inside the fort, Olive was surrounded by cheering people. [5] :111 They were adopted by the Espanesay and the Aespaneo families. Welcomed by a land full of beauty, wheat fields, and poplar forests. A place where they could sleep every night in the company of a friendly people. The Blue Tattoo is well written and well researched; it re-opens the story of white women and men going West and Native people trying to survive these travels."—June Namias, Pacific Historical Review Named in her honor, the historic town of Olive City, Arizona, near the present town of Ehrenberg, was a steamboat stop on the Colorado River during the gold rush days. Other namesakes in Arizona are Oatman Mountain and the adjacent Oatman Flat. [33] [30] Oatman Flat Station was a stage stop for the Butterfield Overland Mail from 1858 to 1861. [5] :183 In popular culture [ edit ] Television and film [ edit ] What transpires after this is, Olive meets a Methodist minister by the name of Stratton, who then decides to write a book of her account, making the Mojave Indians appear as savages, and Olive, who has to live in this white society goes along with him, even giving speeches throughout the country.

I had some disappointment in the frequency of times Mifflin deviates from Olive's tale to discuss other happenings of the time. It more or less began to feel like there wasn't enough source material to create an accounting and she was filling in gaps to create a book. Running through this story of unbearable tragedy and suffering is the story of Elizabeth. She is an independent woman of the time from a well-to-do family. She is involved in womens' rights and equality in a man's world and gives women a voice in the politics of war. She is attending medical school and knows she must work harder than the male students to reach her goal of becoming a doctor. She is being courted by the son of the most prominent and wealthy Halifax family, Wallace, who is frankly a snob. History of Mojave Indians to 1860". August 18, 2000. Archived from the original on August 18, 2000. I would have loved a detailed author's note about his research, as well as what was fact and where he took artistic liberties.At times, some incidents read more like straight history than immersive fiction, but they communicate the context of the sweeping story the book presents. Olive Oatman was almost 20 when a messenger from Fort Yuma arrived at the town of Mojave. They had learned of the presence of a white woman and demanded her return. Surprisingly, at least to me, there are stretches in The Blue Tattoo where the couple's story is not front and centre. Instead, Laffoley offers other characters — some historical, some invented — whose stories convey the wider tale of how the devastation happened and how it killed, maimed, blinded and rendered homeless so many thousands. History, cultural anthropology, and an interesting true story all combined into one. What makes this book really good is that the author has done much research and has exposed some falsehoods that are presented in other books, especially the one written by Stratton. Is it normal for a blue tattoo to look different immediately after it is done compared to when it has fully healed?

a b Rasmussen, Cecilia (16 July 2000). "Tale of Kindness Didn't Fit Notion of Savage Indian". Los Angeles Times. But hey, if geometric patterns are more up your alley, blue won’t disappoint you either. With blue as your color of choice, your geometric body part tattoo can be as intricate or minimalistic as you’d like, all the while making a bold statement. Mae, Poppy (7 December 2017). "Olive Oatman & the Mohave Tribe". Medium.com . Retrieved 17 January 2019.Based on historical records, including letters and diaries of Oatman?s friends and relatives, The Blue Tattoo is the first book to examine her life from her childhood in Illinois?including the massacre, her captivity, and her return to white society?to her later years as a wealthy banker?s wife in Texas. Lawton, Wendy. Ransom's Mark: A Story Based on the Life of the Young Pioneer Olive Oatman. Moody Publishers, 2003. ISBN 978-0802436382 If you’re a sea-lover like me, or just someone who finds a sense of calm in the rolling waves, blue tattoos that encapsulate and represent the essence of the ocean could be your thing. Think of designs featuring waves, dolphins, or majestic whales, all painted in shades of blue that mirror the vastness and beauty of the sea.