Featured Native American & Sled Racing Stereoviews

Hi. Hoping for some help with a few stereoviews. First is a view of sleds and people in front of a large building. I think 1880's. One sled has a sign that says Minne-Ha-Ha. Somewhere in or near Minneapolis?

The other three are Native American themed with Danish writing on the back. I think these are from Minnesota and probably 1890's. I was hoping someone might recognize the clothing or items being held in the one photo to identify the tribe.

Thanks for looking.

 

That large building is religious related for it has a cross on the roof. On zooming in on the pic, I don't see any people in typical habits or clerical frocks so this may eliminate Roman Catholic??? If the sled pic is Danish related like the other pics, it might suggest Lutheran. That might be?? an orphanage, senior citizens' home, etc...?? I do see a couple of children lined up for presumably a ride on the sleds, but if an orphanage, not enough children.

--- Susan

 

Here's a close-up of the NA gathering. Possibly someone will recognize what tribe by the dress, designs. If the location was Minnesota, probably Dakota Sioux or one of the Ojibwa tribes AKA Chippewa, Ojibway, or Ojibwa. Minnesota is the Sioux word for "cloudy water." Am also including a close-up of the pic with the dwellings of a teepee and log house.

--- Susan

 

The pic of the tepee and log house may???? be the dwellings of 2 generations, older in tepee and younger in log house. Back in the 1980s and possibly still today, in the Navajo Nation northern Arizona, Utah & New Mexico we saw several double housing next to each - a hogan (round dwelling) where the grandparents lived next to a home of today where their children - younger generation - lived. We were told that the older generation preferred to still live in the hogan. The younger generation kept up the tradition of taking care of the older generation by having them live near-by.

--- Susan

 

Racing sleds is one thing.....
but making Native Americans race... Just not right.

 

Best I can say for the NA gathering is Great Lakes.....& Ojibwa would fit that....but like many photo's from this time a lot of cross cultural stuff is going on that's hard to pin down, and likely was staged.
Two guys seem to be beating on a large round drum .
The beadwork clothes look to be a mix of Great Lakes. I'd like to see the head wear closer.
There's a strange bone club, with 2 gunstock clubs, and a ball headed club with what looks like a bear finial.
Several guys and a child are wearing a large swath of beads around their necks, & that should tell me something but I'm only on my 1st coffee so....

I think there might be an Iroquois or two in the crowd also !

 

I believe what your seeing at the top is the outline of another tower like structure in back with two spires, not a cross.

I think the man in the 2nd picture might be the same guy standing by the tepee in the first. There is a name written on back: Wekjarpinopa.

Thanks.

 

I meant to add on my 1st reply something about those sleds. Those are one comfortable type sleds with that seat padding! Looks like they were made ready for the ladies' backsides. Today I might consider a downhill ride on one of those. I got a laugh when I stumbled on the following pic of steep downhill sledding somewhere in the alps, Zurich, c1890-1910. Those women don't look all that confident in the steering brakeman.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sledd...-_Schlittelsport_in_den_Alpen_-_000012146.jpg

--- Susan

 

One of them appears to have a sail in the front. Plus there are lanterns on three and a couple? with bells, so perhaps for a nighttime ride?

 

I saw a racing sled like those at the Shelburne Museum...VT., in the round barn..

 

Those are racing sleds for adults.....& the cushioned seats are for both types of bums......cuz it was comfy & cold out !!

 

I found it interesting that none of the sleds are the same. They all seem to have different ski layouts or padding or fronts/backs.

I was thinking the Native American views were in Minnesota because the person I purchased them from had another grouping of views that looked to be of areas in St Paul, with the same Danish writing on back.

 

Different teams would bring their own style sleds to a race !

Minnesota is always possible.....but not a certainty.

 

That last one even has a headlight. I'm having visions of it showing up on American Pickers. Those guys love brass era stuff. Sounds like a fun, if dangerous, idea too. Downhill night sledding with no street lights.

 

>I believe what your seeing at the top is the outline of another tower like structure in back with two spires, not a cross.<

You are so right - good eyes! After reading your message, I looked closely again at the pic and now see the tower. I thought possibly the tower was on the building. With the tower soooo out of focus/dim, I suspect you are right that it is behind building. The building may be a resort somewhere in the northern reaches of Minnesota, or where ever.

>One of them appears to have a sail in the front.<

Baker, I notices that spar, furled sail, or whatever. I can't image a sail on a land sled. Wonder if that particular sled was used for ice sledding or whatever it was called? They did have ice sailing back when, but that sled certainly wasn't constructed for ice sailing.

As to the Native American dwellings, I found a pic of a Piegan (Blackfoot) tepee and house of the same time period that looks very similar to this pic. Nowww, I always associated the Black Feet in Montana, but they could have spread early to Minnesota. Between you, me and the fence post, the landscape with that tepee and house looks more prairie-ish. For some reason I don't associate Minnesota with prairie lands, but as I'm woefully ignorant of the Minnesota terrain, I'm no doubt dead wrong.

http://www.firstpeople.us/tipi/a-piegan-home.html

Here are Dakota Sioux at the Red Bub Agency in 1877 with combination of tepees and log houses:
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/h?ammem/psbibfield(DOCID+@lit(p12691))

--- Susan

 

Lake Wobegone, out on the edge of prairie....

 

There is a Minnehaha in Minneapolis or St. Paul. When we visited my sister-in-law and her family years ago, we went there. If I remember correctly, it's a park and a waterfall.

 

at least 2 of the sleds in the op's photo have lanterns too.

 

Gee, I was right about being - "... woefully ignorant of the Minnesota terrain, I'm no doubt dead wrong." Minnesota is on the northeastern edge of the praire grasslands!
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/biomes/prairie.html

Lake Wobegone, Baker were/are you a fan of Garrison Keillor? If it hadn't been for Keillor, I doubt I would have ever heard of Lake Wobegone
http://prairiehome.org/listen/podcast/

--- Susan