The Library has recently purchased at auction the volume titled "O-kee-pa: a religious ceremony; and other customs of the Mandans" by George Catlin. It was published in Philadelphia in 1867. The book gives a detailed description of the ceremonies performed annually by the Mandan tribe in Missouri in order to ensure their food supply for the coming year and to avoid being drowned in a flood. The author had spent 14 years amongst the native tribes of North and South America, and claimed to be the first white man allowed to observe these ceremonies. He took the opportunity to paint pictures of the Mandans and their ceremonies, and the book includes 13 colour plates.
Catlin was convinced that the Mandans’ beliefs had Biblical origins, in particular their beliefs about the flood. In an appendix he sets out his reasons for believing that they were the descendants of the Welsh who emigrated to America with Prince Madog ab Owain Gwynedd in the 12th century, including the similarity between some words in the Welsh language and the language of the Mandans. The author himself admits that the connection is impossible to prove with certainty, and by the time he wrote the book the Mandan Indians had been almost completely wiped out by smallpox.
In the 16th century, John Dee was the first to claim the New World for the Queen of England on the basis of Madog’s voyage, and for centuries afterwards there was a flow of stories about “the Welsh Indians”. As a result of Iolo Morganwg’s inventions, the legend became a motivation for emigrating from Wales to America.
Timothy Cutts
Rare Books Librarian
Category: Article