Frank B. Mayer, a Baltimore artist, journeyed to Traverse de Sioux and Mendota on the Minnesota frontier in 1851 to record meetings between United States officials and Indian tribes who were ceding title to much of Southern Minnesota and portions of Iowa and Dakota. This volume contains the journal entries and sketches Mayer made on his travels. They provide a descriptive and visual record of Native American life as he saw it, particularly among the Sioux. Mayer includes sketches of lacrosse, child rearing practices, smoking the peace pipe, buffalo dancers, teepees and summer lodges, and portraits of prominent chieftains. There are also sketches of voyageurs and a variety of artifacts and military personalities connected with this chapter of Minnesota history. The materials in this book have been selected from larger holdings at the Newberry Library and do not illustrate the actual treaty signings. Mayer himself acquired a distinguished reputation as an artist and writer. Several of his paintings adorn the Maryland statehouse, and he wrote a number of illustrated articles for Harper's and Scribner's magazines.
