Maximilian, Prince of Wied's Travels (Travel in America)

The four volumes of the Maximilian, Prince of Wied's Travels in the Interior of America during the years 1832-1834 follow the German explorer and naturalist's travels to the Great Plains region, including his journey up the Missouri River, with Swiss painter Karl Bodmer. While Maximilian's intention had been to describe the flora and fauna of the interior of American, he instead concentrated on describing the culture, language, customs, and appearance of the indigenous people he encountered along the way. Maximilian's work become well known for his thorough study of the Mandans and Hidatsas tribes, as well as for his less complete analysis of the Arikaras tribe. Of particular interest is his description of the one of the most important ceremonies of the Mandans, the O-kee-pa. While his writings helped to reinforce the Romantic ideal of the "noble savage," Wied's Travels also records the impact contact with fur-traders and settlers began have on Native American tribes and the land around them. vol. 1 of 4