Advisor Information
Elaine Nelson
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
1-3-2019 9:00 AM
End Date
1-3-2019 10:15 AM
Abstract
Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD) has been a staple of Wyoming’s state identity since its inception in 1897. This major tourist attraction is held in Cheyenne, Wyoming, at the intersection of the Northern Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains and was the first major non-traveling wild west show established in the West. From its inception in 1897 until 1960, the success of CFD hinged upon the presence of Native Americans (primarily Lakota from the Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations and Shoshone and Arapaho from the Wind River reservation). Native Americans danced, competed in rodeo events, and sold crafts not only to entertain white tourists but also to make money and preserve their cultures. Rose Ecoffey, known by her stage name, “Princess Blue Water,” was one of the most notable figures at CFD.
Ecoffey was born in 1880 to a white father and Oglala Lakota mother. Her father took her and her siblings on the road with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West. From early childhood, Ecoffey was involved with dancing, wild west shows, and tourist events. From the 1920s to the 1960s, Ecoffey was a staple at CFD. She acted as translator, manager, and arranged the transportation of Native men, women, and children from Pine Ridge to the CFD “Indian Village.” Ecoffey also furthered the trans-generational quality of CFD, as she regularly brought her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to dance, compete, and sell crafts at CFD. By her death in 1972, CFD organizers and Indian Committeemen fully recognized Ecoffey as a key figure in the history of Native involvement at CFD, and her regalia is kept in the Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
My research is based upon research materials and information collected from the Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum and the Wyoming State Archives, both located in Cheyenne, WY, and the American Heritage Center located in Laramie, WY.
Princess Blue Water and the Indigenous Participants at Cheyenne Frontier Days
Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD) has been a staple of Wyoming’s state identity since its inception in 1897. This major tourist attraction is held in Cheyenne, Wyoming, at the intersection of the Northern Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains and was the first major non-traveling wild west show established in the West. From its inception in 1897 until 1960, the success of CFD hinged upon the presence of Native Americans (primarily Lakota from the Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations and Shoshone and Arapaho from the Wind River reservation). Native Americans danced, competed in rodeo events, and sold crafts not only to entertain white tourists but also to make money and preserve their cultures. Rose Ecoffey, known by her stage name, “Princess Blue Water,” was one of the most notable figures at CFD.
Ecoffey was born in 1880 to a white father and Oglala Lakota mother. Her father took her and her siblings on the road with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West. From early childhood, Ecoffey was involved with dancing, wild west shows, and tourist events. From the 1920s to the 1960s, Ecoffey was a staple at CFD. She acted as translator, manager, and arranged the transportation of Native men, women, and children from Pine Ridge to the CFD “Indian Village.” Ecoffey also furthered the trans-generational quality of CFD, as she regularly brought her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to dance, compete, and sell crafts at CFD. By her death in 1972, CFD organizers and Indian Committeemen fully recognized Ecoffey as a key figure in the history of Native involvement at CFD, and her regalia is kept in the Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
My research is based upon research materials and information collected from the Cheyenne Frontier Days Old West Museum and the Wyoming State Archives, both located in Cheyenne, WY, and the American Heritage Center located in Laramie, WY.