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Native American Wild West Show Contracts

Wild West contract letter [RG3883.AM]

W. H. Barten served as a teacher at the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota from 1891 to 1902, when he relocated to Gordon, Nebraska, and opened a mercantile store. In addition to operating his store, Barten outfitted reservation Indians for movies, rodeos, and Wild West shows.



Correspondence and contracts such as these from his collection document Indian involvement in show business in the early twentieth century. For additional information on W.H. Barton, please check out the collections Finding AId. 

Contract salary and signature [RG3883.AM]

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