My Spirit Guide          Big Bear's Den   Image produced from the only known Shawnee image from the 18th century          My Spirit Guide 
Image of Shawnee Warrior from Osprey Men-At-Arms "American Woodland Indians" By M.G. Johnson Color Plates by R.Hook

      The Captive Corps      


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 BIG BEAR'S TRADING Coy

SURPRISE!!!
                   The Captive Corps
 is a unit which I founded and for which, I serve as the coordinator.
 The make up of the unit is people of all types, young and old, male
 and female, red, white, black, and brown, and any other color or
 mix thereof that would like to be a part of our merry band.
 We portray Indians that have been displaced by the ever advancing
 European culture, warriors and chiefs, their wives, children, and elders
 and  their "Captives." This would include prisoners bound for adoption or
 other, less desirable dispositions and "Runaways" from enslavement,
 indenture, indebtedness, incarceration, or the threat thereof, or anyone
 of a host of other reasons for leaving the eastern, English, rich, white dominated, 
 lands and heading off to the frontier and a life with the Indians.

    Administratively, the group operates very simply. There are presently no elected officers, although there can be as soon as the group wishes there to be, no dues and all 'meetings' will be held on-line (probably through facebook, but even that is open for discussion). Up until now, all communications have been handled by phone and e-mail. Any event fees are born by the members attending. Camp duties are on a volunteer basis. We've never had a problem getting all the jobs covered. Combatants are also on a volunteer basis. Fight or don't fight, it's up to you much as it was among the Indians of the 18th Century. 

    For the uninitiated, camp duties usually include: Set up and tear down of camp, cutting and/or gathering firewood, getting water, cooking, washing dishes , general camp clean up, participating in the camp interpretation by "standing guard" or playing "Officer of the Day" and any of the host of other tasks that can and usually do come up on the spur of the moment.
      
                                 Shawnee by David Wright                               
    The group is as accurate as possible on limited budgets. Plus we want to remember that this is a hobby and meant to  be fun. Even though I don't want this to become a financial burden on anyone, do expect to incur some expenses. Other members of the Corps will help out with loans or gifts when ever possible. The Indians and adoptee's will have the most expensive outfits. Some examples are in the pictures directly above. You will want to check out some of the websites on the Links page to get other ideas on both actual goods and on authenticity. (Also, see my "How to Portray an Indian" page on this website.) "The "Captives" will be able to outfit themselves with used clothing and equipment as they would be "Trail Worn." Much of the expense can be negated by making clothing and equipment yourself, with which other members will be able to lend assistance. One of the major expenses, for men especially, is your choice of firearm. With our group that is entirely optional if you are going to have one at all. Anyone portraying a captive probably wouldn't have one anyway. The other major expense is sleeping accomodations. Appropriate tents or other shelters will have to be made or purchased from outfits such as Tentsmith's. This is where members of the group that have been reenacting for awhile can be a tremendous help. Those members almost always have extra canvas around.

                                                   These a types of wigwams that can be built on site.
                                         
                                                       These are some of the types of tents that would be acceptable.
                 
               For the first time reenactors please be intouch before buying or making anything.

Mother & Children taken into captivityFrances Slocum    The picture to the left is the archtypical image of a mother and her children being taken into captivity. To the right is Frances Slocum, represented here in a 20th century painting. Taken in 1778 by the Lenni Lenape as a young girl. She lived with the Lenape and the Miami into old age. She had lost her ability to speak English, knew nothing of the almost 50 year search that her white family had mounted, had married several Lenape and Miami men and raised nine children (several had died while young) before her white family found her in 1837. She had the option to return to white society and chose to remain with the Indians until her death in 1847. This picture (at right) is a pretty good representation of the clothing that Indian women wore throughout the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Note the heavy white influences,  but the blanket and earrings are decidedley native.
   Another of the more famous captivity stories is that of Mary Jemison. Follow this link if you would like to learn more about the life of women captives. Further, follow the links on this linked page for some in Better look up from your work once in a while or SURPRIZE!!!depth learning.

   The picture at the right shows the "Trail Worn" (although not that 'Trail Worn" in this photo) look that most "Captives" would have had and depicts what most frontier settlers would have been doing at the time they were taken.    Gotcha! 

The events we will be participating in are as far north as upstate New York, west to Ohio and Indiana, and as far south as the Gulf Coast and Florida. Some further than that if the event envolves Eastern Woodland Indians. If more than one person/family are coming from any one area, other travel arrangements can be made (car pooling or buses) to help cut expenses.   


If anyone is interested in defraying costs, I can show you how. You may even be able to turn a small profit.

Women & Children hiding from the Indians

for those that are interested,
there may be
Employment Opportunities!
 If you have or are willing to learn an 18th century Indian craft or skill
and have two months during the summer (June and July) you need to fill (Perfect for Teachers & Students),
I may be able to secure a position for you at a program I am in the process of developing.
In particular, I am looking for people that can make and teach things such as Dream Catchers, Native Baskets and Weaving,
Wolf Scares (Bull Roarers), Wampum Wrist and Hat Bands, Medicine Bags, Moccasins, and Leather Clothing.

For information on employment opportunities and joining the Captive Corps use this email link or contact info below. 

If you would please include the following information:

Name, Address, Phone Number, Age,
The Type of Character You Wish to Portray,
 & What Clothing and Equipment You Already Posess.

Tecumseh
"We must be united
We must smoke the same pipe
We must fight each other's battles
And more than that, We must love the Great Spirit."
--Tecumseh --
-His appeal to other tribes to join his confederacy-
 

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RED TAIL HAWK FEATHERHOME RED TAIL HAWK FEATHERABOUT ME RED TAIL HAWK FEATHERLINKS RED TAIL HAWK FEATHER RECOMMENDED READING RED TAIL HAWK FEATHERBEARTRACKS BLOG RED TAIL HAWK FEATHEREMAIL RED TAIL HAWK FEATHERBEST GUEST COMMENTS
RED TAIL HAWK FEATHERWISDOM of the ELDERS RED TAIL HAWK FEATHERWARRIORS of the RAINBOW RED TAIL HAWK FEATHERALL ABOUT THE SHAWNEE RED TAIL HAWK FEATHERTURTLE ISLAND RED TAIL HAWK FEATHERSPIRTUAL COUNSELING
RED TAIL HAWK FEATHERREENACTING MADE SIMPLE RED TAIL HAWK FEATHERPORTRAYING INDIANS RED TAIL HAWK FEATHERTHE CAPTIVE CORPS
RED TAIL HAWK FEATHERSHAWNEE DICTIONARY RED TAIL HAWK FEATHERWIKTIONARY RED TAIL HAWK FEATHERWIKIPEDIA RED TAIL HAWK FEATHERSHAWNEE LINKS
**********for a complete listing of all pages  & connections to them, click RED TAIL HAWK FEATHERSITEMAP**********

          El Paso Saddleblanket

This is a wholesale company that does carry items that are adaptable to the subjects of this website paricularly among their blanket and rug stocks. They carry many items that can be used for reenacting in later periods and they do pay The Den a commission on all purchases made through this link.
Help The Den. Buy from SADDLEBLANKET.COM also known as El Paso Saddleblanket.

If for any reason the email links throughout this site do not work you may reach me by email at shemaqua@bigbearsden.org,

snail mail me @
Shemaqua
127 - A King  Henry Way
Williamsburg, VA   
23188-1903

                                call me at 757.253.6999

                                or send up a smoke signal, use a drum, or communicate telepathically.
                                (I wouldn't count on those last three.)                                                                                                      

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