Reverend John Roberts

John Roberts (1853-1949) was an Episcopalian missionary who worked among the Arapaho and Shoshone peoples on the Wind River Indian Reservation. In 1883, Roberts was assigned to the reservation. While there, he established St. Michael's Mission for the Arapahos as well as the United States Government Indian Boarding Industrial School for the Shoshones and Arapahos. He translated Biblical texts and church material into the Arapaho and Shoshone languages with assistance from Fremont Arthur, Michael White Hawk, and Charles Lajoe.

Additional content for this collection can be found in the "Inventory for collection.”

Captioned newspaper clipping of photograph of Chief Washakie with his council of subchiefs, 1876?

The Wyoming State Journal (Lander) published a copy of the photograph asking if anyone knew the identifies of the subcheifs. A person (John Roberts?) has handwritten identifications on the news clipping. Refer to resource identifier ah001784 in AHC General Collections for actual photograph.

Resource Identifier
ah00037_1211
Citation
John Roberts papers, Collection No. 37, Box 2, Folder 29, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
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Chief Washakie outside his cabin on the Wind River Reservation, ca. 1895

Handwritten caption on the photograph: "Chief Washakie - the cabin he built, in which he died." Washakie had to walk a delicate tightrope of trying to adhere to new demands placed on his people and him to become “civilized” while at the same time maintaining traditional Shoshonean ways. One example is that he moved from living in a hide teepee to a log house.

Resource Identifier
ah00037_1330
Citation
John Roberts papers, Collection No. 37, Box 3, Folder 8, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
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Chief Washakie's horse, ca. 1900

Resource Identifier
ah00037_1333
Citation
John Roberts papers, Collection No. 37, Box 3, Folder 8, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
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Chief Washakie's dying message in text written by Reverend Dr. John Roberts

Washakie, too weak to speak, signed his dying message to Roberts who translated it to text. Roberts (1853-1949) was an Episcopalian missionary who worked among the Arapaho and Shoshone peoples on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming.

Resource Identifier
ah00037_1331
Citation
John Roberts papers, Collection No. 37, Box 3, Folder 8, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
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Scenes of Chief Washakie's funeral, 1900

The mile and one-half funeral procession for Chief Washakie was the longest in Wyoming history. 

Resource Identifier
ah00037_1335
Citation
John Roberts papers, Collection No. 37, Box 3, Folder 10, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
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Scenes of Chief Washakie's funeral, 1900

Washakie was buried with full military honors at the Fort Washakie post cemetery.

Resource Identifier
ah00037_1336
Citation
John Roberts papers, Collection No. 37, Box 3, Folder 10, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
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Scenes of Chief Washakie's funeral, 1900

Resource Identifier
ah00037_1338
Citation
John Roberts papers, Collection No. 37, Box 3, Folder 10, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
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Annie Bazil Washakie, ca. 1900

Wife of Marshall Washakie, who was a son of Chief Washakie.

Resource Identifier
ah002810
Citation
John Roberts papers, Collection No. 37, Box 3, Folder 9, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
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John Enos, ca. 1900

Caption indicates Enos is a Flathead nephew of Chief Washakie. Washakie was born to a Flathead father from Montana and Agaidüka (Lemhi, or Salmon-Eater) Shoshone mother from Idaho.

Resource Identifier
ah00037_1334
Citation
John Roberts papers, Collection No. 37, Box 3, Folder 9, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
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Notes regarding Chief Washakie taken by Reverend Dr. John Roberts

Transcript of the notes provided at the end of the document.

Resource Identifier
ah00037_1201-1209
Citation
John Roberts papers, Collection No. 37, Box 2, Folder 29, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
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