Antonine Barada

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Antonine Barada (1807–1887), alternatively spelled Antoine Barada, is an American folk hero in the state of Nebraska who was also called Mo shi-no pazhi.[1] He was a real man who was responsible for founding the town of Barada, Nebraska; however, his prodigious strength helped establish a legend in the mold of Paul Bunyan and Febold Feboldson.[2]

Contents

[edit] About

Born near Fort Lisa in 1807, Antonine's parents were Michael Barada, a French fur trapper, and Ta-ing-the-hae, or "Laughing Buffalo," a full member of the Omaha tribe. His namesake grandfather, Antoine Barada, Sr. (1739-1782), had been born in Gascony, France, and was one of the first settlers of St. Louis, Missouri.

In 1813 Antonine was kidnapped while the family lived near Fort Lisa by the Lakota. Six months later he was returned after Michael Barada paid the ransom of two ponies. His father immediately sent him to live with an aunt in St. Louis; however, at the age of nine Antonine returned leading an Indian hunting party. After a period Antonine married a French woman named Marcellite Vient and settled 15 miles northeast of Falls City, Nebraska.[3]

[edit] Legends

The Barada myth is widely known. Mari Sandoz wrote that, "'Toine Barada stories were told as far as the upper Yellowstone," in Love Song to the Plains.[4][5]

In the 1930s Louise Pound of the Federal Writer's Project of the Works Progress Administration collected dozens of stories about Barada, many of which are repeated today. One tale reported that "He was once matched to wrestle with Jean Palos, a Greek wrestling champion... The mighty Palos was notorious for his rough treatment of an opponent. Antonine won the match by pinching his opponent with his toes while he slapped him into unconsciousness with one blow on his ear."[6]

Bararda was known as a huge man, commonly thought to be almost seven feet tall and widely regarded as a giant. His strength was well-known as well, and he was always asked to assist with barn raising as he would single-handedly hold heavy beams in place while they were fastened down. When local farmers needed assistance loading hogs for market they would also call Barada. Rather than use a loading chute Barada simply picked the hogs up and set them in the wagon. Every time townsfolk needed someone's strength Barada took the call.[7]

In 1832 Barada was in St. Louis when he was challenged to prove his strength. He lifted a stone weighing 1,700 pounds, after which point the date of the feat and the weight were inscribed on the stone for future generations. The stone is purported to still stand there.

Barada was also widely regarded for his marksmanship. Lore records his ability to shoot prairie chickens on the fly from horseback, as well as the ability to shoot two quail from every covey. A fair hunter, it is rumored he never shot a bird on the ground.

One tale of Barada exclaims that one day while working with a lazy railroad crew in Nebraska Barada became upset. He grabbed the drop hammer and threw it across the Missouri River, at which point the earth where the hammer fell buckled. The hammer fall created Nebraska's Missouri River breaks. Barada was still angry and slammed his fist down on a pile. It was driven so far into the soil that it pierced a water table. Legend says that all of Nebraska would have flooded from this bung hole if Antoine Barada hadn't plugged it by sitting over it.[8]

Antonine was also involved in the Underground Railroad. Known as the "Lifeguard of the Missouri", Barada supposedly saved many slaves from drowning by personally carrying them across the Missouri River from the state of Missouri into Nebraska.[9]

[edit] Half-Breed Tract

Antonine received a patent on 320 acres of land in 1856.[10] In doing so he became the first settler of the so-called "Half-Breed Tract," a separate domain not unlike a reservation specifically for Mixed-Bloods. Apparently the Underground Railroad ran through the Tract to John Brown's Cave, its last stop located 35 miles north of the Tract.[11]

A town bearing his name of Barada was established in that Tract soon after Barada's claim. Barada ran a fur-trading post there for at least 20 years, during which time the town grew around him.[12]

[edit] Death

Barada died in 1887 and is buried alongside his wife in the Catholic cemetery just east of Barada, the village that bears his name.

In 1951 several of Antoine's descendants were members of a lawsuit brought against the Government of the United States to sue for recognition of their tribal membership with the Omaha nation. According to the suit, in the 1870s Antonine applied for membership himself and was rejected through discriminatory practices by tribal elders and by shady Indian agents. The 1951 case acknowledged this; however, the court dismissed the case on the grounds that too many individuals of lineage that was too indirect were involved.[13]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Sandage, S.A. (2006) "Half-Breed Creek", Brown University. Retrieved 1/28/08.
  2. ^ Suttle, J.K. "Antonine Barada", Baxoje, The Ioway Nation website. Retrieved 1/26/08.
  3. ^ Edwards, L.C. (1917) "Antoine Barada," in History of Richardson County, Nebraska: Its people, industries and institutions. Indianapolis: B.F. Bowen. p. 190-192.
  4. ^ (2006) "Half-Breed Creek", Brown University. Retrieved 1/28/08.
  5. ^ Welsch, R. (1984) A Treasury of Nebraska Pioneer Folklore. University of Nebraska Press. p 171.
  6. ^ (2006) "Half-Breed Creek", Brown University. Retrieved 1/28/08.
  7. ^ Boye, A. (1993) The Complete Roadside Guide to Nebraska. University of Nebraska Press. p 2.
  8. ^ "Transcription: Working script by filmmaker Maria Brooks", FolkStreams. Retrieved 1/28/08.
  9. ^ Sandage, S.A. (2006) "Half-Breed Creek", Brown University. Retrieved 1/28/08.
  10. ^ "Barada", University of Nebraska. Retrieved 1/28/08.
  11. ^ Sandage, S.A. (2006) "Half-Breed Creek", Brown University. Retrieved 1/28/08.
  12. ^ "Barada", University of Nebraska. Retrieved 1/28/08.
  13. ^ "Josephine Mitchell, et al, on relation to Omaha tribe of Indians of Nebraska vs. United States Government." Oklahoma State University. Retrieved 1/28/08.

[edit] Bibliography

  • Sandage, S.A. (2008) Half-Breed Creek: A Tall Tale of Race on the Frontier, 1804–1941. Announcement