John Tanner (narrator)

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For other men with the same name, see John Tanner
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John Tanner (c. 1780 – d. in or after 1846) was the son of the Rev. John Tanner of Virginia. He was born in 1780 and his family moved to the dangerous Indian country on the Ohio River in Kentucky in 1789. In 1790 he was stolen by a Shawnee Indian and began a life amongst the natives and was later thoroughly assimilated into their lifestyles when he was sold to an Ojibwa tribe. He travelled as far west as the Little Saskatchewan River, which empties into the Assiniboine just beyond the present site of Brandon, Manitoba.

By 1800, he had taken an Indian wife and become a renowned hunter and warrior, spoke only Saulteaux, and was like an Indian except for his skin colour. In 1801 he met a fur trader named Daniel Harmon who documented Tanner in his diary.

In 1817, Lord Selkirk employed John Tanner as a guide and they set out to recapture Fort Douglas from the North West Company. After their success, Lord Selkirk took an interest in Tanner and, using vague memories that John had from his past, reunited him with his mother and sisters in Kentucky and on the Mississippi. He spent the years 1818-1822 in this pursuit, at the same time acquiring a good knowledge of English.

Tanner returned to the Canadian territories and was employed for a time as a trader for the American Fur Company on Rainy Lake. Later, he returned to the Red River settlement, reunited with his wife and children, and was heading for Mackinac when he was shot and seriously injured. His wife and daughters deserted him while he was carried to Rainy Lake by two men. After a lengthy recovery, he went to Mackinac where he worked as an interpreter.

In Mackinac with a great deal of assistance from Dr. Edwin James, Tanner wrote his Narrative, an account of 30 years with Indians. This document provided the first detailed descriptions of the Saulteaux and Cree. He made a trip to New York regarding the publishing of his Narrative. On his return he went as an interpreter to Sault Ste. Marie where he remained until 1846 when he disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

A grandson of his, also John Tanner, homesteaded on the Little Saskatchewan River where he ran a ferry on this river. The settlement became known as "Tanner's Crossing" and is where the town of Minnedosa now stands.

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