How many pioneers were killed by Indian attacks?
Contrary to popular myth, most encounters between Indians and emigrants were peaceful and mutually advantageous. Although popular fiction and movies long portrayed natives in a negative light as stereotypical savages mercilessly victimizing pioneers, historical record presents a different story. Indians of the time period belonged to complex societies, and maintained relationships with emigrants with both positive and negative aspects. Because Indian culture at the time did not record written accounts of their history, much of the information comes from records of white, Euro-American writers. Different tribes along the route of the Oregon Trail mentioned in pioneer diaries included Pawnee, Arikara, Cheyenne, Comanche, Sioux, Arapaho, Oto, Kansa, Bannock, Shoshone, Paiute, Nez Perce, Cayuse, Umatilla, Walla Walla, and Wasco. Though some of these cultures had sub-groups, they were frequently assigned some common name in emigrant writings. Variations in languages and customs further conf
