Before this week, I was well aware of the fact that Wild West Shows existed, and still do to the present. However, what I did not know is the benefits that Bill Cody offered Native Peoples through his shows. By hiring Native Peoples to act in his shows, Cody gave them the opportunity to earn wages and travel the world. The wages earned by working in his shows were considerably better than the stipends offered by the federal government, and travel would have otherwise been out of reach. Travel also introduced Native Peoples to foreign dignitaries, as well as other cultures that they would otherwise have not known.
I found this bit of information about Bill Cody’s Western Shows to be interesting, particularly because of the positive tone. Although, according to an Encyclopædia Britannica online article, Cody ultimately lost all of his money through mismanagement of funds. Despite this apparent downturn, he was still able to help native peoples before he lost his wealth.
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I was also surprised about the "Wild West Shows". I guess I just figured these shows exploited Natives and made a mockery of them. It's good to know that even in such dire times, there were some people who treated Natives with respect.
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