John Tanner (captive)

For other men with the same name, see John Tanner (disambiguation).
Portrait in A Narrative of the captivity and adventures of John Tanner, by Edwin James, London, 1830

John Tanner (c. 1780 – c. 1846), known also by his Ojibwe name Shaw-shaw-wa-ne-ba-se ("The Falcon", Zhaashaawanibiisi in modern spelling),[a] was captured by Odawa Indians as a child after his family had homesteaded on the Ohio River in present-day Kentucky. He grew up among the Odawa and Ojibwe nations, becoming fully acculturated and learning the Saulteaux language. He married an Ojibwe woman, served as a guide for European fur traders, and worked as an interpreter. His story of life with the Ojibwe was published in 1830. Titled A Narrative of the Captivity and Adventures of John Tanner, it was a popular success and remains an important historical record.

Illustration of Tanner's abduction, C. H. M. Kerr for The True Story Book, 1893


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