ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the character and significance of Indian representations have changed over time. It suggests classification into five major time periods: pre-Removal, antebellum, Civil War-closing of the "western frontier'', Jim Crow era, and civil rights struggle. Even when history and geography might suggest an Indian ancestor from a different group or none at all, an astonishing number of southerners assert they have a grandmother or great-grandmother who was some kind of Cherokee, often a "princess." William Gilmore Simm's novel provided literary model for romantic representations of Indians and Indian wars, but an actual Indian, Osceola, became the real-life incarnation the noble enemy. Far from being uncommon, Indian representations were central to southern culture during Antebellum Period. By invoking the figures, contemporary southerners seem to be claiming a wild past, seeking to affix the romance of the "frontier" to their region's narrative. The images reinforce southern regionalism and pride, even as they unite southern history with larger national story.
