Cool Old West Photos That Prove Real Life Cowboys Were Better Than Any Movie

Olive Oatman

IMAGE BY: Benjamin Powelson / Public Domain

Olive Oatman was the daughter of a Latter-day Saint family who, after ignoring advice about hostile Native Americans in the area, were ultimately killed when they were viewed as a threat. Oatman was initially a slave, but after being purchased by a neighboring tribe, she was given a plot of land for herself and her younger sister. Oatman believed her rad awesome tattoos marked her as a slave, but they were likely a mark of acceptance into the tribe, as part of a rite that would grant her a prosperous afterlife.

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