John Tanner

John Tanner, known also by his Ojibwe name Shaw-shaw-wa-ne-ba-se, 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.