Featured in this lot is this amazing and rare stereoview of the well-known Ojibwe Tribe member, Ga-Be-Nah-Gewn-Wonce or "Wrinkled Meat", reputed to have died at 137 or 138 years old, circa 1921. John Smith, whose Native American name means, "Wrinkled Meat" was a Ojibwe tribe member active for over 130 years in the Cass Lake, Minnesota area. During his long life, he was thought to have had eight wives and only one child, an adopted son named Tom Smith. Tom was an instrumental part of John?s life until the end. He continuously vouched for his father?s age when others disbelieved. According to the Chippewa people, eyewitness accounts, and Chief John Smith himself, he was 137 when he died, putting his birth year at 1785. The newspaper in Minnesota that reported his death in 1922, the Star Tribune, attempted to validate his age at the time. The paper pointed out that Smith clearly remembered specific battles that the Chippewa had with their neighbors ? the Sioux ? that were said to have taken place before the turn of the 19th century. According to the Star Tribune, Smith remembered the conflict of 1812 and frequently boasted that, despite his participation in the conflict, he had never fought against a white man. If he was old enough to fight in the war, say around 18 or 19, his birth year would have been around 1794, which is closer to the year he stated. According to Paul Buffalo's written stories, he was elected chief of the Chippewa people but declined the position due to a lack of desire for responsibility. His adopted son reported that he was active in daily life, even in his final year, greeting visitors and telling anecdotes while living at his son's house. n February 1922 he contracted pneumonia, which due to his very advanced age, resulted in his death. Smith is buried at a Catholic Church cemetery in Cass Lake, Minnesota. His gravestone lists his birth year as 1784. The stereoview card has no publisher name listed. It shows John Smith sitting on the ground wearing traditional Native American clothing and feathers in his headband. He is smoking a large pipe has he looks into the distance. The bottom right of the stereoview reads, "A Chippewa Indian, 130 years old (1921)", while the back shows a torn paper giving history on John Smith. Most can not be read due to the tears of the paper. Provenance: From the personal collection of Francoise Perriot (Fran?oise Perriot), noted historian author of the West and Native Americans. Perriot?s published works include such books as ?Les Indiens et La Nature? (Indians and Nature) 2017, ?La Conqu?te du Far West? (The Conquest of the Wild West) 2007, ?Les Indiens d'Am?rique du Nord? (North American Indians), ?Guide Bleu : Etats-Unis Ouest Americain? (Blue Guide: United States West America). This piece and others come from her time collecting in Montana and the West, her book ?Les Indiens et la nature? is one of the most notable in France documenting photographs of the west. The photo shows good condition overall with wear to the card it is on, but no wear or damage to the actual photo. It measures 3 1/2" L x 7" W.

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