South Dakota: Finding the Girl in the Middle (w/ Marni Sandweiss) | Stories That Live In Us | Ep 79

🔍 When historian Marni Sandweiss found an 1868 photograph showing six famous Civil War generals towering over a nameless Indigenous girl wrapped in a blanket, she became obsessed with one question: Who was she?

In this powerful episode, I sit down with Princeton University Professor Emerita Martha "Marni" Sandweiss to hear how she identified this mysterious child as Sophie Mousseau—and uncovered a story that changed everything about how we understand the Northern Plains, mixed-race identity, and the power of a single name.

Marni shares her journey from photography historian to "truffle hunter"—digging deep into archives, tracking down descendants, and piecing together Sophie's remarkable life. What she discovered connects the 1855 Blue Water Massacre to modern-day reparations, reveals the fluid nature of racial identity in 19th century America, and reminds us why every unnamed face in our family photographs deserves to be remembered.

Through collaboration with Sophie's living descendants and a combination of written records and fading oral histories, Marni shows us how one photograph can unlock generations of untold stories—and why historians and genealogists need each other more than we might think.
This conversation moved me to tears and reminded me that the people we research aren't just names and dates—they're someone's grandma, someone's ancestor, someone who matters deeply.

💭 After listening, I'd love to know: Do you have unnamed faces in your family photographs? What steps have you taken to identify them—or what's holding you back from trying?

⌚ TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Opening: The haunting 1868 photograph
3:41 Marni's journey from photography curator to historian
6:13 The difference between historians and genealogists
9:35 Why this particular photo grabbed Marni's attention
13:25 The detective work: How do you identify an unnamed child?
17:26 South Dakota as a fluid character in Sophie's story
21:51 The unexpected matchmaker: General Harney's role
25:28 Sophie's stolen children and divided identity
27:36 Why we know more about Sophie than most people born in 1860
30:13 Who has the right to tell whose stories?
35:33 The power of reparations: Smithsonian returns artifacts
39:46 Two ways of knowing: Written records meet oral history
41:22 Marni's final message: Label your photographs now

🌟 FEATURED GUEST
Martha "Marni" Sandweiss Professor Emerita of History, Princeton University Founding Director, Princeton and Slavery Project Author of Print the Legend: Photography and the American West

🎙️ WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE
- How a 30-year-old note card at Fort Laramie led to identifying Sophie Mousseau
- Why DNA doesn't give you direct access to the past—but empathy does
- The role of French-Canadian traders in creating mixed-race families on the Northern Plains
- How Sophie's children were raised with different racial identities—some white, some Lakota
- Why territorial boundaries mattered more than you'd think for Indigenous families
- The unexpected connection between a Civil War massacre and modern reparations
- How "truffle hunter" historians differ from "parachutist" historians
- Why every name matters—and what happens when we leave photographs unlabeled

📝 VISIT THE COMPANION BLOG POST FOR MORE TIPS TO UNCOVER YOUR OWN FAMILY STORIES
CristaCowan.com

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Website: http://cristacowan.com
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#FamilyHistory #Genealogy #SouthDakota #IndigenousHistory #LakotaHistory #HistoricalPhotographs #MixedRaceIdentity #America250 #StoriesThatLiveInUs #TheBarefootGenealogist #NativeAmericanHistory #FortLaramie #PineRidgeReservation #HistoricalResearch #OralHistory #FamilyPhotographs #NameYourAncestors #SophieMousseau #NorthernPlains #19thCenturyHistory
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Stories That Live In Us helps you form deeper connections with your family - past, present, and future. Host Crista Cowan, known online as The Barefoot Genealogist, shares powerful stories that help craft your family narrative and create a legacy of resilience, healing, and connection.

© 2025 Crista Cowan. All rights reserved.

Видео South Dakota: Finding the Girl in the Middle (w/ Marni Sandweiss) | Stories That Live In Us | Ep 79 канала Crista Cowan | The Barefoot Genealogist