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Rdr nastas

Native Americans are the indigenous people of North America. During the time period of the Red Dead series they were also referred to by the derogatory term "Red Skins", or simply "Indians", and primarily lived on reservations. Native Americans appear as minor characters in Red Dead Redemption and play a larger role in Red Dead Revolver and Red Dead Redemption 2.

Appearances[]

Red Dead Revolver[]

The main protagonist of Red Dead Revolver, Red Harlow, is half Native American by birth (his mother, Falling Star, being a member of the Red Wolf Tribe). His cousin, Shadow Wolf, also plays a large role in the story. Other Native Americans include Red's and Shadow Wolf's grandfather, Running Moon, who is the Chief of the Red Wolf tribe, and Grizzly, leader of the Black Elk Tribe, who is killed later by Shadow Wolf. A few Natives can also be seen in Bad Bessie's gang.

Red Dead Redemption[]

Native Americans can be found just about anywhere in West Elizabeth aside from Blackwater, and are participants in many of the random events. A large number of Native Americans left the reservations to join Dutch's revolutionary gang in West Elizabeth, with promises of a revolution and justice for past crimes against native peoples. Dutch's gang commit various crimes primarily in Blackwater, until Marston and the American Army attack Dutch's hideout, killing him and most of the Natives.

A Native American known as Nastas helps Marston in a few of Harold MacDougal's missions after John rescues him from the Wreck of the Serendipity with Archer Fordham and Edgar Ross, although he gets shot by Enepay in "For Purely Scientific Purposes" due to Nastas' role as an informant for the government.

Because Harold MacDougal perceives the Native Americans as a savage, ignorant group of people, they rallied behind Dutch and tried to hunt MacDougal down before he left the West, although John helps the Professor get safely on a train back to Yale in "The Prodigal Son Returns (To Yale)."

Native Americans can be played in Multiplayer as part of the Dutch's Gang category in the Outfitter.

Pre-Colonial Natives[]

Evidence of precolonial native life is somewhat scarce in Red Dead Redemption, with the exception of the Escalera Catacombs and altar at the end of Undead Nightmare. However, evidence of Native groups still living the old way can be found, the most obvious example is the ruined Native settlement in Mescalero, it is all that remains of the tribe that battled with Drew MacFarlane over their lands. Another example of a Native settlement is Torquemada, which is likely the ruins of an ancient Navajo settlement. Only a small portion of the settlement remains, and what is left is in poor condition, with many holes in the roof and a weak structure.

There are also other more subtle references to the wilder relations between Whites and Natives; a ruined caravan with arrows sticking from the wood can be found in the desert in Hamlin's Passing, another possible Native ruin is Rattlesnake Hollow, although it is possible it was a mining operation; it's also possible the holes are what is left from mining copper for the Navajo, or the sacred stone catlinite, however this is purely speculation. Overall, Red Dead Redemption is rife with unexplained ruins and clues to the violent past of the American frontier.

Red Dead Redemption 2[]

Native Americans play a much larger role in Red Dead Redemption 2, as the Wapiti tribe plays a large role in the story, especially within Chapter 6. In addition, Charles Smith, a central character and member of the Van der Linde gang, is half-Native American. In free-roam, most Native Americans can be found within or nearby the Wapiti Indian Reservation in the Grizzlies East, with some serving as local lawmen in the area.

Prior to the events of Redemption 2, a massacre occurred in Valentine, in which settlers killed the natives living there and built the town atop their lands. This is which led to many people, including the local storekeeper Jacob Worth to believe that the town was cursed. The Native Americans that survived were herded up into the Wapiti Reservation in Ambarino, although during the events of Redemption 2, it can be seen that the government is looking to relocate them once more in hopes of finding oil on their land. Although the chief of the Wapiti tribe, Rains Fall, attempted to maintain pacifism and hoped to solve the issue via negotiations, his son, Eagle Flies, believed that freedom could only be achieved through war. As such, Rains Fall attempted to sort things out in Saint Denis with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, although Eagle Flies believed they had to lead an assault, and stole documents from Cornwall Kerosene & Tar alongside Arthur Morgan.

By Chapter 6, the Wapiti tribe seems to be on the verge of war with the U.S. Army after they stole the tribe's horses, and Dutch saw a prime opportunity to take advantage of the Wapiti, meanwhile other members like Charles and Arthur hoped to genuinely help the Wapiti tribe. After several mistepps, including negotiations gone wrong with Colonel Favours and the capture of Eagle Flies, morale is low. But Arthur and Charles rescue Eagle Flies from Fort Wallace, and soon after, Eagle Flies rallied a group of Wapiti warriors and asked the Van der Linde gang to help take down Cornwall's oil refinery in retaliation, much to the dismay of Rains Fall. Eagle Flies callously claims that Rains Fall's words "mean nothing" to him and rides away to lead his men into battle. In desperation, Rains Fall pleads for the gang to help the Wapiti warriors, and the majority of the members agree to help them in the attack.

When the gang arrive at the site of the battle, they find a dire situation: much of the Indians had already been slain, and Eagle Flies is nowhere to be seen. After splitting into two groups, the one led by Arthur eventually encounters Eagle Flies; fighting for his life, Arthur saves him and they continue their advance on the enemy soldiers. After accessing a gatling gun and eliminating Army reinforcements from a train, both groups of the gang reunite and, with the remaining Indians with them, finish off the remaining US Army soldiers.

With the battle won, Dutch takes Arthur into the warehouse to look for the state bonds sought by the former, while Eagle Flies stays behind to tend to his men. On the duo's exit from the warehouse, Arthur is incapacitated by a bursting pipe and ambushed by soldiers. With Dutch having willingly abandoned him, Arthur is saved from certain death by Eagle Flies, who charges in and slays Arthur's would-be killers. Before he can do anything else, Eagle Flies is shot in the abdomen by Colonel Favours, who is then shot and killed by Arthur. Mortally wounded, Eagle Flies is helped outside by Arthur, who takes him back to the reservation with Charles and Paytah. Along the way, Eagle Flies insists that the Indians must continue their fight against the Army, but Charles tells him that the tribe must flee the country due to the Army's retribution and that the situation should never have gone this far. At the reservation, Eagle Flies is brought into his father's tent. He dies in Rains Fall's arms shortly afterward, devastating him.

Subsequently, the Wapiti Indians begin taking their belongings to prepare to leave the country. Arthur and Charles part ways, due to the latter staying with the tribe in order to help with the difficult times ahead. Before leaving, the tribe manages to bury Eagle Flies' body near the reservation, by Donner Falls. By 1907, most of the surviving Wapiti Indians lived in Canada, after a grueling trek north, in which many tribespeople were killed in Wyoming. In a cruelly ironic twist of fate, the amount of oil beneath their reservation turned out to be virtually non-existent, causing drilling to be quickly abandoned, meaning the efforts by Cornwall and Favours (neither of whom lived to enjoy their victories) to seize the reservation lands were pointless.

Trivia[]

Red Dead Redemption[]

  • The only Native Americans that can be seen doing normal activities are Hassun and ChoganHassun can be found at Manzanita Post playing Five-Finger Fillet. Chogan can be found in Manzanita Post working and conversing with citizens, and he can be found in the Pacific Union Railroad Camp.
  • Hassun, Chogan, and Nastas are the only friendly Native Americans, however, both Chogan and Hassun will be hostile if the player threatens them.
  • Native Americans were often referred to as "Indians" and "Red Indians" due to the European explorer Christopher Columbus, who arrived in the Americas believing that he had landed on an island near India. This is why some areas such as the Caribbean are known as the "West Indies".
  • In the opening cutscene of the first game, two elderly women sat behind John on the train discuss the Natives.
  • According to a campfire anecdote, a substantial amount of Indian warriors were buried in the Great Plains, after they all died due to severe winters, sometime in the year 1820. It is said that people can hear their souls crying at night.[1]
  • The player can hear a story of an ancient burial ground that was located near the region of Cholla Springs, many years ago. Although the camper will then make a joke related to politics, so it is unknown how accurate this rumor could be.[2]
  • Hassun is a member of Dutch's Gang, so he can be encountered doing criminal activities alongside the other gang members.

References[]

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