John Tanner
American fur trader, interpreter and author; captured age 9 by two Ojibwa men, and adopted by Net-no-kwa, a female chief of the Ottawas · United States · On the map · Writers · Lived 1780 to 1846 · aged 66
John Tanner, known also by his Ojibwe name Shaw-shaw-wa-ne-ba-se, was captured by Odawa 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.
John Tanner is read about 19 times a day, in 8 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 23 June 2026
The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 60 days, one point a day.
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About this person
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.
