Paredes and the Hero: The North American Cowboy Revisited

Abstract

Americo Paredes's contributions to folklore featured recognition of power relations in his methodology and analysis of construction of symbolic forms for political purposes, all of this well in advance of introduction of these concepts into academic discourse. Specifically, he analyzed North American cowboy and shaping of that figure into hero in response to a craving for strong national identity. Building on that argument, I examine struggle between businessmen and rodeo cowboys over production of professional rodeo performances, struggle that echoed similar power relations between large capital and workers in United States at that time (the 1920s and 1930s). The cowboy contestation took form of strikes against specific rodeos. Using data from Hoofs and Horns (a publication of period), paper explores this national performance conflict as difference in perception over meaning of cowboy, whether sign available for capital to exploit or performer deserving living wage in return for his performance.Out of conflict that arose on new border came men like Gregorio Cortez. Legends were told about these men, and ballads were sung in their memory.-Americo Paredes1participating in celebration of groundbreaking study, With His Pistol in His Hand, presents welcome opportunity to honor its author, Americo Paredes, not only for his signature work, but also for extensive reach of his ideas and his effect on future research. Not only did Paredes challenge existing scholarly theories and popular stereotypes with his 1958 study of Gregorio Cortez complex, but he also brought his critical eye to image of cowboy as an American folk hero. He distinguished between hero of people such as Gregorio Cortez and creation of heroic figure by external forces to serve hegemonic purposes. Long before new historians of American West created an uproar with their revisionist studies,2 Paredes demonstrated flaws in romantic view of West as cradle of democracy and cowboy as its singing, gunslinging hero.His approach was influential on me as student in newly minted Folklore Program at University of Texas in 1971. Moreover, he directed my dissertation, an ethnographic study of Texas Cowboy Reunion and rodeo in West Texas. Following his model, I investigated historical background of cattle ranch, imported to Texas and Mexico by Spanish, in addition to ethnographic research.3 Focusing on inequality and relations of power in early years of large corporate ranches of West Texas and Western United States, I argued that these social relationships were transformed into symbolic action and expressed in performance of rodeo. Building on that earlier work, in this paper I have shifted my attention to rodeo cowboy of 1930s and transition period during which rodeo became professional form of entertainment. In this period, businessmen and rodeo producers organized rodeos in cities across country with little regard for cowboy performer. As consequence, serious struggle between these entrepreneurs and itinerant but organized cowboys characterized this decade, at end of which cowboy had been transformed into romantic, heroic figure, performing on national stage.These circumstances could only occur within context of much larger changes taking place throughout country as well as on ranches of West. Moreover, identification of issue and its analysis requires method that permits recognition of and serious study of conflict. Let me return, then, to some brief comments on scholarly method Paredes employed and later to his articles relevant to the hero, before proceeding to examine conflict over rodeo cowboy.His method emphasized close examination of texts and events, incorporation of historical contexts, and identification of structures of inequality. …