Native American in the Land of the Shogun

Frederik L. Schodt
Stonebridge Press (2003)
ISBN 1880656779
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (8/06)

In 1848, at the age of twenty-four, MacDonald risked his life to follow a dream.  MacDonald purposefully shipwrecked off the cost of feudal Japan.  The country had rigid policies prohibiting contact with foreigners. How he envisioned and accomplished this adventure and the significance to us today is the premise of this book. Frederik L. Schodt has compiled and written this definitive biography of Ranald MacDonald in an effort to sort out “myth and speculation from fact.”

Schodt provides insight into the background of Japan’s seclusion laws of the mid 19th century which includes the impact Ranald MacDonald made while being detained in Japan.  Serving as an interpreter and teaching English to Japanese leaders played a part in the opening of Japanese-American relations, and intercultural communications.

Ranald’s mother a Chinook princess died shortly after his birth in February 1824. Ranald had Chinook Indian and Scottish origins.  The author describes Ranald as being, “…a man of superior intelligence, possessing a phenomenal memory and an absolutely fearless spirit…he genuinely enjoyed people…displays a wonderful sense of humor…and had a rare ability to attract people from broad walks of life.”

Frederic L. Schodt has been meticulous in his background research. This has been a complex undertaking as earlier writings have often been incomplete and conflicting. Excerpts from correspondence between Archibald MacDonald and his peer’s trace the early years and progress of Ranald’s education. “Like many sons, Ranald MacDonald did not turn out the way his father anticipated.  He was determined to follow his own dreams, in his own way.”

Word pictures and photos help the reader visualize the picturesque setting for this important narrative on the explorations and settlement of the Pacific Northwest, the whaling industry, and 19th Century Japan.  Schodt introduces the importance of Hawaii’s position as a trade link, and includes the vital insight into British, Dutch, and Russian attempts at breaking Japan’s isolation policies. Drawing from Ranald’s own published autobiography, newspaper articles, historical archives, and earlier biographical renderings - Schodt has constructed this masterful volume.

Of particular interest to me was the account of MacDonald’s experience in teaching English and learning Japanese during his time in Nagasaki.  The fruit of this ability and opportunity later served Japan well in negotiating with English-speaking visitors including Commodore Perry in 1853.  “The Perry expedition eventually resulted in commercial treaty between Japan and the United States, and became the catalyst for the collapse of the Shogunate  ...and the eventual transformation of Japan from a feudal to a modern state.”

Schodt has written extensively on Japanese culture and U. S./Japan relations. This account incorporates Japanese history with biographical material on Ranald MacDonald. 

Schodt's work is a major contribution to the accurate reporting of the life and history of a “Native American in the Land of the Shogun.”

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