Definition of fancy man

The term "fancy man" originated in the late 1800s among certain Native American communities, particularly in the southwestern United States. It referred to a non-Indigenous man who pursued romantic relationships with Indigenous women, often as part of a larger colonialist strategy to assimilate and "civilize" Native American communities. The use of the word "fancy" in this context is illuminating. It suggests that these men appeared exotic and alluring to Indigenous women, perhaps presenting themselves as more culturally advanced or desirable. Many fancy men were also involved in the fur trade or other enterprises that brought them into close contact with Native American communities, facilitating these relationships. While some Indigenous women may have genuinely enjoyed these romantic relationships, others entered into them as a means of survival or as a way to access resources and benefits provided by the fancy man's culture. Fancy men, for their part, often selected women from privileged or elite lineages as partners, reinforcing existing power structures within Native American communities. Overall, the term "fancy man" speaks to the intersection of culture, power, and identity in complex and sometimes fraught ways, illuminating the complex historic relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.