Things That Matter: Greg Olson, “The Amazing Life of Jeffrey Deroine: Enslaved Trader, Prairie Diplomat, and Missouri Settler”

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The Amazing Life of Jeffrey Deroine: Enslaved Trader, Prairie Diplomat, and Missouri Settler

Join us for the Things That Matter speaker series as Greg Olson explores the remarkable life of Jeffrey Deroine, a man who navigated the worlds of enslavement, diplomacy, and settlement in 19th-century Missouri. Born into slavery in St. Louis, Deroine worked as a fur trader for his owner, Joseph Robidoux, before the Ioway Indians purchased his freedom so he could serve as their interpreter. He traveled to Europe with 14 Ioway delegates for an exhibit tour, later worked with the Otoe-Missouria people, and eventually settled in St. Joseph, where he became a prominent property owner.

Greg Olson, an independent researcher and author based in Columbia, Missouri, brings Deroine’s story to life. Olson is recognized for his scholarship on Native American history in Missouri and the Midwest, with multiple award-winning publications including The Ioway in Missouri and Indigenous Missourians: Ancient Societies to the Present. The Amazing Life of Jeffrey Deroine: Enslaved Trader, Prairie Diplomat, and Missouri Settler is his eighth book, continuing his dedication to uncovering the rich histories of Missouri’s Indigenous and early settler communities.

Things That Matter is a free, conversational-style speaker series hosted monthly at the Montminy Gallery inside the Boone County History & Culture Center in Columbia, Missouri. Designed to spark meaningful conversations, the series features real people sharing stories that connect us to our community’s past and present.