Jeffrey Deroine

George Catlin's 1844 illustration of Ioway in Europe, Deroine is second from the left, Ioway chief Francis White Cloud is front center left.

Jeffrey Deroine ("de-ro-NAY", alt. Dorian, Deroin, Doraway; May 14, 1806 – 28 March 1859) was an African American diplomat, trader, and linguist who helped the U.S. Government negotiate numerous treaties with Native American tribes in the Midwest and West.

Fur trade origins Deroine, the son of a trader of French and Spanish ancestry and an African American mother, was born in St. Louis as a slave to the French-American fur trader Joseph Robidoux. He was reportedly raised by a man named Francis Deroin, whose relationship to Jeffrey is not clear. Working for Robidoux at his American Fur Company trading posts, Deroin became an experienced trader himself, helped by his ease in learning different American Indian languages. Suffering from Robidoux's physical abuse, Deroine sued for his freedom in St. Louis in 1822, when Deroine was 16 years old, claiming he was being held against his will in regions where slavery was illegal. After a decade of legal proceedings and delays, Deroine lost his case, but his freedom was likely purchased by either the Indian trader Andrew S. Hughes or the Ioway chief Francis White Cloud in 1832.

His interpretation of their languages was so clear and intelligent that he not only made a favorable impression upon all the dignitaries of the foreign courts at which they were received, but, it is said, fascinated a lady of high title -- Disraeli had frequent conversations with him and showed him marked attention ... He spoke French as fluently as he did English, or a dozen Indian tongues with which he was familiar. He was a fine looking man, with a benevolent intelligent countenance, stout figure, modest and respectful demeanor, and was an honest and faithful man.

Soon after his return, he was banned from the Indian Agency allegedly because of alcohol trading, but likely his dismissal resulted because he was considered too close to White Cloud.

Until he died, he annually collected $50 from the government, a pension negotiated by White Cloud and other grateful Ioway.

Personal Deroine was perhaps married three times. He reportedly married the mixed-blood daughter of the trader Gabriel Vasques by 1834, other sources report he was married to a different woman named Su-See Baskette by 1837. Late in life, he purchased his final wife out of slavery from "Dr. Brown" of Kentucky; they had several children.