Elijah Nicholas Wilson, also known as "Yagaiki" and "Uncle Nick," was an American pioneer whose colorful life on the Western frontier became the basis for notable autobiographical literature. Born in 1842, Wilson ran away from home as a child and was adopted by the Shoshone tribe, becoming a foster brother to Chief Washakie. Over his lifetime, he worked in numerous roles, including as a Pony Express rider, stagecoach driver, blacksmith, and guide. Notably, in 1859, he served as a guide for General Albert Sidney Johnston, later recounting the tragic Spring Valley Massacre of the Western Shoshone. He eventually settled in Wyoming, where he founded the town of Wilson.
Wilson is primarily remembered in literary history for his 1910 autobiography, Among the Shoshones. The work provides a rare, first-hand perspective on Native American life and frontier dynamics from the viewpoint of a white youth integrated into Shoshone culture. The book later inspired several derivative works and republications, most notably The White Indian Boy: The Story of Uncle Nick Among the Shoshones and its sequel, The Return of the White Indian. Although Wilson is credited with the narrative, historical evidence suggests that educator and author Howard Driggs may have actually penned The White Indian Boy based on Wilson's accounts. His life story remains a significant cultural touchstone of the American West, even inspiring the 2000 film Wind River.
