The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-10-31
AN ACCOUNT OF THE KANSAS


This tribe numbers about 1000 souls
The country they claim as their own is
situated on both sides of the Kansas river,
commencing sixty miles west OF its mouth
in lat. $50 north, being thirty miles wide.
The soil is fruitful and we'll watered, blu,
sparingly timbered. 1t is well adapted to
agriculture, and the climate is healthy.
The Kansas spend a part Of their time
in hunting, a part in idleness, and a par,
in planting and cultivatiDg small crops at
home. They are irregular in their man
ner of living, and although not inclined
to eat unwholsome food, yet from n%ecessi-
ty they eat such as causes sickness among
them. They use ardent spirits less than
many other tribes, yet they are degraded
and lmprovldent TO some extent by this
poison: some few of them have reformed;
they are more ready to receive instruction
than they were formerly; but most ofthem
are strongly inclined to hold on to their
savage habits and superstitious worship.
The main difficulties in teaching these
Indians, are their wandering habits and
fondness for war with other tribes. Thew
are at home only about four months in the
year. They have a smith and a teacher
of agriculture furnished them by treaty,
who are to be continued with them five
years, and then all their stipulations with
the government will end.
AT the time of our visit the greater part
of the tribe were gone on their fall hunt,
and therefore we had an opportunity of
seeing but few OF them.
After we had completed our visi. to the
Delawares, Munsees, Slockbridges and
Kic%apoos, and had seen some of the Kan.
sas tribe, and collected such information as
we deemed useful, we returned again 10
Friends School in the Shawnee nation,
10 prepare for our visit to the more south.
ern tribes. The Indians understanding that
we were about leaving this part Of the
country, numbers of them came to make
known their grievances, and others to take
leave of US. They represented 10 US that
there was a prospect of the Wyandots,
now living in Ohio, coming to settle on a
part OF their land, and that a very few of
the Shawnees were favorable to such a
move, but the mos. of them were decided.
ly opposed to it, and much troubled on &C.
count Of it. We were no. without serious
apprehensions that great difficulty might
yet arise from this circum stance. We
rendered them such counsel as we believed
might be proper for them to follow; ad-
vising them against discords, jealouies ard
divisions. all Of which appeared to be kind
iy received. An aged Shawnee chief
came 10 us and said, he wished to have a
talk with US. He said when he lived 10
Ohio he had a good farm and lived well,
but by being removed to this country he
had become poor; that he was now gain.
ing a little, and he wanted TO live where
he now did. and so did all his tribe want
10 remain where they now are. They
did not want 10 be moved again, but he
feared they should be soon. He SAID he
was now old and lame, and he could not
go further he wanted to die and be buri-
ed here, and not go away off and die on
the prairie. 1t made him feel very bad
to think Of being moved again, for it
seemed like being thrown over a bank
away off west of the priarie where they
would all die. lie appeared much
distressed on this account, and wish
ed TO know if We had heard the men at
Washington ak about removing them a.
gain, remarking that he had heard tina,
they had been talking about it. He want.
ed we and our friends should help them in
getting the title to their lands fixed so that
his people might always live where they
now are. He thought the white man
ought TO be satisfied, that the Indian had
been removed far enough, and not move
him any further. He said he was an old
man and could live but a little while, and
wanted to know before he died that his
people aud his children could never be re-