The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1849-12-26
For the Pioneer.
ANS w RS

ANS w ERS
To Inquiries respecting the History, Pres
ent Condition and Failure Prospect OF
The Qibwas cf the Mississippi; and Lake
Superior.
FIRsT-HIsTORY.
(Coniinued)
At this time, parties of Oiibwas made
periodical visits to Mackinaw, and even
to Montreal, to receive presents from the
English. The next summer after the
occurrence of the above circumstance, a
party of pillagers started to make this
journey; being much afraid that the
whites would revenge on them for the
act, aquantity of furs were collected and
taken with them to pay for the goods
they had taken. In return for these furs,
their chief received a bale of goods
with flag and medal, with the inlunc-
ton not to open the bale or unlurl his
flag till he had arrived in his own coun-
try. When the party on their return,
arrived at Fond Du Lac of Lake Supe-
rior, the chief unfurled his flag and
opened his goods in the presence Of num-
bers of his red brethren for distribution.
He fell sick almost Immediately, and
going off into the woods, died. All those
that had received portion of the goods
fell sick and died. A terrible malady
spread among the Indians, and destroy
ed many lives. The Small Por.
The Indians to this day, say that the
whites put the poison in the goods in pun
ishment for the above mentioned pillage.
They tell of no great medicine man
that saved them In this, or other cases of
sickness or pestilence, unless it be in
their ancient traditions.
They tell of sickness they name the
Red Skin, which killed numbers of them
about sixty years ago, and again, about
thirty years since. This was probably
the measles. BY these attacks of pesti-
lence, they date events of minor impor-
lance; ask an Indian his age, and he
will say so many years before or after
the first or last great Red Pestilence.
They tell of great pestilence in a
tradition, happening about the time when
they say the earth was new. They were
saved by man, to whom spirit in the
form of a snake, Dissolved certain root,
now called the acknowledgements, or Snake
Root. The songs and rites of this me
dicine have been introduced, and form a
part of the Grand .Ne-da-,re.
The Ojibways are generally deficient
in great characters of former times.
They have the deeds and exploits of fc-
tltious characters. Such as .Man-ub-
ash-o, Muj-e-kc-Tis, Peep-ueke-uis, &c
tube, &c; but they are to be compared
to the demi-gods ofthe ancients, or of the
more modern Hindoos.
.Mnj-e-uah-can, is the name borne sue
cessively in former times, by the head Of
4 principal branch of chiefs belonging to
the Soon Totem. One branch of this
family, when the nation separated al
Lapointe, remained there, and Old But-
talo is at present, the living descendant
and principal chief of the Lake Supe-
riOr band
Another branch of this family retired
towards Sandy Lake, which place, Be,
ans-,cah, head of the family, took from
the Sioux. At the time of this occur.
renee, the war between the two hostile
tribes, was carried on with all the blood,
charac teristics of Indian warfare. Tor
ture and the stake was allotted to the
prisoners.
This chief is noted for having made 6
treaty with the Sioux to stop this blood,
practice, and TO carry on the war more
humanely. And thus it has been con
Quoted, with few exceptions, to the pres
ent day. This chief was renowned
war leader, and it was during his life
time, that most of the country at presen
occupied by the Sandy Lake and Pillag,
bands, was taken from the Sioux. Young
Hole in The Day, is descended from him
and prides himself much on his chiefs
blood. Observation-Disclosures, of San
dy Lake, and SirOng-O-set. of Fond d,
Lac, are the grandsons of this chief, an,
sons to Broken Tooth, great chief il
his time; who ruled over all the Missis
sippi bands during his lifetime.
Many names can be mentioned as no
ted in the war with the Sioux, for valor
even at the present time. Speckiet
Lynr and Yeiioo Head, of Chippewa
river; Beshike, of ST. Croix; Curl
Head, Big Martin, Strong Ground ant
Hole in The Day, of the Mississippi; BlacI
Duck, Black Cloud and Flat Mouth, o
Leech Lake; had all enacted deeds il
their lifetime, that the Ojibways speak o
with pride.
The revelations Of the Sho,c-an-o
prophet to this tribe, is worthy of men
ton in their history. At the present day
the Indians are ashamed to mention TIL
circumstance. Messengers, painte'
black, were sent by the Sho,e-an-o, t,
all the different bands, even to the mos
remote .Musk-e-goes and Knisiemo of tn
north; they told the Ojibways in solemn
council, that the Great Spirit had reveal
: ed his will to prophet. 1t was his vii
that the red men should cease warrin
with one another, and all become broth
) ers, as he at first made them. 1t wa
; the Great Spirits will, that they shoul
live independent of the whites, and re
turn again to their primitive usages
The flint and steel must be discarde d