The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1851-08-14
THE SIOUX TREATY.
MENDOZA, mouth of the Minnesota !
River. Tuesday. July 90. 1851.

After the conclusion of Col. LEAFS re-
marks,
Wah-pay-sha, or Red Leaf, principal
chief OF the Meday- wa-kan-toans arose and
said :
Fathers:-These chiefs and braves that
sir here, have heard what you have said
from our Great Father. | have but one
thing TO say TO you, Fathers, abd then we
will separate for to-day. | was among
those who went TO Washington, s. brought
home the words of our Great Father
Some OF those here, were there also; aud
some who went are now dead. According
TO what our Great Father then said, we
have some funds laying back in his hands
which we spoke of to our Fathers. the Com-
missioners who were here fall before last
Those You see here around. are anxious
TO get that which is due them, before they
do anything. That is all have to say on
this occasion.
Wah-pay-koo-tay, chief warrior, then
spoke TO the Commissioners Fathers:--
Perhaps you think 10 yourselves, what is
this man before you going to say. Listen.
You have come here, and graped him firm
ly by the hand, and he feels strong 10 speak
The Wah pay -toan-wans had four chiefs !;
but they have passed away from US. The
last one was made by my father, Gov. Ram
sey, who placed this medal, ! now hold
in my hands, around his neck. Father,
wish you to have those who killed the own
er Of this medal pay for it, and satisfy his
people. The fall before last you spoke of
lhs--the medal was then all bloody-and
if you will look at il you will see il is still
SO. wish you TO wash that blood of.
return it to you, [handing it to Gov. X. j
Yes, my father, ii you will wipe this blood
off, we will be glad.
Col. Lea 90 Wah-pay SHAY: have
heard hat you have had to say, with re-
spect. The subject to which you referred,
! have before thought of; it has not been
rangenent about other and more important
matters, no doubt all can be satisfied in re-
! ference 10 the back money.
Gov. Ramsey Ito the Wah pay kootay
warrior): | understand very well to W ha,
I the Wah-pay koo-tays refer. AT the time
the disaster occurred, / felI with themselves
much distressed about it. 1t WAS shortly
after came to this country, that placed a
medal around the neck of their young chief
| rccOllect him as n promising young man
aud remember likewise with sorrow, tha,
he and | 5 of his people, were cut off " hie
hunting in their own country, by some ro-
wing band of Indians, then unknown. The
Wah -koO-tays will recUllect that when
they called upon me in the fall, and talke
about the sad event, they themselves were
ignorant what Indians had committed the
massacre. But | determined that If at all
possible, Justice should be done them and
| made every effort TO discover who had
perpetrated the deed. 1t took a long time
to discover them; but ! Ipersevered. When
Major Woods, the Commanding officer al
Fort Smelling, went down to Iowa, | re.
quested him TO make inquiries. He wrote
me back, he thought the murderers were q
mixed band of Poitawattomies, some Win
nebagoes, aud some Sauks aud Foxes
But last fall, through white man who wa:
surveying through the region of country
which was the scene of the murders, at the
time they were perpetrated, | learned tina
the deed was done by a band of Sauks anI
Foxes. then wrote to your Great Faith
err, SO that he should demand satisfaction
from the Sauks and Foxes, and ask 81 ,OO(
tor every person killed by them. My las
information on the subject, is tina: demant
had been made on the Sauks and Foxes
and expect shortly TO hear the .esult.-
That is the way we will wash the blood of
this medal, shall not neg lect their inter
eStS, tUty JuStCc HlhS
be slow, but it will come at last.
10 these remarks, there were frequent
ly interrupted by n universal "ho % an,
grunts OF satisfaction from the audtory.l
Wah-pay-sha remarked: Fathers
have one single thing TO say to you, an,
then will 90 out. You came to speak IN,
words of our Great Father; but it is warn
in this place, and we should like to- morrow
to hold the Council in the open air
10 which the Commissioners replied tha
they would take it into consideration.
The truth is, that the crowd in the ware
house was so great, that the chiefs wer
afraid, Gas they said privately to thei
friends, that the floor would break throug
with the weight; but they were too prou
, 10 express any fears TO the Commissioners
and hence the plausible excuse in regard t
the excessive heat Of the place.
/, MENDOZA, July 80, 1851.
O'Clock, P. NJ.
, Under the direction of Alexis Bailly
Esq, a large arbor was thus morning Col
struc,ed on the high plain near Pilot Knoll
Immediately above the landing, and CON
nanLing a fine view Of Fort Smelling, an
4 the beautiful surrounding country.
A stand and tables for the Commission
: ers, with seats in a circular form'in front {
: the chlefs,- having been likewise erected, I
r O'Clock p. NJ, the Council assembled an
: was opened by Col. Lea, who said
Chiefs, Headmen, ond WGrrfors Brotl
ers: We met you in Council yesterda!
and made known TO you the terms upo
which we have been instructed by yot
Great Father to make a treaty. In ii
house where we met yesterday it was war;
aud uncomfortable. You then expressed
wish we should meet you to-day out I
doors, in the open plain. 1t gave us ple'
sure TO accede to your request, and we ha'
4 hal this place prepared to-day. We hol
: you have considered seriously what we sa
10 you yesterday, and we are now ready
c, hear what you have to say in answer. Al
a. no one speaking for some time, at leng'
Wah-pay-sha said: Faihers-These chief
soldiers, women aud children around, hay
heard what you said yesterday. You to
them the words Of our Great Father, col
,e cerning our welfare. You gave US this p
m per the proposition of the Commissioners
and requested US to consider it. We ha'
= done so; and now return It. have nothiI
more to say.
J. Col. Lea:-We have listened respectfr