The republic., 1851-09-05
Local Matters.


their wild native costume. We noticed that their
faces not painted according TO the patterns
exhibited the previous occasion, but this is
counted for on the ground that they regulate this
important matter TO suit their dreams As in
stance, the youngest warrior, having dreamed that
he had killed an enemy, and washed his face in the
blood of his foe, represented his triumph by ap
plication Of vermillion during his waking hours.
The ComMIssIoNER having announced that he
was ready 10 receive the message of the Indians
I-AsK-wE-KE- CHG, or Crossing Sky, arose. and
took from bag string of wampum, his
dentials He then shook hands with the Comms-
sioner and spoke as follows, Emmegahbowh acting
| as interpreter
My FATHER: mentioned to you yesterday what
brought US here. am now about to inform you
! particularly. Before left my country every In
dian gave me consultation, and they expect me to
! return with something, an answer from our great
| father. / am much pleased to meet you. have
done nothing wrong to any one, neither to the
| whites TO my people. Here are the words of
my red BRETHREN (holdng out the wampum, } to be
presented to their great father at their request 1t
s true it has been for long time my anxious de-
| sire to have the privilege Of seeing you and
| great father. This wampum was given to me by
many chiefs, and thereon they put the words which
| am about to say. Our people generally are get
! ting stirred up. They are afraid. They have
heard that our great father s gongto remove them.
| They therefore look all around them, and some
look to the Canada side. AS have said, we look
| around. We find no shelter, as 1t were We look
| to the shore of the We know that in the
course of few years we will be driven to the
shore, perhaps be drowned. Some of the chiefs
have expressed their desire of going to Canada for
a shelter, and some are going to die in their ma
| tive land. With great anxiety for my return,
they expect that shall get an answer from you or
our great father.
| am going to say few words respecting our
/ payment. We informed by our agent that
! you would furnish blacksmith, farmer, and
! teacher among oCr people. have often asked for
the blacksmith, teacher, and all these things. |
have asked father. 1t is known that it is almost
| fifteen years since first received annuites from
| the Governments and we have not seen any teach
| er or blacksmith in our land; perhaps we never will
| see any. am very anxious for this, father. We
| would like TO learn the ways of the white man be-
| fore we are exterminated from country
have come great distance, it is true have
come so far that expect to get good news from
| father. And about our timber. Last winter asked
| the Governor (Ramsay) about timber, and
| he gave me no satisfactory answer. My desire is
| this: want to get white folks to come into the
country, and hire them, as it were, to procure a
| cheap sawmill. We are ready to GO to work and
| build; but we can't do without boards. | am very
| weak. My weak You have strong
arms; you can lift strong thing. (Laying the
wampum on the table before the Commissioner
| | leave this with you.
CRossINo SKY again shook hands with the Com
missioner and then resumed his scat.
| KA-PE-wE- NINT-Safe Guide advanced and said
| to the Commissioner:
| shake hands with you and all the gentlemen
| The head warriors have consulted with me, and
| given me the words which am about to present to
! you. Our last payment VIC consider poor. Every
! where we heard wailing among the women and
men. Our father told us that great father sent
US the provision. We took it, but on account Of
| its scarcity there was death in our country After
! the payment was over, there only one blanket
left to After people started from the
! paying ground saw people lying frozen TO death
on their way home. We are poor and ignorant.
A great many of our people died. We did not
| ceive any money In the village where we live a
| great many of us are very poor.
The orator shook hands with the Commissioner
and resumed his seat.
| NA-GA-NE- GAH-B BowH, or Stand Before, now ad-
vanoed. He spoke in louder tone and with more
animation than his predecessors:
My FATHER: We are in a strange country, and
| hope you will listen to the few words have to
| say. Last summer, when we came to ST. Peters,
we had council with other tribes The tribes to
! which refer the Sioux. We had consuta-
ton at Fort Smelling last summer. When we all
collected together, both parties, there, father,
! the Governor OF the Territory, had talk with
| them. We were all ready to listen to father;
and when he sent word TO our country we all came
! down. When all the wrong done each other
counted it found that had done the
least wrong. When we had councils we could not
make any decisions among ourselves, and had TO
leave il to father and he told that he could
not decide it. He advised us to ask great ia
ther, and he would settle it, and said that would
| get answer from our great father in three
months. Then expected to get an answer from
our great father, and that he would do something,
and repair the wrongs the other tribes have done
to us. We gave our hands to our father, promising e
him that we would go home in peace, troubling no
man, and we did 30. We are always, | said,
willing to obey great father. Some time after
we arrived and sat down in our wigwams word
reached US that the Sioux had come and struck our
| RI 4 ia he rih hat Ind
| stricken our children.
The orator resumed his seat after shaking
| hands.
Commissioner LEA then desired the interpreter
to communicate to the delegation the following:
| have listened to you with pleasure, as | always
do to the talks of Indians, whatever tribe they may
belong to. Several things you have mentioned. /
could say great DEAL but it ia not necessary that
| should say much. You know that your people
made treaty with the United States and with
their great father; and sold great portion Of
! their lands, and promised to remove to other lands
| belonging to the Chppewas. They are well
known to their great father and the white people
as powerful, warike nation; and when they
make a bargain, we expect that they will stand by
it. II is no part of the wishes of the Government
| to deprive them Of their homes. On the contrary
| he desires to make their condition better. The
Chippewas are spread over an immense region Of
country. the game from which has departed and
it is comparatively of little use just now. Before
| POooOSelohJ
happily Indians, In Indian style But this is not
the case now. Almost all the powerful Indian
tribes which occupied this country found it
necessary TO sell out, in whole or in part, and
removes and 80 it is with the Chippewas
! The Government thinks of their happiness, and
this is what their great father desires. He is of
! opinion that their welfare and happiness would be
promoted if they would collect together in the
country selected for them, and have houses built
and schools established and all the improvements
and arts of the white people introduced among
| them 1t is impossible for these improvements to
be introduced while they are in scattered condi
ton. Ii the white people should scatter in the
country like the Chppewas, they would not main
tain schools and farms, nor would they live they
now do.
One of the speakers mentioned the subject of an
nuities, and the payment last fall; and said that
there was much sickness and death among them at
that time in consequence of insufficient provision.
! was sorry to hear that was the case. but it could
not be avoided. The best was done under the cir
cumsianccs that could be done. These kind Of
things cannot be avoided The Chippewas are
scattered over wide country; and il would be to
| their L, n MI at tba nj cd