The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1852-05-27
For the Pioneer.


For the Pioneer.
Lac Qui Parie, Minnesota River, May Sd.
Ma. EDITOR The only news Of this
quarter now, relates to the Indians, whose
villages are on the stream from here To Lac
Traverse, aud to the bands who hunt be-
tween the Coteau de Prairie and the Mis-
souri,, and who formerly subsisted almost
entirely by hunting and following the Buf.
falO in its ranges east OF The Missouri, and
on the great plains Of the Cheyenne river.
But the rapid decrease Of these animals and
their total disappearance from the usual
hunting grounds during the past winter, has
brough, on a crisis which had long been APP
pretended by those among the whites, who
have had experience in the country, and a
thorough knowledge of the habits, and
modes of life, Of the various band, who in
habit t-or have been led TO pass through
the plains in their hunting excursions.
As practical illustration Of this, the
writer can state from very potent proof,
that this season there will not he twenty
buftalo-robes gathered from all the bands,
whereas formerly, these Indians disposed of
some thousands, besides using grea; num-
her for their own purposes, as clothing, bed
ding, and lodges. They are now niserably
off for all these articles, indispensable 10 the
exterior of IA hunter. During the whole of
the past scarce winter they have suffered
the very exireunites Of misery and starva-
ton, aud had 10 prolong their wretched ex-
stence by occasionally finding an old buffalo
bull--too weak 10 follow the herds in their
migrations--a few wolves. and their dogs,
and lastly their horses. Many of them have
had to kill their all of these useful animals
in some instances from two to three TO Il
lodge, but allowing only an average Of one
horse per lodge. There must have been
at least two hundred devoured 10y the Sisse
toan aud Pah haxa hands.
They have been wandering about in all
directions, during the winter; and at one
time, in January OF February, portion of
their most vigorous men and scouts got as
far as 'Devi's Lake." where, it is report
ed, they found n camp Of Pembina hunters
cessful in their hunt. From these hunters
trained dogs, (forty they report,) loaded
with buffalo meat. The meIif, fred upon
then, but killed none, and The Indians we're
so satisfied with their other prize, that they
allowed the hunters to retreat norlhward
without further molestation.
This "black maii' adventure enabled
the Sioux's to reach their camps, and sub
sequenily the main body of them 10 return
TO the villages where they plant n little
corn-but their crops having failed last
year, they are still IN "A starving condition
barely sutsistiug on fish--gane and water
fowls Of every kind being unusually scarce
this spring.
These Indians are parties to the treaties
of Traverse des Sioux, and now look for
ward 10 its ratification as their only hope of
procuring the means, OF commencing et1ec-
tualiy. the cultivation of the earth as their
only reliable source Of future subsistence
Indeed, it may he safely asserted, that
many Of the upper bands have at length
reached the crisis in their tate--tbe very
turning point IN their existence as n peo-
pie. They have of late years had continu-
ally the most trying ordeal> to pass through.
such as none but race trained to the eX-
tremes Of suffering and privatioDs could en-
lure. But even an Indian cannot live al
1cays upon starvation, without an occasional
course of dog or horse bones 10 pick
When these fail, as they have almost done,
their only hope--and it Is still s,rong-wilI
he in the interpoSI,on Of paternal govern
ment, and the fulfllnent Of its treaties
made with lhenl--which they regard as
strong, sacred and not to he disregarded,
or lightly set aside.
Apart from achat ice knoc Of our own
Indians, we have genera! rumor that two
hundred lodges Of Missouri Indians, some
PahbaXa, with few Sisseton>, have all
persisted starved to deaih-sonew here in
that vast country of intermnatle I.lainS,
which lies between the sources of the
Cheyenne and east Of the Missouri Al
lowing for the usual eAaggeratons, in such
gases. we have concluded that quite a mum
her must have peri-hell-and we know that
some lodges have disappeared in snow
storms, OF starved 10 death--or both--be-
longing to the bands of The Co,eau, and the
vicinity Of Big Stone Lake.
This is a depIorable enough state Of
thInss now, and The end is not yet. NJ.