The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-10-16
Our char t.ld the Great Father that their land was

Our chiefs told the Great Father that their land was
eacYec, and that they must not part win ". OuE
Great Father then said he would send them OUT
sacrifice. He said he would send US something use
inl-guns, ammunition, money, blankets provision.
The next spring he sent them some goods, and IN
the fall he sent them some money The Great Father
opened paper before them like this, but in house
different from the one we are now talking m when
that pept was opened, Father, we think little brd
must have lit upon it, because after it was closed we
found that some OF the money-sone small ce.n-
was missing Some ani5ael, also, must have cNawled
under the sack ard gnawed hole in IL, az some of
the money has since leaked Olt of it. (This chief
speaks fguratiyely. They were entitled TO 10 much
money by the terms Of the treaty but the agents by
whom it was paid, cabbaged some of it, Wee.no-
shiek is a regular New Testament orator. and
deals more in figures than in facts.-REr.) Father
may often make feast to some spirit above. We
do not zee them eat, but we presume they do. We
make o feast 70 the Great Spirit, aud hang up deer
skias in the trees but we never see him come and
take them. Father, the second time this bird hew
over, he took more than be did the first the third
time he took more than he did the second; ard the
fourth time still more than the third. We could not
complain, as it was merely sacrifice to the Great
Spirit but we thought it strange that our Great Fa-
Their should allow them to take the Offering which
intended for him The fifth time we made treaty,
kept watch and saw from behind hand come for
ward and take three millions OF money. At one pay
ment / saw with my own eyes some boxes taken off
to Prairie do Chen. Now we will take a trip down
the river After the close of the Black Hawk war
we went down towards Prairie du Chen, and met
tall man, who said the Great Father was proud Of
the Winnebagoes, and thanked them aud gave them
land; that the Great Father going to give them
another piece of land on the Mississippi, opposite
Rock river, towards the Missouri. On the north it
should be touched by the Iowa river, and on the
other side by the Missouri. For half days travel
to the Yellow Banks and ten days travel north the
Winnebagoes have received nothing. but have often
expected to get something. All they have ever OBJ
tanned Of land on the west side was narrow strip on
Turkey river. The country on the west side be-
loDged to the Sacs and Foxesour Great Father said
It should belong us. In 1887 he marked out new
country for u.s. aad said his white children should
live on the east side and we on the west We found,
when we came back, that we had to move twenty
mics further and that twenty miles got pay for.
Gen. Atkinson removed U.s. and We thought the Great
Father would some day pay us. The Winnebagoes
have always been liberal to the Great Father. When
be wanted land they gave him freely. As time after
time we have gwen him land, We have been folio we'd
by white men-pCor roviog men in wooden shoes,
who settled on the land we parted with. In a few
years we have seen the same men rich--their peck.
cts full Of mercy. We have given our Great Father
much laid we gave him the lead mines on the east
side OF the great river. We have been very Ii )era
The land we gave him in 1887 was valuable for its
pine timber. Father, was once told n story by a
white man, and will tell it to You. He said there
were sixteen thousand dollars due 10 on old trea
ties, al that II we went to see our Great Father
might get it. You forget nothing; you have ears
ana eyes, and bands to put things down on paper.
The chiefs Went to get the money. They heart our
Great Father say they should receive it when they got
nome, aud that we should have IL with annuities.
About this time the birds began 10 come very thick,
and other little animals from below came in locks,
and THEY not only carried of much money, but goods
and provisions also. They have kept on, gro Smg
worse and worse till they have left scarcely any
thing. You see the prophets blanket. We have
bad two agents One gave us pieces Of cards for
money, which he said were worth ten dollars each.
The money was all gone, and he gave us cards. /
do not unt erstand books, bat tank know some
thing about them. l will hot make any misstate
nsn's. 90 not wish to tell long stories Il should
tell you all, 1t would take long time. THE forego
ing is concerning the smoucbing that was .rred on
during the late wbig administration. What follows
about beavers applies u lumbermen, who trespassed
On their timber lands] When Governor Ramsay
came up to see u.s. there was beaver who built
house at the ciossisg Of Swan river. This beaver
ynaweo down the piae trees, aud threw them into
he water do hot lie. have not seen any beav
srs in thus part Of the country, but on Long prare
srge family of beavers settled, and took the piue
.Iees, and threw them into Long Prairie river
Below that there was another beaver lodge
(umbermens camp) Those beavers lave all re-
moved down TO the big beaver dam a. the Falls,
st. Anthony Falls, where the saw-mills are
-REruHTEK,l aud l think they can be found
tcte. Is OF the timber this land valuable, aud
after We leave T. will not many beavers como and
'eai il 7 You told us that when you found ythng
belonging 10 the Winnebagoes you would give
il TO u. We expect the Great Father will get the
mol ey fer the timber we have lost and give it to us
p tr Lew country. Father, we heard you say that
,on wished to retain strip Of land for a road
y en- was in the ty where the Great Father
Nts. ssw such q road asy you spoke OF. AS we re.
uri,d from the wigwsm OF our Great Father we
,sne over that road, and the Car ran on big rock
10 killed man. Father, we hops, you never will
make such a read il our country. We thought you
Iaa already found place tor road. The white
rep marked o. e out, and we thought it good one
cra railroad. do not think the country around
1t should be on hard ground. You will be
obliged to build bridges, and do much hard
work to max your road good, If you make it there
We would rather you Should find some other place
for your road. We want our young men, when they
60 hunting, to scatter all around We thank you for
your generous offer OF the land; bat do not want
that trig htful road TO pass it. We afraid
our young men will cut trees across it, and keep us
in trouble We are very fond Of game;
but where white men go, game disappears Even
IS fer down a. the lower Missouri, game and buffalo
were plenty; but white men came there, and the
game went away. You are here in charge not only
Of us, but 1.-THE Sioux and Chppevas and all. You
marx out their lands and tell tnem where to Lve
The Winnebagoes hearing you say you would not
deceive them, thought there we're hopes of them and
ii cir cb6Iep. You stated, yesterday, that di ease
might come and take all OF US away but Wee no
shiek and bis family. Immediately after the conn-
I'll, as though your words were those OF prophet,
1ne of our biggest warriors tainted away, and We
thought he wes dead. | was very much frightened;
or thought disease bad already come, and that we
never should see the new country to which we are
oirg. We had he cholera among US once, which
took off macy Of our women and children. You,
ather, never sick; your people never die, exce9t
one at tine. am afraid that when we get to
Crow river something terrible will happen 10 us. !
am only telling you in my talk what we fear. ! nave
made a long story. Little Hill viii speak TO you
about he Improvements 1T Long Prairie. Then,
shaking bands with the commissioners, ne sat down
On the grass.
LITTLE Hill Father, have few words to say
to you now aud if you think they are right, hope
you will grant our request am not going 10 make
9 long speech ! can task Ike white man, and
tell short stories. shall commence my talk no fur
TIER back than our last home on Turkey river When
we agreed to leave that home, we were promised q
good country ia the north. Our rold to that new
country lay through q land occupied by very bad
/, dians. ibe Winnehsgoes take pity on all persons
they find in want. When we started for that ne
rev country, we were rich in everything; our young
mes owned two horses EACH When we reached the
Mississippi We had to buy road, aud it cost us
nearly sll we had, horses, money and wampum, to
nay tor and come I'M here. and when we reached