Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1855-12-15

will leave j. of: Yet tbs once 4 vii 70 to
iuar, and then ,c;A stop. sdnd so Nth all
other customs must perform them once more
before forsaking them. 1Rsv I ,viN Isave then,
all off By degrees. This Think IS right. When
have done this will teach my friends very
much. will tell them the word of the Great
Spirit. As have written in this letter so will
l do. If you keep us in remembrance and do
well to US, shall like it. Then will always
regard, and love and remember you." This
extract shows that even the Indians, with the
help Of the devil, can discover the principle OF
gradually .tOrsaking sin.
Since that time, fourteen years have passed,
and he has not yet come out fully on the Lords
side. sNSfue
Two years before, a little corn mill had been
erected at the Mission. The war party wished
to grind corn for their expedition, and they
came with their own horses and had obtained
the key and opened the mill, but needed assis-
lance in commencing operations; no assistance
was given them, and they went away very
angry.
In twenty-seven days, much longer time
than usual, the war party returned, without a
single scalp. Before they started had told
their Nedatahoonka, or leader, We would pray
that they might not kill any one and we did
not forget to do it. This amounted, in their es-
timation. to high treason, and to this, they now
attributed their want of success and the difficult
ties of the way. They went to an Ojibwa vii
lage, but found no one-they wandered abou,
and had hard time, being, as they said, five
days without food. All this, they believed, had
happened to them in answer to our prayers,
and while returning they vowed destruction to
every thing belonging to the Mission. In pur-
suance Of this determination, two days after
they reached home, they killed another Of the
Mission cattle and wounded several more. II
one of their own people had opposed them, and
in any way frustrated their plans, they would
have killed his horse and dog. cut up his tent
and blanket and broken his gun and kettles.
Thus they would have soldier killed him. BY
this custom they justified themselves in killing
our cattle. .
The Mission was not much annoyed after
that. The faith of some in their superstitions
was shaken, and they expressed themselves
freely to the effect that all the signs of the Da-
kotas were false, except to tell where enemies
might be found. Eage.Help,a prominent In
dian, held to the idea that he could hold COM
munication with spirits-that he had tried it Of
ten and never failed. Mr.. Riggs endeavored
to disabuse him of this idea, and succeeded so
far as to influence him not to 60 on war par
ty again, and he has said since that he thought
the killing of enemies was wrong.
The following story illustrates the Indians
supernatural idea Of finding their enemies
Marpeeyamaza, or 'front.' Cloud, was a chief of
one of the tribes formerly located at Red Wing.
He says that he was once Il white man and
then he was born an Indian. The evidence
u.s. that before he saw a medal, he dreamed the
white people put one on his neck, and before
any cannon were brought into this country, he
dreamed he saw two-one white, the other red.
In this dream the Takoo- WaIcon told him to 90
to war against the Ojibwas. He was shown a
high hill, and at the loot of the hill lake, and
on the lake canoe with two persons III it. He
was to smite them and bring home their scalps
After the vision had been repeated to him sew
eral times, he went out with war party
found everything as had been represented to
him, the hill, the lake, the canoe, the men, but
when they came to land on the other side, ev-
erythng had vanished. The Tdkoo-,pakon
had deceived him, and he never went to war
again.
The unsuccessful war; party continued to kill
the cattle at the Mission, demanding reparation
for the evil we had done them. | told them
we should make no reparation whatever. They
demanded remuneration for getting angry, but
did not feel disposed to pay us for the cattle
they had killed. They wanted to make a war.
party, and the burden of our offense vas that
we had told them Of God. Finding that they
could not drive US to their terms, they sought
to intimidate us by powder and lead, but by the
advIc OF Dr 10
we refused to accede to their demands. We
made feast for the principal men Of the viii
lage, in order to get their opinions, but they
would rot express any. This controversy had
continued some months, when Nicollet who
was exploring the country, made his appear
ance at Lacquiparle, and generously proposed
to the Indians to assist them in paying for the
cattle. They said they were poor, and he final
ly paid the whole amount, $3.50. This narra-
tive Ct facts was given by the writer to show
the workings Of the Dakota mind as to right
and wrong. as well as some Of the vcisstudes
incident to missionary life.
About tits time several bloody battles were
being fought between the Dakotas and Oiib-
was on the east side of the Mississippi river.
The summer before an Oiibwa man had been
killed by the Dakotas and buried in the SOL
diers burying ground at Fort Smelling. The
murderers were arrested, placed in the guard
house but finally escaped. In the month Of
June, 1889, more than thousand Ojibwas
came to Fort Smelling, expecting to receive
their annuities, but their payment was to be
made at Lake Superior. They evidently came
with no hostile feeling, and they were treated
kindly at the garrison by all parties. The Da.
kotas smoked, danced, played and drank with
them, and finally the Ojibwas started on their
way home. Two Of the young men repaired
to the graves Of their fathers in the soldiers
ground, and wept over them. The Oiibwas
were in two parties-one going up the Missis-
sippi-the other down. That night the two
young men (Ojibwas) who were seen in the
burial ground weeping. secreted themselves
near Lake Harriet, and early the next morn
ing shot and scalped Dakota hunter His
dead body was discovered and carried home,
and the news sent an electric shock through
the whole tribe. Zeethadandoota, or Red Bird.
brother-in-law Of the slain. came in, took the
beads from the neck Of the slain, kissed them,
saying he would die with him. His son was
crying near by. Said he" are you woman!
don't you know the Ojibwas started for home
yesterdays" Selling his gun. the son follow.
ed his father. A large party was soon made up
and after crossing the Mississippi, circle was
formed and Red Bird distributed among them
the beads Of the slain, and after smoking the
pipe they all swore revenge. Red Bird pro.
posed that they should take no captives, bu,
should kill all. The party started in pursuit.