The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1859-06-01
HOEE-YN-THEeDAY.


The following is an extract from the
Century, on the Indians in Minnesota.
The present Head Chief of the Chippe-
ways, inherited his name from his prede-
cessor and father. The name itself is an
imperfecs translation, by ignorant white
men, OF the Indian appellation, HoLE-rN-
THE SKY, (opening in the clouds,) the or
igin of which we will presently revert to In
another connection The young chief,
however, from the fact of being left early
an orphan, is familiarly known by anoth-
er appellation of mingled endearment and
respect, having grown up in the hearts
and on the tongues Of bis tribe as QUEE-
wEE-sANTz-''the Boy"--the Boy, par
excellence of his nation, very much as the
young Imperial Prince is the "Child of
France" His age is now probably little
more than thirty.
AT a council IN lS49, "The Boy" hay
ing just attained his majority, the occasion
offered for him to assert his craftsmanship.
During his minority, naturally enough,
and perhaps somewhat by the infection
Of white example, the government of the
tribe had been exercised by sort of Sen
ate composed of the chiefs Of the various
bands. mostly at this time old men. The
question before the Council was one of n
partial cession of Cbippeway lands to the
United States; and when the Government
officer had opened the subject, the old
chiefs rose to give their views according
to their wont. They were interrupted by
"the Boy" somewhat after this wise:
"Let no lChippeway speak before me,
the chief and ruler Of this nation. I am
chief of this people by double right. All
of the Chippeway lands which my moth
er did not inherit, were conquered by my
father. ] am the chief of the Chippe-
ways, to guard them from their enemies,
and to keep them the friends Of the white
man. 1t is my medicine and my destiny
to be the friend of the white man. This
is what my father told me when he came
to me in a vision from the spirit land. /
will give willing ear to the words Of my
Great Father in Washington. Let his Off
GERS speak to me, and [ will treat with
them. Let no Chippeway speak till /
have heard and spoken."
This assertion of position, received in
res pectful silence, was offectual; and 1.-The
Boy" gidcd at once, with dignity and
grace, into his proper distinction as the
Chief. His subsequent career has been
entirely consistent W it'll the indications he
then gave of character and Of policy. and
with antecedents to which we will now re-
vert
1t is the custom of these Indians, at q
period somewhat corresponding to that
when the Roman youth tremendously
assumed the toga virilis, to enter upon
the career of life by retirement for some
| days into the hollow OF top of a tree, there
to await some significant vision, such as
exhaustion from Starvation, prolonged ex
posure and dreamy solitude, can hardly
fail to bring on at that tender age. Such
vision is, for the future, cherished as the
great event of life, the guiding star of
hope, and the ruling principle of action.
Hole-in-the-Day the elder, simple
warrior by family, had seen, in his youth
ful experience, some break of lustre thru
an opening in the clouds, which predict
ed to him career of glory and conquest.
His destiny was realized by marrying the
daughter of the head chief, succeeding
| by this marriage to the virtual exercise of
craftsmanship, and, by great victories over
the Sioux, wrestling from them part OF
their lands.
oI'he Boy was visited, IN his proba-
ton, by imaginations of somewhat differ
ent aspect, and to which his subsequent
career has been closely formed, as in the
case of the Father. That Fathers spirit,
appearing through the clouds, informed
him that as warrior he should strike
his enemies; but as the head of his PEG.
nile If was his mission to lead them to hap
piness through the friendship ofthe white
man.
| The principle Of inheritance through
the mother is worthy of note as a coinci
dence between primitive idea and the
views which have been adopted, on reflec
ton, by many distinguished observers
that as rule, character and dignity (th'
claims to leadership descend per veatrena
A similar idea pervades the Indian inst
tuition of Totems or clans, within a tribe
Suppose four such Totcms in any tribe, a
f the Bird. the Fox, the Beaver, the Wolf
Every Bird, Fox, DC, can claim the plac
of Brother in any wigwam of the sam
Totem. But if man Of the Bird clal
marry woman Of the Beaver, the chi
dren are Beavers. Or, if woman c
9 Bird clan marry q man Of the Beayel
the children are Birds.