Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-08-03
Speech Of Bone Necklace, Head Chief OF
the Yanktonnais Tribe, before the North
western Indian Commission. June IL.

NV name is Bone Necklace. am
head chief of the Lower Yanktonnais
tribe. Ny tongue is not forked ! speak
the truth and offer you clean hands.
This country belongs to me, and this
great river (Missouri) is my own. These
medals here upon my neck were gwen
by the Great Fathers white men many
long summers ago.
long ago sent my words to our Great
Father, but have received no answer. !
fear they were lost Every year the
Great Fathers white children come out
to us with good words for my people; but
that is all. Why don't our Great Father
fulfill his promises with his red children =?
7 see white men touch the Bible when
they tell the truth, | have done so too
and have come here TO talk plainly.
The Great Spirit made mnltitudes ot
people and placed them over the world
where he wanted them He placed the
red men here, and gave them these rivers
and forests, aud rolling plains, with the
elk and buffalo for their living. But
now nv Great Father is sending his
white children all over our country and
is driving the wild game from my chill
drens mouths. Where shall we goY
What shall we do? On the east of us,
the Santees long ago sold their lands to
the whites, and because the Great Father
was slow 20 bring them food to live on in
the place of game, they rebelled and
murdered white women and children,
and now they are scattered all over our
country, fleeing from the white soldiers
NV fair land is all turned over as by a
wbirlwind. No more can our warriors
plant and fish in safety by the wooded
brookside, nor my young men hunt the
buffalo on the plains. When look to
the north and see the smoke Of the white
mans trains rise from the plains, and
find a great wagon road over my hunting
grounds, it makes my heart sad, and |
think my Great Father has forgotten his
red children.
look out on the face of my native
rivers and plains, and love them well
| also love the whites, and do not want
to fight them; but cannot hold my
young men from goiug to war when they
see the game driven from their country.
When the whites come out among us,
they always move in large armies but
am not afraid to go among them and
shake hands. We do not want the whites
to travel through our lands on great high
ways, but they may navigate the river.
1t would take more than a boat load OF
goods every year to pay my people for
the loss of game, in feeding and clothing
their children. What we want our Great
Father to do for us, is to send us guns,
powder and ball, and let MS live unmo-
Tested on our own plains and hunting
grounds.
never planted in my life, but think
can learn, if my Great Father will but
help me; but my people would rather
pursue the hunting game. This is our
way of living planting is yours. Our
furs will buy our -four and sugar, and
our gnns and powder will kill our meat,
while the skins will cover our nakedness,
and then we will be friendly and happy.
| don't say that you ever stole anything
from us, but the Yanktons sold a portion
of my lands to you.
| hope that these words may reach
the ears of my Great Father, that he
may know what his red children want.