The Montana post., 1868-10-02
TREATY WITH THE BANNACKs.


The recent treaty made by Governor
Tufts and Major Cullen, with the Ban
nacks, deserves something more than a
passing notice. This tribe has never
before received any notice from Govern
ment. II is now comparatively insig-
nificant in numbers, and from repeated
unsuccessful collisions with the Black
feet and Crows, broken in spirit and
prowess. In the early history of that
part of the Territory surrounding Ban
mack and Virginia City, the settlers were
greatly molested by the Bannack and
Snake Indians; some were killed, others
robbed, and their demonstrating pro-
pensities were freely INDUCED at the
expense of travellers and emigrants.
The leading chief in these early forays,
was Pocotello, a man of no mean abili>
ties, and a warrior TO be dreaded. In
the winter of 1858, Pocotellos band, in
cluding women and children, were
camped upon Bear River. General Con-
nor, with about 200 men, attacked them
in mid-winter, and sparing neither sex
nor age, taught them lesson they have
never forgotten. From the time of this
event, Pocotello has been forgotten,
and the Bannacks have been the steady
and firm friends of the settlers. Ten
doy, or as he is commonly called, Ten
dora, is the chief of the band with which
tine treaty was made. 1t numbers be-
tween 500 and 600. and has been for
many years, inhabiting the country be-
tween the southern part of this Terrific
ry and Snake River, on the north and
south, and Salmon River, in Idaho, and
the head waters of the Madison and
Missouri on the east and west. These
Indians are very poor. Unable from
weakness, to visit the buffalo hunting
grounds. where they would be cut to
pieces by the Crows and Blackfeet, they
are obliged to pick up a precarious SUBJ
sistance by fishing, hunting for small
game, and gathering roots and berries
for winter supplies. The citizens of
Virginia know very many of Tendora's
band. and during the past season, as
we'll as in the years preceding it, have
bought gooseberries. and other articles
from them, and thus contributed to
their support. Many of them encamp
in the vicinity of town. for winter quar-
sers. and begging from door TO door,
seldom go away hungry. They are
regarded as harmless, and as objects of
pity, rather than dislike. Their past
history is proud one. Mr.. Irving, in
his Astoria, giving an account of their
condition as long ago as 1912, writes
thus: The Shoshones, (Which is the
original tribal name of the Snakes and
Bannacks,) are branch of the once
powerful and prosperous tribe of the
Snakes, who possessed a glorious hunt
ing country about the upper forks Of
the Missouri, abounding in beaver and
buffalo. Their hunting ground WAS oc-
casionally invaded by the Blackfeet.
but the Snakes battled bravely for their
domains, and long and bloody feud
existed with variable success. At length
the Hudson Bay Company, extending
their trade with the interior, had deal
ings with the Blackfeet, who were near
est to them, and supplied them with
FIRE arms. The Snakes, who occasionally
traded with the Spaniards, endeavored,
but IN vain, TO obtain similar weapons;
the Spanish traders wisely refused
to arm them so formidablY. The Black
feet had now a vast advantage, and soon
dispossessed the poor Snakes of their
iavorite hunting grounds, their land
of plenty-and drove them from
place to place, until they were
fain to take refuge in the wild
est and most desolate recesses of the
Rocky Mountains. Even here they are
subject to occasional visits from their
implacable foes as long as they have
horses or other property to tempt the
plunderer. Thus by degrees the Snakes
have become a scattered, broken-spir-
tied, impoverished people keeping about
lonely rivers and mountain streams, and
subsisting chiefly upon fish. Such of
them as still possess horses. and occa>
sionally figure as hunters, are called
Shoshonies; but there is another class
the most abject and forlorn, who are
called Shuckers, or more commonly
Diggers and Root Eaters" By this ex'
tract it will be seen that the condition
of this tribe has, in no wise, improved
since 1912, that. in fact, it has been
prowess. until it has hardly rank or
name among the powerful tribes of the
Territory. Major Cullen received in
structions from the Indian department,
to hold a counsel with them. ascertain