The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-07-09

Many OF the tepees were made OF tanned ouHale
hides and at distance they looked ike whits
canvas. Tue lar ger lodges were twenty rect hiRn
and fifteen or twenty feet In diameter at the base.
John Grass or The-man-wno-intercept bear
is the Chief His cousin. VINO was at the 10 &c,
pointed to the South and said that he mad gone TO
plant. "How fir"I asked. Away behind the
hill, three or four miles'' ne said. Up ut the tort
a lot OF the Indians were daneng. the great
chief himself had gone TO put IN his crops. But
there was another chief on the ground who acu
In his absence. The interpreter sent Tor him. and
we went TO The ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ara
mothers tent to await MS coming. she bade US
welcome. and we took seats on purple blankets.
Her daughter wore q thimble and was mendng an
ordnarycoat sucn as is sold in the stores. Hen
daushter-in-law was reposlng on buGilo otto
man which was spread In little boudor cun'
ninsly partioned OFF in one side OF the lodge
Tnere were two or three trunks and other evil
dences OF civilization. The chief soon came. He
put out his hand and said, "How-w-w." There ara
seven nations of the Sioux. The WORD meana
allies or confederacy The principal tribes ara
Mini-ka-ojus (Minneconjous), Sans-arcs, Hunk-pa-
pas Yankton1s Backleet Two-Kettes ana SAM
tees This chief Is named Setting Crow and his
nation Is the Blackfeet. He calls himself the mead
soldier or Tne.man-w holm tercepts. the-pear l
should have gone aud interviewed the latter
where he was planting. but the boat was already
at the landing and another would not come FER
several days. Setting Grow took o scat, passed
the pipe and began as foows:-
WHAT SETTING CROW SAID.
We have 100 lodges, about 1000 people We have
been around the agency one year. (rhe BIackfeet
have been known ~ hostlle) The rather OF Yhe-
man W no. ntercepts-t bear is dead He was one
OF the first to help the commissioners. tSetting
Crow was one OF the iourteen chiefs who visited
the Great Father In Washington. We we're prom
ised four kinds OF administrators, sheep, hogs and
chickens We have seen only cattle. | have VS.
tied the agencies along Inc river, aud find tnas
where there is only one band the Indians get
along better and have more to eat Years age we
selected the lands on the MOreau River (ntoen
miles below the mouth of Grand River, on the
MissourD. We like that country and want to go
there 10 live and plant our crops and have no
other Indians around US. There are many hilf
breeds VINO would i've with u ana help us to farm
and raise cattle. / am very glad 10 have some
one come from the great white nation anu get a
true statement. We ike to have the good whites
visit Us. We want TO obey the Great Father and
do what is right We have many fathers placed
over US. but they play with the goods sent US by
the Great Father on the boats. They put them
away In different rooms and we never get all OF
them. they say that we lie and have plenty to
what you see and how mucn we have TO iced our
wives and children. The Great Father sends US
food for seven days; IL lasts as three days and We
starve four. We were hungry early in the winter.
We want father who will not put our goods be-
hind MIN ana let us starve. one agent used
our rations to hire squlws for his own use.
tie prost;tuted them. His whIskey caused one OF
our young men to kill another. One man looked
into Lis door when he was drunk. lie fred The
t.l..
again. THIS agent not only drank himself, put
he allowed whiskey to be brought to
the agency. We are sure the traders worked
with the agent and he with tae traders. They
were constantly together. The traaet's treat
ment OF US condemns him. He gives US what nc
calls So for a beef bide but he pays US In goods
which are high. He gives us for "A hide twelve
yards OF poor Calico or six pounds OF sugar or s1
pounds OF bacon. lie asks $50 palr for oankeu
which cost So. The white men cut our hay and
wood, and In the winter sell 1t to us, II We get Il
at all. The traders give US only So or 81 Tor buffalo
robes, 81 for beaver skins, nifty cents Tor deer, and
they charge fifty cents pound for sugar. The
trader has contract for cutting our timber, aud
we want pay Tor It, lie charges nigh for hs
Things; let him pay for ours. We 20 to the stores.
They care nothing for us; and II we nnger In
golng out they abuse us, except when we have
lurs 10 sell, then they are friendly. We have half
breeds who would sell our wood 10 the steam-
boats, tut rich white men come and take 1t away
and we get netting. know what have seen with
my eyes and heard among my people. Tue agent
who is now gone hired our women Tor q night and
so did tue trader. speak truthluly and without
lear of any man. l speak Tor our women and our
children. The soldiers have not always used us
we'll Sometimes scorns and treats Us badly.
One OF our young men was shot, but whskey, lur-
nlshed by she agents interpreter, did It, and
suppose the soldiers were not 10 blame. The
oficer who IL the head soldier here seems TO nave
good mind and to lean kindly toward u.s. The
Blackfeet come last on tae agents list, and when
there IS not enough food to go around we sunel
and starve. We hope the great white nation viii
hear our voices and send US help ana honest men.
1t makes my heart very glad to know that the
great newspaper maker sends TO have as speak
the truth. We know that our word Will touch the
good heart that Is In the white nation. We want
to 20 TO the Moreau country and raise cattle and
horses. Ii Is only hope OF saving eur helplesi
and aged. IL was the business OF the agent to LEI
us have voice III the Black Hills council. But Id
cared nothing for US. Mona Of US are willing "a
sell IT, We might be willing II We could see The
Great Father and know his wishes He SAID
that no one should take IL from us or bus
IL without our consent. And because OF these,
the words OF the Great Father, l wish could
have gone and talked with him. He has said he
would show US the good path TO walk in. so we
want to be at the Moreau, where we can control
our young men and keep them from mixing with
bad indians. The soil and grass are good there
In otner places things wont grow We did noe
receive oil the cattle sent to as. some were sold
to the white men. Harness were to come VITA
each wagon. We got none We have interDre-
ters who read the papers and tell how much 10
intended for u.s. but We never get 1t. Our eyes
DON'T lie to u.s. Sometimes they weigh the cattle
and sometimes they don't. Two hundred head
were Kept In the corral until they died Of starva-
ton. then they were given to US. The Small
Father at washington ttne COMMISSIONER agreed
to send US teachers and show us how TO plant
Where are tueyS small patch OF ground IN
proxen, but what win grow In It unless 1t Is mar
rowedS The farmer and mis- men never show us
how to plant and raise things. When was IN me
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