The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-07-31
BELLEVUE, La, THURSDAY, JULY 81, 1S79

70. .r. a.
have melted away. There are not more
than $4,000 left.' ......
"You have about 600 lodges $4,000
people) AS many as that. Thus 46, 900
of Your people are willing to live in the
gift houses-that is, these 1000 are
wiser than the 10000"
"They did not consent to sell their
country. Spotted Tail and Red Cloud
and some more sold for them. Many
of them are dead now. They thought
they were wise. They find they were
fools. None of them were Unca-pa-pas.
No INCA papa chief ever sold his coun-
try. What right had these men to sell
it? We would not agree to what they
had done. Then they made your people
believe that we were hostile, and your
people commenced chasing us over the
prairies. We did not want to fight
We ran and hid from them. They
trailed us until the long-hair found us,
and then we fought for our women and
children"
1t was plain that the references to the
Custer battle, or to the prosecutions of
Indian, by the whites. were exciting the
warriors, and, while did not recognize
any immediate personal danger in the
flashing eyes around me, l still felt that
it would be prudent to draw their atten-
ton from the subject.
"You remember when the white
chief, Terry, came to you and told you
what the Americans were willing to
do?"
"He told us to 60 to gift-house and
give up our horses and guns"
"And are you not willing to do thatP"
"Why do your people treat us differ
ent from the other Indians? You want
us to live in houses and give you our
guns and horses. The Crows are at a
gift-house, but you let them have guns
and horses, let them hunt, and let them
go to war. Will your people feed us?
Will they let us keep our guns and
horses? Will they let US 60 to war when
our young men get restless? The Youk-
tonos have their guns and horses. There
are GAO lodges coming to join US in the
hunt. They are only half a day from
here. The Assinaboines have their
horses and guns, and can hunt when
they want to. But you want to disarm
us. You want to take all we have and
leave us to sit with our hearts sad while
other Indians are hunting the buffalo.
Your people would not feed us. You
do not feed even those who trust you.
We would be left to starve, and have
our wives and children starve before us,
and we could not get food for them, be.
cause we would have no guns. But my
} people will not trust you with our guns
They are afraid of your actions, and
they keep their Long Knives in the watch
for you. What have we done? Yor
dream about the country, and there are
| terrible stories of outrage committed by
US. The stories are lies. Why dom
/ they find out the truth? No; you ART
, wrong. You can't tell me why you
people make war on me. They can no
/ tell, either. Do your people believe al
3 that is told themp Then why will they
8 not believe us?'' 4@te
, "The buffalo are getting scarce
9 They are travelling south beyond tn.
? Missouri. When they are gone what vii
your people do for foodP' l asked him
/ "You must not think that the Grea
: Spirit does not watch me as closely a
? he watches you. He put me on thes
;. prairies and he has permitted me t
thrive with them. know that he
9 watching me and he will never leave m
e to starve. When the buffalo are gon
}. he will give me something else. Th
e Americans must think the Great Spiri
n looks after them alone He is with m
/ as much as he is with them, and l kno,
e he Furnishes those who persecute me, a
b though l don't see it."
n "Are you willing to live in the mott
n er's country, at peace with the Amer
n cans, if they will let you alone?"
l. This answer was scarcely responsive
J. "When we went to the White Motf
e er's land told the Lances that we ha
left behind us all the bad We had eve
,e done; that had been bounded in M
q own country, and had come to find
q place where could sleep sound. l ws
told that there were laws, and stri'
}: laws, that l had to obey. 1 asked
q hear what these laws were. When
# heard them l said I would obey then
| and was told l could remain there
,t peace. / stayed there for two years ar
+. Slept sound. You may ask the chiefs
" the White Mother if did not obey the
n laws as promised I would"
as "Could you not obey the laws
your own country?"
is :" Yes, but what are your laws! a
fs know about them is that they SCI
y. the Long-Knives to kill u.s."
:" Have you seen any Americans sin'
= you have been here?"
a. ga train of carts passed here fro
~ the soldiers house on the Nilsson
~ -, (Fort Buford) to the new soldiers hou
-, ~ on Beaver Creek Fort Assinaboine
~ ~, We saw it, but we did not molest it. "
1s ,s "Have you seen the soldiers hou
m on Beaver CreekP"
W. W. "We have seen it-yes," broke
=, ~ Long Dog, who is something Of b
~ morist as we'll as hot-tempered savae
=, "We have seen it, and we have 81
oo rounded it by our young men, to
rs rs that it is protected against other In
II ans"
> - This observation provoked lau
A from even Sitting-Bull, and Long d
a grinned. -
AS he spoke, Sitting Bull drew out