The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1881-06-29
Laramie Boomerang,

1~A"1A'>
There will be g big poW-Wow at the White
River Agency on the 25tb, at which the Utes
will decide whether they will go away to
their new lands peacably or not.
We are permitted to publish in advance
the written statement of Chief Colorow,
which he will submit to the meeting on that
occasion, and give it below:
Gentlemen Of the Conference, Wa,75ors. and
Pd5e-Faced Snooze1s from tie Land Of the
Rising Sum-:
My people to-day are cordially invited by
the white father to pack up their furniture
and 60 West to grow up with the country.
We are asked to leave oar lands and take
up some claims in another locality under the
desert land act.
The white father tells bis children to scoot.
He says he needs these lands in his business,
and asks the red man to gather his papooses
and take g. little excursion into a strange
land.
The white father knows that when he
speaks be must obey his voice. He has the
regular army and another man to enforce his
commands. .
We accept the situation. The bones Of
our ancestors are here. Here are our homes.
Here are the spirits Of our. dead. We have
handed in cur remonstrance, but it don't
count.
In a few moons we must turn our backs
upon these bills and valleys and 90 to our
new reservation.
White men with their pale squaws and
spindle shanked kids will build their wig
vans here. The prospector will come here
and dig holes il the earth, and the farmer
will plant his crOok-neck squashes above the
ashes Of my people.
When the white father starts the music W.
waltz to it.
We have been asked to irrigate the coun-
try here and hoe corn like the white man.
Our hearts are heavy, and we cannot pro-
mote the string bean. We will do what is
right, but we cannot work. The Indian can
not hunt the potato bug when the deer and
antelope are ripe. He cannot dig post holes
in the hot sun when the chase calls upon him
TO go forth into the forests.
Here, where we have roamed through the
tall grass, and hunted the buffalo, the pale
faces ask US TO build irrigation bitches and
pIoW the green earth with a rebelious
mule.
Here, where our war cry has been answered
back by the giant hills, we are told to whack
bulls and join the church.
They come to as and tell Us wear pants and
go to school. They ask ns to learn the Ian
guage of the pale face and go to Congress.
Tney send men to Us who want US TO learn
to spell and wear suspenders.
We cannot do this. We are used to the
ways of our people. Our customs are IS old
as the universe. We scratch our backs against
the mountain pine as our people did q thou
sand years ago. We cannot change. We
can leave our land, but we cannot change
our socks every spring and do as the white
man does.
We can go away from our homes and live
in strange countries, bat We cannot wear
open-back shirts and lead in prayer.
Warriors, we will go to the land our white
father has given Us. We will take our
squaws and yaller dogs, our wigwams and
our heas.
We viii 60 to our new home beyond the
river now, and when the autumn comes W.
will take a bridal, tour back to this country.
We will construct a holocaust, whatever
that is, and spatter the Intellectual faculties
of the ranchers all over the country.
This is all. I am done. / have made my
remarks, | have twittered my twit.