New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-12-19
Washington. d. G.. Dec. II, l-JO.
An IOWA CHIEF TO HIS BRETHREN.
VISITING WILD TRIBES Il INDIAN TERRITORY
AND ADVISING THEM TO ABSTAIN


To the Editor Of The Tribune
81: have 5,t returned trip 10 the several
Indian tribes east # oklahoma. -pcnt gay ="
two with each. the Ionas. the Kicapoos and H'' ana
FlN tribes. on return passed throuIh the "''
ard Missouri country. ! went IS q friend oi The Iowa
chief william ToIlcc who induced me 10 visit th"
t.l,o, with d view t. d.spclug the Messiah craze.
ON The night Of December = the Iowa chief. William
1oII~r three Of his principal men, Hotch cc NIe
Running Deer and Long Knife. and myself lcu inns
cty after do,k mounted on fleet ponies ana ItaHIA-
.rycl Others our destination beng the village of j"
I.,- twenty five miles due east The trip vas
memorable one. The Indians. all except the Chief. ~
rcD.od every moment 90 Doe ovcr1hcu by tie mill
The chief IS not believer iu tie MESSIAH craze
AID is doing all he t. qucIl il. Io-hee h'-
ioca blind from ms youth. first M Hm
NAcn crossed Tie country ju-t after the War and
while the Indians were tDeII reservation 80
Nof-hern Nebraska. 'hru. after march OF
100 miles. worn ont. and vas in company Win "a
number Of miner, AVID a train Of Government bull
teams. making the military post near sat Lake. ~
wa, SICK and Worn ont the ,hcn Chief White Cloud
allowed he to remain with the tribe three months.
Yhcn the present chief. j." IIce. and ny self formed
friendship that remains 10 TN, day. - uo", when
TIE blind chief desired advice, he aomc'Im", l~'cr-
10 me. 1hi, Messiah craze has taken such It hpid
OH his people (Vho only number eighty iDur
souls and the ucshboring Tribe that blind a. he
=, he is visiting tribe after tribe and hcg9inS them
to stop their ghost dance.
At his village council held and To-lcc
made one Of the most pathetic talk, !
ever listened to- lie told them that.
although the white had taken their land. tn
must remember that tie Great Father fed and clothed
them. some few Of h, Young men and advisers there
and then pledged him loyalty
Within four hours after arrival there. we saddlrd
fresh ponies and started for the kIckapoo village
w, I've miles distant. The party arrived there ~
noon. Council was asked FOR and by 3 O'Clock the
party met The Kckapoos dirty. Indecent.
mixture Of Indian, negro and Mexican. The meeting
lasted until 8 O'Clock Then tho K!cnapop> began
dancing and drinking kind Of ntOxcant that really
seemed TO set them Wild confes, ! wa sncd
AT 3 O'Clock the next morning To-ice and l~ friends
held another meeting and at O'Clock our party
called on the Kickapoo, again The language spohel
by the Iowas Is entirely different from the Kic,apo,
language, The KichapOOs use signs mos'h
made by the hand, and fingers. coulC
understand nothing they said except what
could catch ~ Iowa Interpreter VINO uu
derstood both Iowa and Kickaroo, translated for nj
chief. Vic-tordu-pee acted as Interpreter lie Is
friend to the white men. The Kckapoo chief became
angry. lie imagined that the Interpreter was no
telling To. Hec honestly what he sad. Another inter
prefer WAS called. Klckapoo named T 3-la ma More
lie. after NIcOrdu pee interrupted the Kclapoo', re
marks would repeat the translation back 10 MS chef
This satisfied the ugly kichapoo and 50 the speech.
making competed To-liee did excellent woIk here
THc kichapOO chef embraced hs blind blO her and Al
OF party. and assured That he had >olntc con
troll Of his tribe. and that fear need be entertained
! would lot trust The old sounded for Il moment
We started on the morning of December .. and rod,
fifty two IslcS 10 the aud Fox alton N0tlu
Of interest occurred here. These Indians had been I'M
vited two days before arrival there bN delegation
IF Cts!enncs and ArapahOc,. ana have iuIulgcd in
ghost dance; god. OF, at least. a rcpIcscutatIv,
OF the Messiah had been made OF Of their men. Tn,
SdCs and Foxes, however take little interest IN In,
craze ana openly say that they do not believe Ia,
sga pleasant meeting was hed and TO Iie'
upon them the fact that Low. the Indian, had sole
their lands 10 the whites and have agreed take farm
along with white brothers any demonstration un
favorable TO the whites would only tand TO della,
matters.
| accompanied To-iee back to within twenty mile
81 h, home and then Of his trusty young men