The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-06

were convinced themselves that murder
had been done. then they would say. We
Will do II ourselves. n You do il. IL will
leave something here placing their hands
on their hearts. and il may make war
We VIII DO IL ourselves. and then there
Will be satisfaction.
a murderer was considered a public en-
envy. because he provoked war between
clans Of the same tribe
How did the enmity between your peo-
pie and the Sioux originate%'
"Oh, that was far back. and no one
knows. Probably IL came of difference
about murder. II the dead mans friends
took vengeance. then the accused frien Is
would take vengeance. and when that was
started II never could stop. There was
always vengeance to take on both sides"
"But our writer's say that you would
take vengeance on an innocent Sioux, one
who had never harmed YOU"
That Is not so. When war existed 4
Chippewa and Sioux would fight If they
met, just as two white armies would fight
II they met, when war between their peo-
pie existed Every warrior was a regiment
by himself"
t?' ''- '''O"
we allowed it-that is we did not pun
ish II directly; but a man who had two
wives was a bad man. and was classed
with the thieves. We were not friendly
with him."
That is to say. he could not rely upon
others for protection. or for the punish
ment of wrongs done him"
That's about IL. An Indian without
friends is not safe. He must have friends"
But did not this idea come in with the
missionaries?"
mo, il was always so. In old times a
man might have women slaves. If he cap
tured them from the enemy, but not two
vii of frsI,
What makes you think that the old
times were so much better? You have good
laws. no wars and the government will
not let you go hungry. Is not this better
than the old precarious and dangerous
way of living?"
I'VE did not go hungry. We had more
than we wanted You can see for your
self what We had from what is left after
so much destruction. There was no end
to the deer, moose. caribou. beaver. lynx
and all the smaller fur-bearers. and as
for the fish, you said there was no fun
catching them when you came, they were
too plenty-trout, bass, pike. pickerel
sturgeon-the waters swarmed with them
Then look at the wild rice, nuts. blGeber-
ries, wild plums-oceans of them And
then we had corn fields, and for smoking
the kinnikinik. The plains were black
with buffalo. We had no hard work to
do What we did was manly sport. while
IL provided US with food and clothing
And then we We're free. and free people in
the world with a whole continent in
which to enjoy It. We are not now what
we were our people have become drunk
ards, beggars. and towards. The white
man has destroyed us, along with every
thing else. l see that you have among
your photographs the picture of a Chip
pewa grave. That is the grave OF the last
of the Five Brothers. great warriors
m ic ha of t,a lac
of the Chippewas, because what were left
after the Seven Brothers and the Five
Brothers were no longer true specimens Of
our great and noble people. The Seven
Brothers were Tekumseh's best men.
They were known all over the Mississippi
valley. and the Five Brothers, who came
after them, We're as good They adopted
me when my father died. The last one
died thirty years ago, a very old man.
Il suppose you think the Seven Broth
ers made a President of the United States
because he beat them at Tippecanoe?"
yes, they made two and the Cherokees
made two. The white men thought IL was
a great thing. when four or five to one
they could whip an Indian and they made
| heroes of those who did IL. That is what
| the white man thought of the INDIAN
What about your sign language and
| picture writing?'
THAT is nearly forgotten. Only a few
know anything about It. and they are old
| men. The sign language was what deaf
! and dumb people have, only II was simpler
| and all the tribes understood It, For ex-
ample If you came a stranger to "a tepee
| or a village. a stamp of the foot on the
| ground meant that you were welcome-two
| or three stamps, that you were very well
| come. Hunting signals were made with
| the hands. -Four fingers and the thumb
| down meant a bear-with the thumb up a
] l. .fB her gr,a1. Ill.
| signs; If the animal were running. the
/ hand with fingers down making bounding
/ motions; If a man, the fOrefinger was held
! up; If the man were hiding the finger was
| closed down to the hand. Picture writing
| was done on bark, and was a map with
/ various signs and animals here and there
upon it. A circle meant a yell-by which
| the reader was instructed to call when he
| reached a certain point
''You had a freemasonry for your fami-
/ lies did you not?"
Eyes, can recognize a relative, though
! l never met him before. The use for this
has died out but we cannot give it to any
one not entitled to it."
what was your totem?"
1.-The alligator. The alligator can live
in the water and on the land. He lives to
be very old. 1t means long life and good
| luck in hunting and fishing. II was the
totem of the Five Brothers. and they gave
it to me when they adopted me-"
My friend thinks that the Indians would
have developed civilization by this time if
they had been let alone. They were al
ready cultivators of the soil. and were no
longer nomadic. One element Of their sue
cess in war was their endurance and speed
on foot. When he was a youth, he led
dog team on the snow sXty-five miles In
one day. He walked from the ST. Crolx
to Bayfield,, seventy-two miles, In twenty
eight hours; and this was not exceptional
among them. The suddenness of attack
and swiftness in retreat rendered them