The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1895-09-07
ABOUT THE BANN0CKS.
The Indians Who Have Been Civ
ing the Government Trouble.
A Warllke Tribe That II . Disturbing Els-
ment Among the Havages Of the
Northwest-One Version OF
Their Grievances.


ment Among the savages Of the
Northwest-One Version OF
Their Grievances.
The Bannock Indians, VINO were re-
ported to be on the war-path because
of the settlers interfering with their
killing of elk, occupy the Fort Hall res
ervation in southeastern Idaho with
the Shoshones. The Shoshones, says
the Philadelphia Telegraph, are more
numerous than the BannOcks, who in
1894 were 772, all told, 132 being males
over 18 years of age, while OF +1,745
Shoshoncs there were 2S6 males above
IS years of age. The Bannocks, or
Bannalss, belong to the general family
of Shoshones or Snakes, which family
also includes the various tribes OF Utes,
Comanches, Moquis, Chemehuenes. Ca
huilla and the Kechi, Kizh and Netolo
tribes of California. Their tradition is
that they came originally from the far
east, and their language, which is SO
different from that of the western
Shoshones, resembles that OF the Co
manches, whose home when white men
first found them was about the head
waters of the Brazos, the Colorado and
eastward to those of the Arkansas and
Missouri rivers.
The main tribe Of the Bannocl5s was
first found near where they are now es-
tablished, at the Fort Hall agency, in
Oneida county, in the southeastern
part of Idaho, along the Snake river
valley. They are taller and straighter
than the mountain Indians round about
them, and have the reputation of being
more warlke. They are nearly all
able to speak the language of the Sho-
shones. but the latter do not speak the
Bannock tongue. This is the same as
that of the Piutes, and the latter say
that the Bannocks split off from them.
Before the Bannocks got horses they
were very expert in the use of the bow
and arrow. They are distinctly hunt
ing tribe, and look upon work as an
everlasting disgrace, except for squaws.
They view themselves as the salt of the
earth. They have earned reputation
for bloodthirstiness, and are said some
times to kill their aged parents when
the latter begin to become burden.
The only purpose for which the Ban
no lis appear to be preserved is to vex
and annoy the Shoshones, who take
more kindly to labor, schools and the
use of other clothing than blankets
than do the Bannocks, who have ap-
peared to be incurably opposed to CIV
ilization for themselves and other In
dians. The two tribes have been
thrown together for many years on the
same reservation, and while the Sho-
shones have manifested a willingness to
accept the benefits of schools and in
struction in the use of implements of
agriculture, the Bannoclzs have as
sumed superiority because of their
refusal to be civilized, and have taunted
the Shoshones as ''squaws" because
they embrace the opportunities for I'M
provement held out by the government.
The Shoshones are peaceful and indus
trious. There were raised and sold for
the reservation during 1898 more than
SIS, 900 worth Of agricultural products,
of which it is safe to assume that the
Shoshones produced very considera-
BILE share The reports of the Indian
agent show that of all the Shoshones
and Bannocks on the reservation only
40 can speak enough English to be un-
derstood in ordinary conversation. The
degree of civilization to which these
Indians have reached is indicated by
the statement that there was one mar
riage during the year, and fifteen chiefs
were living in polygamy.
Gradually white men came into the
prairie, and, finding it well adapted to
the raising of hogs, turned thousands
of these animals loose in it. The hogs
ate up the roots which had supplied the
Indians winter needs, and they COM
planned of this as a great injustice.
This led to bad blood between them
selves and the whites, and in 1878
party of the Bannoclzs went on the war
trail, killing several settlers and steal
ing horses. They went along the trail
which Chief Joseph and his band had
followed the year before, driven to war
by just such causes.
Gen. Miles with 100 men and seven
scouts went after them, and at day
light on September 4, 1878, surprised
them in Clark's Fork pass, on ClarlS's
Fork of the Yellowstone, beyond the
National park. Eleven of the Indians
were killed in the battle which fol-
lowed. and the rest, nearly 100 all told,
including women and children, were
captured. Capt. Andrew T. Bennett,
of the Fifth infantry, was one OF the
killed among the soldiers. This party
of the Bannocks were held as prison
ers several months, their stock was
taken from them, and then they were
returned to their. reservation. They
have made no trouble since. The loss
of their grounds for the supply OF roots
was not so serious to them as the loss
of their hunting grounds.
The game in the Yellowstone park
has undoubtedly attracted them now,
and it appears to Miles as if q party OF
irresponsible settlers or cowboys had
gouc after hunting party and cap
tured it. Speaking of the reported
killing of these Indians. Gen. Miles