The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-09-13
The Treaty Of
Traverse-des-Sioux
and Its Results.
Paper Read by Attorney
Thomas Hughes, of Man
kato, Before the State His
torical Society IN St. Paul,
Monday Night. = = = =

L
Provencalle had maintained trading
post there from about 1915 until his
death in February, 1851, and his sons
continued in the business until yeal
or two later While trading places
had been kept there and in the neal
vicinity, off and on, by Philandel
Prescott since 1923, by Alexander
Faribault since 1925, and by Alexand-
er Graham since 1S49. Nearly all OF
these traders were in some way con-
nected with the American Fur Com
pany.
| At this same point was mission
station of the A. B. G. F. M. for the
| Dakotas, founded by Rev. S. r. Riggs
! in 1S43, but which most of the time
had been in charge of Messrs. Robert
Hopkins and Alexander G. Higgins
and wives, Hopkins having settled
there in the spring Of 1914, and Hug
gins, on the departure Of Mr.. Riggs,
in the fall of 1916.
The neatly painted school building
of this mission, the residences of the
two missionaries, and of the trader
Alexander Graham, four old log store
buildings with dilapidated log stables
in their rear, the trading establish
ments of Provencalle, Faribault and
others scattered along the hillsides,
two or three cabins of the French vOy-
ayers and some twenty to thirty Indi-
an lodges, comprised all there was of
Traverse des Sioux when the commits
sioners landed there.
The spot selected for the commits
sioners' camp was on the brow of the
second bench above the river, by lit
tie old French cemetery, about twenty
rods south of Provencalle's store, on
what is now blocks 80 and "a of Ira
verse DIES Sioux, few even now know
the precise spot and the site of so i'm
portant historical event should be
marked by an appropriate monument
ere it is lost forever
Here around the cemetery just men
toned, mo trace of which remains to-
day. the commission pitched seven
white tents and just north of a small
natural ditch, council chamber was
erected of poles covered with leafy
branches of trees, with platform of
rough boards at it's farther end for the
commissioners stand, and with board
seats ranged along the sides for the
audience.
Two old log buildings of the fur
company, which Gov. Doty had occu-
pied when making his treaty, and
which stood few rods south of the
cemetery, were appropriated for a
kitchen and store room.
In treaty with the whites the part
played by the Indians is always more
in appearance than in fact. The
Sioux at that time, comprising many
wandering bands of savages wholly in
dependent of each other, and with
scarcely semblance of government,
even in their respective bands, had
hardly more capacity for public bust
ness than so many children. Thought
less and Indifferent of the future and
of everything pertaining to their ma
tional welfare, they were only moved
singly by the impulse of the moment.
A gaudy toy or savory mess of food
satisfied their wants. A few of their
wisest chiefs might rise to nobler
thoughts and purposes, but little heed
was paid to them, unless they followed
the wishes of their braves.
To get sufficient interest in such a
people to come to a treaty at all was
no small undertaking, and then, when
they had come, to make them compre-
bend its effect, was still greater
task. There had been, however, for
nearly century growing up among
the Indians class of people called
''traders, " mostly of French or Scotch
descent, many of whom with their
numerous employees had inter-married
with the Indians These and their
descendants, at the time of the treaty,
because of their superior intelligence
and social position, formed the most
influential class among the Sioux
As rule these traders were men of
character and capacity, who merited
the Indian confidence, though there
were exceptions.
To insure the success of the treaty
it was absolutely necessary to enlist
all these men in its favor, for it was
only through them that the Indians
could be reached.
There were certain reasons which
inclined both trader and Indian to
favor treaty: First, the disappear
ance of game due to (a) the introduce
ton of firearms and other superior
weapons of civilization among the
natives, (b) the advent of white hunt
ers with their greater skill and aggres.
siveness in hunting, and (c) the crea-
ton of the fur companie an
incentive to the quest for furs wholly
unknown in the days of undisturbed
savagery.
Hence the buffalo which on the
first advent of the whites roamed in
countless thousands over the entire
northwest, and which as late as the
latter half of the eighteenth century
were common in all the valleys and
upon all the prairies of Minnesota,
by 1851 had been driven to its western
border exclusively. The beaver,
which swarmed along every stream
and in every pond throughout the
land, also had become almost extinct.
While the deer, the bear and game of
all sort was fast disappearing before
the advancing tide of civilization.
The results were diminished food and
supply for the Indian and a
decrease of business for the trader
This was slightly modified by the cul-
tivation of more corn by the Indian
and constant extension of trade to new
territory by the trader.
Still the poverty and mi sery of the
Indian were continually growing and
the extinction of the traders occupa-
ton was but question of time. It
may have been due to this fact as well
as the taste they had got of govern
ment annuities which induced the cas-
tern bands to favor treaty more than
the western bands.
Then in the second place, it was
evident to both trader and Indian that |
the encroachment of the white race
were irresistible, and that a DISPOSE
ton of their lands by favorable !
treaty would be much better than a |
forcible eviction.
AS the traders had been in the coun-
try so long and had acuuired husi nesc