The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1910-06-09
YELLOW THUNDER

Interesting gllmpSeS OF Indian history
are given by William e. Curtis in the
Chicago Record Herald, the inspiration
being found in the fact that monuments
have been erected to several Indians
who have had notable place in the
nations life. In his introduction he re-
fers to the fact that monument to Vel
low Thunder, the famous chief of the
Winnebago tribe of Indians, was erected
at a crossing of two roads, five miles
north Of the town of Baraboo, Wis, last
fall This honorable duty was performed
by the Sank County Historical society,
which has done much valuable work,
since its organization in 1919, IN col
Letting and preserving historical docu-
ments, books newspapers, pictures, man
uscrpts and other relics of pioneer days
and has acquired a credltable cellectlon
of Indian weapons and utensils as
nucleus of museum. These collections
! are displayed in the courthouse OF Dara-
boo.
Aided by the Wisconsin Archaeological
association. and the Federation of w ON
ems clubs, the society has secured and
opened to the public Man Mound park,
and through the generosity or one OF
the members. ]. Van Orden, large
bronze memorial tablet with inscription
was erected upon that historic spot and
unveiled August Z, 1908. The monu-
ment to Yellow Thunder is a tall, lofty
cairn of powders of various sizes set
roughly in cement.
During the closing years of the eight
zenith century a tall, 1.-the and active
but thoughtful young Winnebago war
rior roamed with his tribe through the
country surrounding Lake Winnebago
and Green Bay, Wis, and extending
southwark as far as Rock river III ILL
nois. He was called Yellow Thunder,
and married a daughter of the chief OF
neighboring tribe OF Algonquins, who
! lived not far from where the town of
Portage is located. The Winnebagos
we're a peaceful people, although they
were called '!O-ton-kah," which means
the large stIn.g people, out IN lSl2
| they were induced to join the British in
an attack upon the Americans in Detroit.
| They were badly punished and returned
| to their homes in Wisconsin hungry and
disheartened. 1t was a lesson they never
| forgot, and they became very submissive
so much so that they allowed them
| selves to be imposed upon.
When the white people settlers decided
| that they wanted the land OF the Winnie
bagos they induced Yellow Thunder, who
| had been promoted to the craftsmanship,
with War Eagle and Dandy, minor
chiefs, to go to Washington, where they
were urged to sign a treaty relinquishing
/
area across the Mississippi in Iowa.
Yellow Thunder declared that ne had
! no authority to sign any such relinquish-
ment without the instruction Of his tribe,
! but was assured that no action would be
| taken for eight years, and that in the
| meantime the agents of the government
would make it all. right with his tribes
men.
Scarcely had the three young chiefs re-
turned to Wisconsin when military
force arrived at Portage under orders
| from Washington. and their commander
sent for all the chiefs and head men of
the Winnebagos to come in for council.
! When they arrived they were informed
! that they must move to their new homes
in Iowa at once, and when they refused
to do so they were arrested and dis
armed. When they insisted that the
| agreement made at Washington should
be carried out, Yellow Thunder and his
| companions were thrown into irons and
| imprisoned until they promised to obey.
Then followed a forcible migration to
Iowa under a military escort; but the
next year Yellow Thunder and his wife
returned to Portage, walking nearly 500
miles, and entered a forty acre home
stead on the west side of the Wisconsin
! river about sixteen miles from Portage.
There he lived and cultivated his farm
until his death in February. 1874, an in
dustrious, temperate. highly respected
| cltlZen, ueVOuC CdlHollc ana nOnordDle
man.
His remains were buried beside those
of his wife in an ordinary coffin, about
| half a mile east of the main road, five
miles north Of Baraboo, Wis. upon a
farm now owned by @. o. Lowering. In
1898 the graves were violated by vandals
| hunting for relics, but the bones were re-
buried by William Calvert, and last fall
they were placed in an earthen recep-
| tacle under the monument that was
erected to the memory of Yellow Thun-
| der.
At Auriesville. Montgomery county, n.
Y, in the Mohawk valley, about half
way between Albany and Utica. is a me-
mortal cross. and IT st. Joseph's ceme-
| terry nearby is q statue erected to Cathe-
rine Te-kak-wi-tha, the first Indian nun,
who has been called 'La Saincte Sauva-
gesse" (the savage saint, ''the Lily of
the Mohawks" and by various other en-
Catherine Te-kakwi-tin was the
daughter of a Mohawk warrior by a
Christian woman of the Algonquin tribe.
and vas born near the site of the village
of Aurieville, on the Mohawk river in
1866. She was 10 years old when De
Tracy burned the Mohawk villages in
| 1866 and her parents were killed. She
was reared by her uncle, bitter enc
| my of the whites and an uncomprOmls-
ing opponent of the Christian mission
aries. But when she was about 10 she
was converted and on Easter Sunday,
1875, was baptized by Father LANDER
vile.
The act provoked the resentment OF
her uncle and many of the members OF
her tribe, and the girl was bitterly per-
secuted But. although frail in health,
she continued to do her share of the
| family labor. and endured the insults OF
her companions with perfect patience
Two years after her baptism a number
Louis visited the villages of their ma.
| ton in New York for the purpose of
gaining proselytes to the new faith. One
| of the most prominent of them, for
mer inhabitant and chief of the Oneida
} village, was Ogenratarihen c'Hot