The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1917-08-31
the ORIGIN AND EXTENT or
THE LEMHI INDIAN TRIBE
Article ;

the valley IN lS05 ana found about
four hundred Shoshonis occupying
the country. Cameahwait was their
chief This name translated into Eng.
lish means. "kA" no. ""Me-ah" Ego
and Wait" TO want" or he does
not want TO 60" This name. no
doubt, vas given 10 this ehieftain Al
The time OF the Nnite mans visit. for
Capt Lewis had come into L@mhi
from Horse Prairie To get these In.
dams to help his party. which was
al Armstead. over the mountain al.
vide, The chief, az frat, did MT want
TO do this. but was later persuaded 20
90 with horses and move the explor-
ers and their camp into Lemhi, In
persnading him TO do this Capt Lev.
II offered many Inducements, relAt.
ing To Cameahwait the fact about his
sister being a member OF the expedi.
ton, all Of which DID not affect him
TO any considerable extent: but inal-
~ when they told him Of the colOred
man who was with the party. des-
cribtng him as a black white man"
with buffalo hair" on his head, this
news created such a curiosity that
the whole tribe became anxious TO
90 at once and see the negro.
In their Journal Lewis 4 Clark
state that this chief had another
name, '"Tooetaeoone." which they
stated meant black gun" but proper
~ translated means, Too" black. !"
lite" gun" and - o0n-ah" IRE" or
in English he shoots the black gun, :"
showing that II vas during his life
time that this tribe became possess
ed OF FIRE arms. In the matter OF
naming individuals it Outlines oc-
ours that an Indian attAins manhood
OF even old age before acquiring n
permanent name. whilst at other
times a striking exploit may cause u
change and another name be Teceiy.
ed. We found. while taking their
census. one-tourth OF the children up
81 the age OF fifteen years. hal no
name at all aud were designated on
the census roll. "kA" mo-" Nanny.
ack' name"
| While there we're heroes connect
cd with the Lewis a Clark eXpedi.
ton, there was but one heroine and
she was Sacagawea, who was a sis
ter of Chief Cameahwait and was
raised TO giTlhood in Lemhi valley
The success OF this expedition was
NoANF w hFAf W AAA@ NAANA ~ VI
this girl and her brother. She lived
to be over an hundred years Of age,
ldying at Wind river agency In Wy
oming, neither history or tradition
telling US what became Of Chief Cam
sahWait, but II was either his son OF
his nephew that afterwards became
chief Of the Shnshonis. In the mat
ter OF the relationship an Indian calls
I'm IA a a. - al
fathers. an his Aunts on his mothers
side. mothers; and all bis cousins
are brothers and sisters to him. 50
unless one Is intimately connected
with the family il Is dincuit 10 placs
the exact relationship UndOubtedl,
Ia was not his son that was made
chief, as in that case the tribe would
have been ruled by "a son Of n gun
and there is no such tradition.
The name Of the succeeding ruiel
was Chief SnaEg. This is the name
the white people gave him
for what reason | DO not know hit
indian name meant White boy. be
: cause he was such a friend 60 anS
associated SO much with white peo
lple. He was the head chieftAin O
the Shoshonfs at the time the Nor
mon people settled at Fort Lemhi II
1855. He always befriended thes'
people and their settlement helpinI
them in many ways HIS camp VA
accorded certain quarters At the for
and when the MOrmons left in ls5s
having been driven out by Bannaek
and Pahutes. they COVE this chief an
his tribe many bushels Of wheat II
the spring OF 1853, some rOuEhnsck
OF BAnnack. Montana. lead by BucI
StnEon. the noted road agent WHOM
! 1.-The yiEilantes afterwards hung. cam
onto the old chief while be was bath
ing in Grasshupper creek hrinE nv
2 bullests into hts body. thus ruthless
+ ~ and without cause killing IN III
son PeKgie was Of too violent ns
D ture 10 suit the Indians, 80 his nept
them instead
In ls9s the government. because
his friendly attitude. granted {
lChief Tend0y, a pension Of SIS %
month When this bill vas befor
. Congress Senator George l.. Shou
said, Relating 10 Senate bill 2sii
granting a pension 20 Tsndog, chis
Of the BannAckz Shoshonls an
{ Sheepeateru tribe Of Indians, l0ea
J ed AZ the Lemhi agency. state % l3i
. ho. have 20 say that the forms
, chief Of this tribe. an unCle q Tel
{ doy. the benlhciAry named In N
B hill was asRaEsinatHd near the pre-
Z sut site % Bannack City, in the stat
. of Montana In 1883 The Indian
had committed no ofisnss aEsln'
The whites. but there ser" fs
whites. but there we're fsw VIII
!. ldszparadoss IN the mining can
!, whose ambition Il waE "a add OF
more 20 the number they had kille
I. Ion tha day following The assassin
|. tion o. the chief. Tendoy vas ele'
ed ehief. He had acquired distEn
: ton In the battle with the Fiathsad
: Crow and Sioux Indians, And ~
!, endowed with an intellect Tar sup
: ior 20 that q any other member
, the Tribe.
ON the day following bis slccn'
As chief be visited the miners Al
called their attention to the TuthA'-