The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1925-09-10

oioaoVo oooAu VI iOoShVoAOhU'
Hole in the Day was charged with
having betrayed not only his
people but the entire tribe. A
few years later he was assasinated.
1t now transpires from the official
records that Hole in the Day was
promised 5000 in money to sign
the treaty of 1855, which money
he never received. "
The official record shows that on
January 4, 1855, the then Coks-
missioner of Indian Affairs issued
instructions that Hole in the Day,
Flat Mouth and four other Indian
chiefs should be brought to Wash
ington by January 10th for the
purpose of negotiating a treaty.
The Indian chiefs named, together
with four other Indian chiefs, none
of whom we're selected by their
people, were hurried to Washing
ton. On February 22, 1855, the
treaty was signed. March 3, 1855,
the treaty was ratified by the Sen
ate, and on April 7, 1855. it was
proclaimed by the President. The
Chippewa people knew nothing
about what was transpiring a
Washington. Hole in the Day was
the only Chippewa chief who could
have understood the full import of
the treaty signed, and it was Hole
in the Day who was promised
$6, 900 npon the execution of the
treaty. In a letter dated April 26,
1856, written from Fort Ripley,
Minnesota Territory, addressed to
the Commissioner of Indian Affairs
and signed by H. Day, Maj. End
Inf Comd'g Post, the following
appears:
',Sir:-At the earnest solicita.
ton of Pug nay CHE shick'
(Hole in the Day. chief of Missfs'
sippi Band of Chippewa Indians, l
have the honour to make the fol-
lowing statement with bis request
for a reply. He states that at
the consummation of the treaty of
1855 at Washington City, and in
} which he was the chief agent on
the part of the Indians, he was
most positively promised a certain
amount of money (six thousand
dollars) one or two thousand dol.
lars of which would be RENTED to
Saint Paul where he would find it
. on his reaching that place from
Washington-that he did not find
it there, as promised, nor has he
yet seen or heard a word about
} it-that this failure on the part OF
the agents of his Great Father
has caused him much embarrass
ment by depriving him of the
means of pacifyipg or rconciline
to said treaty many dissatisfied
. spirits among his band and te
which purpose he had intended its
appropriation. That be has, ir
consequence, lost influence among
: his band and t;lat he is now ap
8 prehensive of serious difficulties
I arising therefrom. That aside
!. from any consequent trouble be-
tween them and the white people,
e he is much mortified to think thai
he should be treated so much like
q child and he says much rather
i would be decapitated (making {
significant gesture of throat cut
ting) than receive such treatment
r That he had always heretofore
j believed that the white man hae
but one tongue
HE desires most urgently
to be Informed, through me
:" whather er not the promise above
referred to is to be redeemed.
would here add that have reason
to believe, from other sources
that biz life has already been II
jeopardy and threatened by hi
: own people since the making o
the treaty referred to, and l de-
not doubt his own statement thai
he often masses sleepless night