The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1925-11-20

BlOOdS, PleganS and eros NentreS
present, This council was held on
the banks of the Missouri, just Op-
pOsite the mouth of the Judith riv-
err, and a treaty was concluded by the
terms of which the Blackfeet lost no
rights of value to them. In 1865 an
other treaty was concluded at a
gathering Of $500 Indians of var
ious tribes at Fort Benton.
The council Of 1865 was marked
by the greatest savagery on the part
of the whites and much bloodshed.
Human life was unsafe and held
cheaply by both sides. A good Oppor-
tunity for skill in Workmanship was
frequently rewarded with bloody
trophies. Whites shot down in cold
blood other whites for plumber, and
after scalping and mutilating their
victims, would report the act as a
massacre by the Blackfeet. This led
to the killing of many Indians who
were innocent, as reprisals. The IN
dians grew bitter, but by the terms
of the treaty, they surrendered great
areas of their hunting grounds and
received trade goods in return.
In 1869 some wagons were attack
ed by Crow Indians near Fort Ben
ton, but the Blackfeet were blamed
for the killing Of one or two of the
white men who fell in the fight. The
people of Fort Benton we're enraged.
At this critical time, the brother of
Mountain Chief, the latter a powerful
| Blackfeet warrior, and head chief of
that ribe, was murdered in cold
blood, with a Blood youth in the
] rk~10k~ .n TOwk Dnnkn, r~hown no
went to deliver special orders from
Major CulbertsOn. Mountain Chief
swOre vengeance. In the same year.
Malcolm Clarke was murdered by
the Piegan relatives of his wife in
the Prickly Pear canyon. These
bloody acts made the situation be-
tween the whites and the Indians
tense. Then came the bad year OF
smallpox which made the Blackfeet
almost pOwerless.
1t was then, at this time, that Col
Shaw to attack Mountain Chiefs
camp, and as result, there is now
chrOnicled in history that d|eplorablt
Baker Massacre" Of which much
has been written, and a result o.
which many innocent and i'll Black
feet warriors, their squaws and chill
dren were killed.
There was never another fight be
tween the Blackfeet warriors and the
whites, for the Blackfeet nation al
a fighting people had passed into
history.
Many Tail Feathers
Most tourists who visit Glacier
National Park during the summe,
months each year carry away will
them the memory of one particular.
interesting Indian chief whose pic
|turesque tepee much Of the timu
adds to the unique western atmOs
phere of the Glacier Park hotel.
surroundings. This old warrior VIII
is known among and acquainted will
all the prominent people who havu
visited the park is Many Tail Feath
ers. He is now One of the oldest In
dams on the reservation.
Many Tail Feathers was bOrl
about e~ighty-five years ago on tn.
Teton river, near what is known a
"the Knees, and like many other boy
of his time and age, spent his you'll
as a nOmad, the Indian camps beinI
changed from place to place as the.
were following the buffalo, gatherin.
berries, or furs, or going to AM
from the trading posts of the HUd
sons Bay company; or in differen
winter camps along the Montana ri
yer courses. Thus he at all time
led a carefree and joyful life, eX
cept at those times when war partie
would return with the sad news o
the death of ome relative or friend
AS a child, he had plaything
Irnwanw~Ln% Aho cow oc DAhor nhs1E~o-
have today. He had bows and al
rows, odd shaped pieces of bon
which he called horses, pieces o
flint and perhaps a few trinket
which some relative had secures
from the early white settlers.
In a short time he became yer
proficient with the bow and arrow
and upon reaching manhood and be
looming a member of one of the wal
lriOr societies, went forth on his frs
war and plumber parties armed Onl
with the bow and arrows. He was 1
years of age, Or Whereabouts when h
first saw a gun.
A Horse Stealing Expedition
After being admitted as a wal
riOr, Many Tail Feathers participaf
ed in many battles OF varying in
Iportance and in all of which ski
and cunning played a most impor.
liant part. In telling of his past lif,
this old chief proves very interesting
HE states his most narrow escap
from death was In a fOray with tn
Cheyenne Indians. Leaving the Pie
gan camp on Two Medicine river,
being in the fall of the year, and tn
time when the leaves were beginnin
to turn, Many Tail Feathers, accom-
panied by six other warriors, follow
ing the Marias river, soon reache
the place commonly known as Coos.
bill. Thence they cut across til
plains to the Missouri, and campo
at an Old Indian camping groun.
near some springs.
The party was now in the dangl
zone and IL was necessary to keep
sharp lookout at all times for sigl
Eof other Indians, who would be vel
apt to be enemies as all of the ri
gans had been left in camp on I'll
Two Medicine. Travelling very car
fully they soon reached a pla.
known among the Indians as OF