Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1931-10-29

The above picture was taken at Steven
Bite
valley. Old Victor had fought with all
his Indian willy diplomacy to retain
the dwelling place which he and his
people loved SO dearly. And with the
fight against the removal of his tribe
there had been interviewer a struggle
for his supremacy as the titular head
Of the people he ruled. To both of these
struggles his son had fallen heir when
he inherited the symbols of tribal au-
thority and bravely had he maintained
the contest.
Deceived by the agents of the gov
eminent betrayed by the special repre-
sentatives Of the president, conspired
against by some of his own people,
trusting only the few whites who were
heavily against the sturdy old fellow,
but he resisted steadfastly. AS Victor
had sought to retain his home in argu-
ment with General Stevens in 1885, so
did Chariot maintain the struggle in
debate with General Garfield in 1872.
But in the end he was beaten. 1t was
not, however, the argument of the
white nan which convinced him
against his will. 1t was not the threat
of the emissary of the Great Father
which daunted him into submission
to the governments will. 1t was the
suffering of his people, the walls of the
starving children of his tribe, their des-
t~itution, their nakedneSS and hopeless
ness that touched his heart and led him
into acquiescence with the will of the
Great Father at Washington.
And, as he marched from st. Mary's
with his people, with the benediction
of his priest upon his head, with these
memories in his mind and with the Bit
terness in his heart which came from q
consciousness of the deceit that had
been practiced against hint Is not
to be wondered that he was sore and
sullen.
1t was the year after this exodus that
I first saw and talked with Chariot.
He would talk to me Of everything ex-
cept the Bitter Root; of his old home
there was no word. I had gone to him
with the approval Of Mrs. Roman, whom
Chariot reverenced for her tenderness,
and he knew that I vas friendly.
Whatever else I asked him on that
Sunday afternoon in the Jocko valley,
he answered readily enough. But of the
Bitter Root, no word. Nor would he,
to the end, have aught to say Of the
beautiful place he had left. 1t was a
painful subject to him and nc one who
knew him ever pressed it upon him.
During his later days he softened some
what. He came to regard Fred Nor
gan, superintendent Of the reservation,
as q trusted friend and his last days
were the most peaceful he had known.
But there was none Of that peace In
his heart when he set forth that Octo-
Der morning, 20 years ago, (story writ
ten Sept. 8, 1910 to lead his people to
their new home, prescribed by the gov
eminent and made necessary by the
Impoverished condition of his tribe
His goodbye had been said to his old
friends at Stevensville, he had severed
the ties. He said he would never re-
turn. AS nearly as I can learn, he new
er did return, except once when he was
brought to the valley as a witness in
a lawsuit over a water right in which
his old friend, Abe Mittower, was in
volved. 1t is said that he did not go tc
Stevensville then; he went with his
friend to look over the ground on the
hills.
Down the river ne marched his peo-
pie. Through the fields where they had
played as children and had hunted as
men, fields which they had never stain
ed with white mans blood, fields upon
whose bosom they had been nurtured
and beneath whose breast their fathers
slept, they marched in solemn train
Not in haste, not in disorder, not in ar
uproar, but slowly, with dignity and in
silence they moved out from the mis-
sion. Out past Owen and across the
river and then down the valley, even
amid scenes which had been their daily
environment for a lifetime, each Ster
reluctant and each mile a pang. There
was a night camp in the Missoula val
ley and then the march to Jocko was
resumed in the morning-so deliberate
was the retreat of the vanished war
rior. In the afternoon the Flatheads
entered the Jocko valley. Charlot's
last march was eneded.
The events which led up to this de.
parture are interesting. They revea
the utter lack of honor which char.
acterized many Of the government rep
resentatives in their dealings with thu
Indians; they make plain the duplicit.