The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-08-01
The IT eot4 Elm

pHshe0 lHlu the POSSESSION OF Il mlRHtleF race
already they were strangers In the land OF their
nativity. -.
Before quitting forever their ancient council
ground the warriors INDUCED In last great war
dance. The matchess charm OF Irving has I'M
mortazed the Moor's farewell to his beloved
land. More dramatic In its picturesque savagery.
and worther far of the life he had led, was the
Pottawatomies farewell to Chicago. Driven west
ward by the advancing tide Of civilization In the
final moments Of their expiring tenure OF their
homeland the warriors gave demonstration OF
their devotion to their ancient ideals, by staging
before their conquerors such an exhibition OF
savagery as appalled, the stoutest hearts,
That exhibition was the farewell dance which
took place on Lake street that August day 100
years ago and OF which Judge Cation has left us
such graphic description. The story OF 1t forms
the last chapter OF Qualfe's Chicago and the
Old Northwest" the last paragraph OF which
reads:
Thus did the red man play his savage role
to the end. 1t was brave show which he
enacted that summer morning, but 1t was nothing
more. For him the scepter Of power had depart
ed, and this was his final farewell. A few weeks
later he took up his weary journey toward the
sunset and Chicago knew him more. The
red man had vanished and Chicago and CHI
Cages future were committed TO the care of
another and mghtier race"
Tf lay remnants OF the once powerful Potta-
watomes, the People of the Place OF the Fire..
live In Kansas and Oklahoma, far from the west
shores of Lake Huron where the early
French explorers first found them. Their tribal
name Is written large In the history OF the Old
Northwest-as allies OF the French In the wars
with the English and as aids of Pontiac In his
vain attempt to halt the advance Of the Brlton
a ba hnd Had nptr If Narfh IA ,arfr
from the Frenchman During the Revolution.
however, they sided with Great Britain In her
against her rebellIous colonies and again
In 1872 they took up the Ratchet against the
Americans Although many an American from
fersman had felt the wrath of the P0ttaWato-
mics, Ii was the Fort Dearborn massacre on Au-
gust Is, 1872, which wrote the name OF the Fire
Nation" imperishably In red In the annals OF the
United States.
Just as the Pottawatomes were great as a
people, SO were some Of their chiefs and warriors
outstanding among those Indians whose names
are recorded In the white mans history. There
was Makahta -penaShe. 1.-THE Black Bird" fierce
leader In the massacre of Dearborn's hapless
garrison There w9S Winamac, "The Catfish"
who boosted OF Ms part In the tragedy until
Spemcalawba, the Shawnee friend of the white
men. killed HIM and ended his Boosting. And
Capt. William Wells and OF those who cut
out and ate the heart Of that gallant frontiers
man to win for themselves some OF the courage
for which he was famed
But not all Of the Pottawatome names con-
nected with the massacre connote savage cruelty.
For there was Topinabee who tried TO restrain
the murderous fury Of the young braves, and
Wa-baun-see and that other Wlnamac, or Winnie
meg, who tried In vain to save Wells after he
had been wounded. incidentally, 1t was this
same Winamac who brought the fatal order for
the evacuation Of Fort Dearborn from General
Hull to Captain Head and whose fame is per-
petuated In the city of Winamac, Ind)
Be IT remembered also that 1t was Potta-
tonne chieftain, Makata-p ake, THE Black Part
ridge" who saved Mrs Helm, the wife OF a young
lieutenant OF the garrison from warriors scalp
Ing knife and who later buried the remains of
Captain Wells Then there were Sauganash
Only CaldwelD and Che-chu-pin-quay (Alexan-
der Robinson) -halfbreeds but Pottawatomie
chiefs, notwithstanding saved the lives OF more
than one white man that day.
Nor can the roll call OF the outstanding Potta-
Watomies be completed without mention of
hetea, their great orator, Big Foot. whose home
village is now the resort town OF Lake Geneva.
Wis. and Shabbona Tor Shabonee). he who was
Built Like Bear" the peace chief OF the tribe.
II was Shabbona who proudly bore the title OF
Friend OF the White Man" and proved his right
10 It during the Winnebago and Black Hawk
uprisings, not only BY keeping his people from
going on, the warpath but by riskng his life
more than once to warn settlers that the hostiles
we're coming
Inc passing OF the pottawatomies took place
iull century ago but the fame Of such men
these VIII help keep alive the name OF the Fire
Nation"
Wa4tsru Newsn.n.r IYrtoc