Glacier County chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1931-1940, 1939-05-26

buffalo meat, exactly like worn-out
boot leather of old appearance - so
black. dry, tough and dirty it was"
Had the goods arrived on time 10000
or more 1ndianS might have ATTENDED,
the council--1O,o0o Blackfeet,, LOO
Nez Perces. TOO Flatheads and Pend
OReilles and 400 Snakes. AS it hap
pened only a percentage of this num-
Der we're on hand for the opening.
Originally scheduled to be held near
Fort Benton, the council was finally
ordered to the mouth of the Judith,
where the supply boats, finally ar
rived, were forced to unload. Mean
while, in the encampment of waiting
Indians. there occurred an incident
which forced Stevens to use all his tact
and almost blasted the purpose of the
forthcoming council.
When Stevens. at the Grass Valley
council, had suggested the delegation
protested that the Blackfeet, being
notorious horse thieves, would steal
their horses and defeat any attempts
at cancellation. Stevens had given
them guarantee: Il guarantee that
when you pull in your lariat in the
morning you will find horse at the
end of it, -Four young Pend OReille
warriors at Fort Benton turned their
animals into Stevens herd. which
grazed two miles above the fort. Next
morning they were gone. Two warriors
of the northern BlaCkfeet had picked
them out from over hundred animals
and made off with them.
Stevens Immediately put Little Dog,
a prominent Blood chief, to search for
the trail of the raiders, and sent James
Doty. his secretary. to the northern
camps where he judged the thieves
would seek refuge. Little Dog was I'M
successful. but Doty found the animals
in a large Blackfeet encampment on
the Bow river in British territory. He
Immediately called together the chiefs
and demanded the surrender Of the
horses. The head chief, Lame Bull,
returned three of them, but stated
that one of the thieves had gotten
off with the fourth. He expressed great
regret and offered two of his own
horses in place of the one not recov-
cred
Doty Continues Pursuit
Doty placed the rescued horses in
charge of Little Dog. who had over
taken him. and resumed pursuit OF
the remaining one. Seventy miles away
on Elk river. tributary of the Sas-
katchewan. he found another camp
of Blackfeet and the other horse. The
chief, Bull Head, delivered the animal
to him with expressions of regret at
the misconduct of his young men, and
offered another horse by way of
amends.
On the 10th day after the horses
had been stolen they were returned
to the Pend OReilles at the fort. This
was the first and last instance OF
horse stealing by the Blackfeet pend
ing the council. and Stevens consid-
cred their honesty proof of their good
faith.
On Oct. 10 the council finally got
under way The Indians, as usual on
such occasions, sat on the ground in
semicircular rows, &c principal chiefs
in the first row. lesser chiefs in sue
ceeding rows, and the rank and file
in the rear Stevens, in his opening
address. said: 1T was Low Horn who,
two years since, said to me, Peace
with the Flatheads and Nez Perces:
The Little Dog. Little Grey Head, and
all the Blackfeet chiefs said. Peace
with them: come and meet us in coun-
Gill; and here we are. Here you see
them face to face. I met them the
same year I told them your words.
They said, Peace also with the Black
feet And the Great Father has said,
Peace with the Crees and Assinni-
BONES, the Crows, and all neighbortng
tribes"
Only One Objection
The terms of the treaty we're read
to them: reservation boundaries, and
a sum allotted for their welfare by the
government. The only objection was
voiced by Alexander, Pend OReille.
who demurred when the interpreter
explained to him that all the country
north of the Missouri was reserved
for the Blackfeet He said: "A long