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

of every white man through this coun-
try"
After listening to Stevens, the prin-
cipal eros VentreS held a conference
and some OF them consented to ac-
company Stevens to Fort Benton. On
Sept. the party of white men and
their red companions reached Fort
Benton. Stevens at once instructed
Lieutenant DonelSon, a member of the
expedition, to go north to the main
camp of the Blackfeet, about 100 miles
from Benton, and invited representa-
tiveS to confer with the whites. On
the 2lSt 80 chiefs, with their families,
appeared in response to the invitation,
and a council was held with them at
once.
Indians All Dressed Up
In the Stevens journal he thus re-
ports: The chiefs and warriors were
all richly caparisOned. Their dresses
of softly prepared skins Of deer, elk
or antelope We're elegantly ornamented
with bead work. Their arms were the
northwest guns, bows and arrows. On
all solemn occasions, when l met the
Indians on my route, they were ar
rayed with the utmost care My duties
in the field did not allow the same
attention on my part. and the indians
sometimes complained Of this, saying,
We dress up TO receive you, and why
do you not wear the dress OF a chief p
Stevens addressed the Blackfeet in
the same strain as he had talked to
the GroS VentreS, suggesting that
peace was the better way Low Horn,
the principal chief. replied favorably
in behalf of the Indians, but spoke
of the difficulty of restraining their
young men, who were wild and am
bilious in their turn to be braves and
chiefs. Stevens returned: why is it
that you have two or three women to
one man? Is it not because your young
men go out on war parties, and thus
the flower OF your tribe is cut down?
And you will go on diminishing every
year until your tribe is extinct. Is it
not better that your young men should
have wives and children, and that
your numbers should increase? Won't
your women prefer husbands to Scalps
and horses? The eros VentreS desire
difficulties between you arranged. Will
you meet them in council?"
Low Horn assented.
Due to the difficulties of travel and
the duties awaiting him in his new
territory. Stevens knew it would be
some time before the council could be
consummated. 1t was. indeed. almost
two years. In October. 1855. Stevens
met the assembled tribes Of the Bloods
Blackfeet. Piegans and eros Ventres
and representatives of the Nez PerceS
Kootenai. Pend OReilles and Flat
heads, near the mouth of the Judith
river In the intervening two years he
had promulgated treaties with the
tribes of Washington, and Montana
east of the divide. 1t was at this latter
council, held in Grass Valley and con-
corning the Flatheads, that he sug
gested the sending of representatives
to the Blackfeet council in order to
attempt an armistice between these
two enemies. Hence the presence at
the mouth of the Judith of a few
Nez Perces. Kootenai. Pend OReilles
and FlatheadS. The Nez Perez delega-
ton was under the command of sew
eral chiefs who were later to gain re-
nown in the break of Chief Joseph for
Canada-Looking Glass, Spotted Ea-
gle and Eagle-from-the-Light.
Supplies Are Delayed
Difficulties forced the council to be
held at a later date than first con-
sidered. The government was supposed
to send a boatload of supplies to Fort
Benton: Stevens had warned against
entrusting these provisions to the
American Fur company, who were in
different to the success Of the council,
and when. despite recommendations
the fur company was given the con-
tract to deliver the supplies, the re-
suits were exactly as Stevens had
feared. Many Blackfeet, camping near
Fort Benton in anticipation Of the
council, found no food there and were
compelled to move. Stevens himself
and his party were driven to subsist
on a few hundred pounds Of old jerked