Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-11-09
By WHCHEY

The earliest Montana frontier
had its jokes. One of the most
famous yarns with a humorous
tinge Of the old fur trading days
of the thirties, which had also q
pathetic touch, was that Of a
Montana chief of the Assinni-
BONES whose name was WijunjOn,
the Pigeons Egg Head, who in
1881 was taken from the Yellow
stone river to Washington by
Major Sanford, the Indian agent,
and returned to his people two
years later.
Wiiunjon was a brave and powerful
Assinniboine warrior, young, hand
some and graceful. He had fought
many a battle and won many laurelS
for his valor. Numerous scalpS from
Sioux enemies he had overcome
adorned his costume and war bonnet.
His father was chief Of the Assinni-
boine nation.
cided by the government to have a
delegation of Indians from the upper
Missouri river sent to Washington for
q conference, and Major Sanford Sc
lected Wijunjon to represent his Tribe.
the Indian agreeing to go provided
he might select another warrior OF
his own tribe to accompany him. Per-
mission was granted and the party
set out from Fort Union. at the mouth
of the Yellowstone, IN macklnaW
boat.
While descending the river, WlJun-
ion and the other Assinniboine began
keeping a record of the white mems
habitations that they passed along the
river bank. They did this because they
had been told that the white men
in their country were as thick as
grains of sand along the river. The
indians did not believe it and they
wished to be able to report by actual
count the number Of white mems
houses they saw on the trip.
At first they cut notch for each
house on the side of Wijunjon's long
medicine pipe. The cabins were scarce
during the early stages Of the trip,
but as they descended the stream the
number of houses they saw increased
and their pipe stem became filled with
marks. They determined to put the
remainder on war club, which soon
was also filled up. At length while
the boat was moored one day, Wijun-
ion stepped ashore and cut small
tree down, peeling the bark Then he
and his companion sat down and with
much labor copied the notcheS from
the pipe and war club onto the long
pole, also adding a notch for every
house they passed on the shore.
Meet Catlin
The stick was soon filled, and then
other sticks were cut and ornamented
with notches. Finally they came with
In sight of st. Louis which was then
a town of $4,000 inhabitants. The two
Assinniboines held a consultation and
decided to throw their sticks and
notches into the river.
George Catlin, the famous artist,
who painted many pictures in Mon
tana in 1882 and 1888, was at St.
Louis when the Indians arrived and
he painted their pictures When he
posed for his portrait, Wijunjon wore
q beautiful and striking costume. His
leggings and shirt were of mountain
goat skin, richly garnished with quilts
Of porcupineS and fringed with scalp
locks taken from his enemies heads.
Over these floated his long hair in
braids that fell nearly to the ground.
His head was decked with war eagles
plumes. His robe was Of the skin of
the young buffalo bull, richly gar
nished and emblazoned with the
battles of his life His CULVER and bow
case we're of otter skin, and his shield I
Of a buffalo bulls neck.
Wijunjon was by common consent +
the highest chief in the party, and
he was foremost on all occasions. In