Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-06-26

mouth of the Judith river, and a
treaty was concluded by the terms of
which the Rlackfeet lost no rights OF
value to them. In 1865 another treaty
was concluded at a gathering of $500
Indians Of various tribes at Fort
Benton.
The council OF 1865 was marked by
the greatest savagery on the part OF
the whites and much bloodshed. HUI
man life was unsafe and held cheaply
BY both sides. A good opportunity for
skill in Workmanship was frequently
rewarded with bloody trophies. Whites
shot down in cold blood other whites
for plumber, and after scalping and
mutilating their victims, would report
the act as massacre by the Black
feet. This led to the killing of many
Indians who were innocent, as re-
prisas. The Indians grew bitter, but
by the terms Of the treaty, they sur
rendered great areas Of their hunting
grounds and received trade goods in
| return.
In 1869 some wagons were attacked
| by Grow Indians near Fort Benton.
but the Blackfeet were blamed for the
| killing of one or two OF the white
men who fell in the fight. The people
Of Fort Benton were enraged. At this
critical time, the brother Of Mountain
Chief, the latter powerful Blackfeet
warrior. and head chief of that tribe,
was murdered in cold blood, with a
Blood youth in the streets Of Fort
Benton, where he went to deliver spe-
cial orders from Major Culbertson.
Mountain Chief swore vengeance. In
the same year, Malcolm Clark was
| l.,, al 80
his wife in the Prickly Pear canyon.
between the whites and the Indians
tense. Then came the bad year Of
smallpox which made the Blackfeet
almost powerless.
1t was then, at this time. that
Colonel Shaw attacked Mountain
Chiefs camp, and as a result. there
is now chronicled in history that de-
plorable Baker massacre, Of which
much has been written. and a result
Of which many innocent and i'll Black
feet warriors. their squaws and chill
dren were killed.
There was never another fight be-
tween the Blackfeet warriors and the
whites, for the Blackfeet nation as a
fighting people had passed into his
tory.
Many Tail Feathers
Tourists who visited Glacier park
in former years carried away with
them the memory of one particularly
interesting Indian chief. This old war
rior was Many Tail Feathers.
Many Tail Feathers was born about
century ago on the Teton river,
near what is known as "the Knees"
and like many other boys of his time
and age spent his youth as nomad.
the Indian camps being changed from
place to place as they were following
the buffalo, gathering berries. or furs,
or going to and from the trading posts
Of the Hudson's Bay Co.; or in diff
ferent winter camps along the Mon
tana river courses. Thus. he at all
times led a carefree and joyful life,
except at those times when war par
ties would return with the sad news
of the death of some relative or friend.
AS a child he had playthings some
what the same as other children have
today. He had bows and arrows. odd
shaped pieces of bone which he called
horses, pieces of flint and perhaps a
few trinkets which some relative had
secured from the early white settlers.
proficient with the bow and arrow,
and upon reaching manhood and be-
coming a member of one of the war
rior societies. went forth on his first
war and plumber parties armed only
with the bow and arrows. He was 10
years of age. or Whereabouts when he
first saw a gun.
Horse Stealing Expedition
taI or,-iN
Many Tail Feathers participated in
many battles of varying Importance
and in all of which skill and cunning
played a most important part In tell
ing of his past life this old chief
proved very interesting. He stated his
most narrow escape from death was
in a foray with the Cheyenne indians.
Leaving the Piegan camp on Two
Medicine river. it being in the fall of
the year. and the time when the leaves
were beginning to turn. Many Tail
Feathers, accompanied by six other
warriors, following the Marias river.
soon reached the place commonly
known as Goosebill Thence they cut
across the plains to the Missouri. end
camped ct an old Indian camping
! ground, near some springs.
/ The PARTY was now in the danger
zone end it was necessary to keep a
sharp lockout at all times for signs Of
ether Indians, who would be very apt
to be enemies rs all of the Piegans
had been left in camp on the Two
/ Medicine Travelling very carefully
they soon reached a place known
among the Indians as Owl mountains.
/ They camped on one OF the creeks
near here and the following morning
/ saw an Indian camp on neighboring
stream. Carefully approaching the
strange camp. they soon determined
these to be Cheyennes and ilnmedi-
, atelv plans we're started looking to the
stealing of the Cheyenne horses that
night. Returning to their own camp.
a guard was posted and preparations
made for the contemplated raid.
Approaching the Cheyenne camp
! that night, they were successful in
stealing some of the Cheyenne horses
without arousing the suspicious of the
owners, who no doubt were out on
the same sort of an expedition. After
securing the horses they wanted, and