Year: 1875




pursued the affairs Spotted Tail Agency appeared to
be honestly administered ! do not know what the
Commissioners may think about IT, but they appeared,
at least, 10 be pleased with their VISIT


AN INDIAN Powwow


In the afternoon kind OF council was held in the
open space in front Of the agents Office The Indians
sat the ground the form Of a semicrclc Spotted
Tail and Swt Bear, the two principal chiefs occupying
OF honor nearest the Commissioners Among the
other red men present were Looking Horse, He Dog,
Tall Bull, Two Strike XIII on Horseback, White
Wash, Baptlsio Good and Good Hawk There
is question about the high standing
of some OF these, however, Spotted Tail
and Swift Bear explained to the Commissioners
anerward Spotted Tail was dressed in white shirt,
blue panaloons, fancy beaded mocassins, with blue
blanket wrapped around him and fan eagle feathers
IN his hand. AT the outset question among
the dscontcntcd head men to interpreters They OBJ
jeced 10 Louis Bordeaux intelligent half breed, on
the ground that he kindly disposed toward Spotted
Tail and might not do them justice. The agent asked
them who they wanted and they said Geru, who is
'squaw man" That individual was sent for but he
refused to Then the agent told them that here
the Rev. Mr. Cleavcland and Mr.. Aston both Of
whom understood their language, and they could cor
rect any mistake that might be made The disaIectcd
faction finally agreed to this arrangement and the pow
WOW tnen comTncnccu, MI QulBlcy, nnOtncr 'SquaW
man" subsequently taking the place of Mr. Aston.


COMPLAINTS HAWK.


When Governor Fletcher had stated the object for
which the Great Father had this Commission out
namely, if the Indians we'll treated, one
Indian Immediately advanced and down to rece his
grievances When asked his he said he had none,
but IL subsequently said to be Good Hawk. He said
that at the old agency they hai been treated WELL but
that since then their provisions had been constantly de-
creasing both in quality and quantity The sugar, he
said was yellow the sunflowcr and so bad that II
killed some of his people. "Yonder on the hills" he
said, 'you the graves Of those who have died
from eating the sugar" And then he complained
about the beef that the cattle very small If
any big they so old that they had teeth;
and about the bacon pork that it ''soaked in
water' and they could it, or if they did it killed
their children Some had starved to death for Of
meat The blankets were too small They were bad
where they branded and not received in
time-not until the middle of the winter The agent
had refused ratons to their friends when they
in from hunting land this - he said, "does not
please US" Then he wanted to be paid for the timber
the creeks, which abundant he said that it
could be exhausted and in closing his general
complaint he added:-'I have been without food for
month"; thing that has used up and done for many of
my children"


BAPTIsTE GOODS INDICTMENT.


Baptiste Good after some usual Introductory re-
marks, complained that the wagons which had been
sent them were broken when received and the oxen
choked before they got here, and he wanted
for them. At this point he pulled out his spectacles
and pile of papers, and selecting document which
was covered both sides with memoranda frequently
referred to in the of his subsequent observa
tons. He said soldier had recently killed one of his
fine young men and stolen his horses and the agent
had replaced the horses The whites had tried to
take away the game which the Great Spirit had given
TO the Indians Baptise Good went over the points
alluded by Good Hawk and added others, principally
the quality and quantity of the rations If the
Great Father wanted make the Indian like the white
man, he said he should hurry up the farm
ing implements. He also wanted pay for the
timber, that with which the white work
men were now erecting the schoolhouse chapel
and other buildings He wanted new agent-one that
would pity him.; and at the time wished it to be
distinctly understood that he did not military
agent ''The white men, he said, 'are in the
Black Hills just like maggots, and want you to get
them out just quick as you can The chief OF all
thieves General CUSTER made road into the Black
Hills last summer and want the Great Father to pay
damages for what Custer done" He wanted money for
the hay which cut from off the prairie; wanted
more money the hides he sold the traders and with
these and other things he mentioned wanted the
try he now living In secured TO him forever


TWO STRIKE SUSPICIOUS


Two Strike said he glad to the Commissioners
but he evidently dstruscd their authority intentions,
for he asked them at the outset they really
by the Great Father to counsel with the Indians to
say so honestly and straghtforwardly because other
Commissioners had been sent out before, and while lie
thought the Great Father had told them do right it
seemed to him that when they out here they did
some meanness He said he born and raised in
this section of the country; he fifty -four years
age and he wished live and die here. He wanted
better grub than he had been getting and more of it.
His complaints similar in substance to those OF the
previous speakers.


REPLY OF YELLOW BREAST.


After s'squaw man" had added something to the
same effect Yellow Breast came forward and told them
they had been telling lies. "You people here" he
said shave talked like fools; you have been abusing
your agent and your talk has been like that Of chill
dren-" Yellow Breast defended the agent, and told
them they would never get better ono than Major
Howard.


TESTIMONY OF SPOTTED TAIL


Spotted Tail sat in silence while all these remarks
being made; he evidently disappointed and
dspeased the position which of his people had
assumed and he refused say word This closed the
council but he told Sitting Bull TO tell the Commits
soners that those Indians fools and that the men
OF brains among his people were we'll enough satisfied
with the Great Father and his agent. Immediately
aftcrward Spotted Tail and Swift Bear were in
vited to hold private interview with the Commission
ers which the great chief said he regretted what
had taken place 'The only complaint have to make !"
said Spotted TAIL sis that Congress has appropriated
too small an amount Of money for Us, and, consc
quenty the amount Of supplies get is very limited
He said he knew the Great Father feeding them
gratuously. He went TO give clear account oil the
way the appropriations made and placed at the
disposal OF the Indian Bureau, and how the goods
purchased and forwarded to the agent and then
lie added to show that he perfectly understood it, the
the Great Father has selected you, my friends
to come out here to look into the management or
the agency" He did not know Of any steal
ing but If there any his opinion that 1t was
done in the States before the goods arrived here be-
cause they had pass through many hands He said