Anecdotes of the American Indians, illustrating their eccentricities of character — John Shaqi
Anecdotes of the American Indians, illustrating their eccentricities of character
History
Anecdotes of the American Indians, illustrating their eccentricities of character
Indians of North America -- Anecdotes
An Indian being among his white neighbors, asked for a little tobacco
to smoke, and one of them, having some loose in his pocket, gave him
a handful. The day following, the Indian came back, inquiring for the
donor, saying he had found a quarter of a dollar among the tobacco;
being told that as it was given him he might as well keep it, he
answered, pointing to his breast: ‘I got a good man and a bad man here;
and the good man say, it is not mine, I must return it to the owner;
the bad man say, why he gave it to you, and it is your own now; the
good man say, that’s not right, the tobacco is yours, not the money;
the bad man say, never mind, you got it, go buy some dram; the good
man say, no, no, you must not do so; so I don’t know what to do, and I
think to go to sleep; but the good man and the bad man keep talking all
night, and trouble me; and now I bring the money back I feel good.’
HONOR AMONG INDIANS.
There is no class of human beings on earth, who hold a pledge more
sacred and binding, than do the North American Indians. A sample of
this was witnessed during the Winnebago war of 1827, in the person of
Dekker-re, a celebrated chief of that nation, who, among four other
Indians of his tribe, was taken prisoner at Prairie du Chien. Colonel
Snelling, of the 5th regiment of infantry, who then commanded that
garrison, despatched a young Indian into the nation, with orders to
inform the other chiefs of Dekker-re’s band, that unless those Indians
who were perpetrators of the horrid murders of some of our citizens,
were brought to the fort and given up within ten days, Dekker-re
and the other four Indians who were retained as hostages, would be
shot at the end of that time. The awful sentence was pronounced in
the presence of Dekker-re, who, though proclaiming his own innocence
of the outrages which had been committed by others of his nation,
exclaimed that he feared not death, though it would be attended with
serious consequences, inasmuch as he had two affectionate wives and
a large family of small children who were entirely dependent on him
for their support; but if necessary, he was willing to die for the
honour of his nation. The young Indian had been gone several days,
and no intelligence was yet received from the murderers. The dreadful
day being near at hand, and Dekker-re being in a bad state of health,
asked permission of the Colonel to go to the river to indulge in his
long accustomed habit of bathing; in order to improve his health. Upon
which, Col. S. told him that, if he would promise, on the honor of a
chief, that he would not leave the town, he might have his liberty, and
enjoy all his privileges, until the day of the appointed execution.
Accordingly he first gave his hand to the Colonel, thanked him for
his friendly offer, then raised both his hands aloft, and in the
most solemn adjuration, promised that he would not leave the bounds
prescribed, and said, if he had a hundred lives, he would sooner lose
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