Calendar history of the Kiowa Indians. (1898 N 17 / 1895-1896 (pages 129-444))Mooney, James
History
Calendar history of the Kiowa Indians. (1898 N 17 / 1895-1896 (pages 129-444))
Mooney, James
Kiowa Indians; Kiowa language -- Glossaries, vocabularies, etc.
Set-t'aiñte, whose name among the Kiowa is still one to conjure by,
first acquired his title of "Orator of the Plains" in connection with
the events which led to the treaty of Medicine Lodge, in 1867. He was
already sufficiently distinguished among his own people as a leader on
the warpath. In May preceding the treaty he visited Fort Larned, and,
confronting General Hancock, he denounced agent Leavenworth and
complained of the aggressions of the white men in a fiery speech, which
is described as a masterly effort, from its opening, when he called the
sun to witness that he would "talk straight," to the close, when,
looking around over the prairie, he said that it was large and good, and
declared that he did not want it stained with blood.
A few months later he escorted General Harney and the commissioners from
the post to the spot where the Indians were gathering for the treaty. In
spite of stringent orders before starting, the soldiers and camp
followers soon began an indiscriminate slaughter of the buffalo along
the line of march. As described by a correspondent--
They recklessly shot down the buffalo, simply that they might boast
of it. After cutting out their tongues, they left the carcasses
where they fell. The reader will readily perceive that when the
Indians complain at every council of the decrease of the buffalo,
such wanton waste of good meat could not be a pleasing sight to the
greatest chief on the American plains. Satanta, never backward in
speech, resented in strong terms the shooting of his game on his
own ground. Said he, while his eyes flashed and his lips curled
with scorn: "Has the white man become a child, that he should
recklessly kill and not eat? When the red men slay game, they do so
that they may live and not starve." Sound logic! Only persons
devoid of sense or honor could have been guilty of such conduct in
the enemy's country, especially when the commissioners were
endeavoring to conciliate them with presents and reconcile them to
the propositions about to be propounded.
The protest had its effect, no more shooting was allowed, and those
responsible for the outrage were placed under arrest.
On behalf of the confederate tribes, he made the leading speech in reply
to the commissioners. It is thus given by the correspondent of the New
York Times:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account