Lives of Famous Indian Chiefs: From Cofachiqui, the Indian Princess, and Powhatan; down to and including Chief Joseph and Geronimo. Also an answer, from the latest research, of the query, Whence came the Indian? Together with a number of thrillingly interesting Indian stories and anecdotes from historyWood, Norman B. (Norman Barton)
History
Lives of Famous Indian Chiefs: From Cofachiqui, the Indian Princess, and Powhatan; down to and including Chief Joseph and Geronimo. Also an answer, from the latest research, of the query, Whence came the Indian? Together with a number of thrillingly interesting Indian stories and anecdotes from history
Wood, Norman B. (Norman Barton)
Indians -- Origin; Indians of North America -- Anecdotes; Indians of North America -- Biography
"When you first came here, you clung around our knee and called us
_father;_ we took you by the hand and called you brothers. You have grown
greater than we, so that we can no longer reach up to your hand; but we
wish to cling around your knee and be called your children." Is not this at
once beautiful and pathetic?
But Sa-go-ye-wat-ha could be sarcastic, as well as pathetic; in fact he ran
the whole gamut, and was deficient in nothing essential to eloquence.
Minnie Myrtle, in her book. "The Iroquois," relates the following incident:
"A young French nobleman visited Buffalo on one occasion, and having heard
much of the fame of Red Jacket, sent him word that he wished to see him,
and invited him to come the next day. Red Jacket received the message, and
affected great contempt, saying: 'Tell the _young man_ if he wishes to
visit the old chief he will find him with his nation, where other strangers
pay their respects to him, and Red Jacket will be glad to see him.' The
count sent back word that he had taken a long journey and was fatigued;
that he had come all the way from France to see the great orator of the
Seneca nation, and hoped he would not refuse to meet him at Buffalo. 'Tell
him,' said the sarcastic chief, 'that, having come so far to see me, it is
strange he should stop within seven miles of my lodge.' So the young
Frenchman was obliged to seek him in his wigwam; after which he consented
to dine with the count at Buffalo, and was pronounced by him a greater
wonder than Niagara Falls itself."
On another occasion he was visited by a gentleman who talked incessantly
and to little purpose, and who would go very near the person he was
addressing and chatter about as intelligibly as a magpie. Red Jacket,
receiving the message that a stranger wished to see him, dressed himself
with great care, and came forth in all his dignity. One glance of his keen
eye was sufficient for him to understand the character of his guest, and
listening a few moments with contempt in all his features, he then went
close to him and exclaimed, "Cha! cha! cha!" as fast as he could speak, and
turned on his heel to his own cabin "as straight as an Indian," nor deigned
to look behind him while in sight of the house occupied by the loquacious
stranger, who stood for once speechless!
Like other great orators, he had his full share of vanity. He was fully
aware of his importance, and disposed to make others aware of it. Colonel
Pickering was often employed by the government to negotiate treaties, and
would take down the speeches on the occasion in writing. At one time, when
Red Jacket was the orator, he thought he would note the words of the
interpreter whilst the chief was himself speaking. He immediately paused,
and on being requested to proceed, said, "No, not whilst you hold down your
head." "Why can you not speak whilst I write?" "Because, if you look me in
the eye, you can tell whether I tell you the truth."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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