Three Years on the Plains: Observations of Indians, 1867-1870Tuttle, Edmund B. (Edmund Bostwick)
History
Three Years on the Plains: Observations of Indians, 1867-1870
Tuttle, Edmund B. (Edmund Bostwick)
Frontier and pioneer life -- West (U.S.); Indians of North America; Indians of North America -- Great Plains
Having received these instructions, the young Indian took his leave,
and, in a quarrel with his brother, drove him to distant regions, far
beyond the savannas, in the southwest, where he killed him, and left
his huge flint form in the earth. (Hence the Rocky Mountains.) The
great enemy to the race of the turtle being thus destroyed, they sprang
from the ground in human form, and multiplied in peace.
The grandmother, roused to furious resentment at the loss of her
favorite son, resolved to be revenged.
For many days she caused the rain to descend from the clouds in
torrents, until the whole surface of the earth, and even the highest
mountains, were covered. The inhabitants escaped by fleeing to their
canoes. She then covered the earth with snow; but they betook
themselves to their snow-shoes. She then gave up the hope of destroying
them all at once, and has ever since employed herself in inflicting
smaller evils on the world, while her younger son displays his good and
benevolent feelings by showering blessings on his race.
[For this tradition I am indebted to N. P. Willis, Esq., whose visits
to my house in New York were among the events of early days never to be
forgotten.]
TRIBES ON THE PLAINS.
The Indian tribes on the plains, altogether, with those of New Mexico,
Texas, California, and Arizona, do not exceed 300,000, including
Indians, squaws, and papooses. They are as follows:
_Dakota._--Sioux (pronounced Soos), of these there are several bands,
under chiefs for each band, called Yanktons, Poncas, Lower Brules,
Lower Yanctonais, Two Kettle Sioux, Blackfeet, Minneconjons, Uncpapas,
Ogallahs, Upper Yanctonais, Sansarc, Wahpeton Sioux, Arickarees, Gros
Ventres, Mandans, Assinaboins, Sipetons, Santee.
This nation is the most numerous and warlike, numbering 31,534. They
range from Kansas, on the Republican River, to Winnepeg, on the north.
A treaty was made with these in 1868, between General Sherman, General
Harney (an old Indian fighter), General Augur, General Sanborn, General
Terry, Colonel Tappan, and Mr. Taylor, Commissioner, all of the Peace
Commission, on the part of the government, at Fort Laramie, now Wyoming
Territory, with Ma-za-pon-kaska, Tah-shun-ka-co-qui-pah, Heh-non-go-chat,
Mah-to-non-pah, Little Chief, Makh-pi-ah-hi-tah, Co-cam-i-ya-ya,
Can-te-pe-ta, Ma-wa-tan-ni-hav-ska, He-na-pin-na-ni-ca, Wah-pa-shaw,
and other chiefs and headmen of different tribes of Sioux. This treaty,
among other things, contained an agreement that, "If bad men among the
whites should commit any wrong on the property or persons of Indians,
the United States would punish them and pay for all losses.
"If bad men among the Indians shall do wrong to white men, black, or
Indian, the Indians making the treaty shall deliver up the wrong-doer
to the government, to be tried and punished; also agreeing about
certain lands for reservations, farms, annuities of goods, etc., to be
paid them instead of money, thus:
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account