Villages of the Algonquian, Siouan, and Caddoan Tribes West of the MississippiBushnell, David I. (David Ives)
History
Villages of the Algonquian, Siouan, and Caddoan Tribes West of the Mississippi
Bushnell, David I. (David Ives)
Algonquian Indians; Caddoan Indians; Indians of North America -- Dwellings; Siouan Indians
On the evening of June 30 the party going by land arrived "at an Indian
village, which is under the direction of Shakea, (_the man that paints
himself red_;) the village has retained the appellation of Redwing,
(_aile rouge_,) by which the chief was formerly distinguished." This was
on the site of the present Red Wing, Goodhue County, Minnesota. There
the party remained overnight, and on the following morning, July 1,
1823, the boat bearing the supplies belonging to the expedition, on its
way from Prairie du Chien to Fort St. Anthony, reached the village, and
"The whole party being again united, the chief invited them to his
lodge, with a view to have a formal conversation with them.... As a
compliment to the party, the United States' flag was hoisted over his
cabin, and a deputation of some of his warriors waited at our encampment
to invite us to his lodge. We were received in due ceremony; the chief
and his son, Tatunkamane, (the walking buffalo,) were seated next to the
entrance. We took our stations near them, on the same bed-frame, while
his warriors seated themselves on the frame opposite to us." This was
followed by handshaking, and the smoking of the pipe of peace. (Op.
cit., pp. 251-252.) The two parties again separated and those passing
overland arrived at the fort the following evening.
The boat party, ascending the Mississippi, arrived at "Wapasha's
village" on June 29, soon after the departure of the others who were
going overland. They left Redwing early in the afternoon of July 1, and
on the following day passed the St. Croix. Continuing, they "passed an
Indian village consisting of ten or twelve huts, situated at a handsome
turn on the river, about ten miles below the mouth of the St. Peter; the
village is generally known by the name of the _Petit Corbeau_, or Little
Raven, which was the appellation of the father and grandfather of the
present chief.... As the village was abandoned for the season, we
proceeded without stopping. The houses which we saw here were
differently constructed from those which we had previously observed.
They are formed by upright flattened posts, implanted in the ground,
without any interval except here and there some small loopholes for
defence; these posts support the roof, which presents a surface of bark.
Before and behind each hut, there is a scaffold used for the purpose of
drying maize, pumpkins, &c." Late in the same day they arrived at the
fort. (Keating, (1), I, pp. 288-289.) Whether the method of constructing
lodges by forming the walls of upright posts or logs was of native
conception or was derived from the French is now difficult to determine.
In referring to the customs prevailing in the Mississippi Valley,
particularly the French portions, about the year 1810, Brackenridge
said: "In building their houses, the logs, instead of being laid
horizontally, as ours, are placed in a perpendicular position, the
interstices closed with earth or stone, as with us." (Brackenridge, (1),
p.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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