University of Virginia Library

4. CHAPTER IV.

SHAH-CO-PEE came, a few days ago, with twenty other
warriors, some of them chiefs, on a visit to the commanding
officer of Fort Snelling.

The Dahcotahs had heard that the Winnebagoes were
about to be removed, and that they were to pass through
their hunting grounds on their way to their future homes.
They did not approve of this arrangement. Last summer
the Dahcotahs took some scalps of the Winnebagoes, and
it was decided at Washington that the Dahcotabs should
pay four thousand dollars of their annuities as an atonement
for the act. This caused much suffering among the Dahcotas;
fever was making great havoc among them, and
to deprive them of their flour and other articles of food
was only enfeebling their constitutions, and rendering them
an easy prey for disease. The Dahcotahs thought this very
hard at the time; they have not forgotten the circumstance,
and they think that they ought to be consulted
before their lands are made a thoroughfare by their enemies.

They accordingly assembled, and, accompanied by the
Indian agent and the interpreter, came to Fort Snelling to
make their complaint. When they were all seated, (all on
the floor but one, who looked most uncomfortable, mounted
on a high chair), the agent introduced the subject, and it
was discussed for a while; the Dahcotahs paying the most
profound attention, although they could not understand a

word of what was passing; and when there was a few
moments' silence, the chiefs rose each in his turn to protest
against the Winnebagoes passing through their country.
They all spoke sensibly and well; and when one finished,
the others all intimated their approval by crying “Ho!” as a
kind of chorus. After a while Shah-co-pee rose; his manner
said “I am Sir Oracle.” He shook hands with the
commanding officer, with the agent and interpreter, and
then with some strangers who were visiting the fort.

His attitude was perfectly erect as he addressed the
officer.

“We are the children of our great Father, the President
of the United States; look upon us, for we are your children
too. You are placed here to see that the Dahcotahs
are protected, that their rights are not infringed upon.”

While the Indians cried Ho! ho! with great emphasis,
Shah-co-pee shook hands all round again, and then resumed
his place and speech.

“Once this country all belonged to the Dahcotahs.
Where had the white man a place to call his own on our
prairies? He could not even pass through our country
without our permission!

“Our great Father has signified to us that he wants our
lands. We have sold some of them to him, and we are
content to do so, but he has promised to protect us, to be a
friend to us, to take care of us as a father does of his
children.

“When the white man wishes to visit us, we open the
door of our country to him; we treat him with hospitality.
He looks at our rocks, our river, our trees, and we do not

disturb him. The Dahcotah and the white man are
friends.

“But the Winnebagoes are not our friends, we suffered
for them not long ago; our children wanted food; our
wives were sick; they could not plant corn or gather the
Indian potato. Many of our nation died; their bodies are
now resting on their scaffolds. The night birds clap their
wings as the winds howl over them!

“And we are told that our great Father will let the
Winnebagoes make a path through our hunting grounds:
they will subsist upon our game; every bird or animal they
kill will be a loss to us.

“The Dahcotah's lands are not free to others. If our
great Father wishes to make any use of our lands, he
should pay us. We object to the Winnebagoes passing
through our country; but if it is too late to prevent this,
then we demand a thousand dollars for every village they
shall pass.”

Ho! cried the Indians again; and Shah-co-pee, after
shaking hands once more, took his seat.

I doubt if you will ever get the thousand dollars a village,
Shah-co-pee; but I like the spirit that induces you
to demand it. May you live long to make speeches and
beg bread—the unrivalled orator and most notorious beggar
of the Dahcotahs!