XLVIII. XLVIII
INDIAN SPEECHES AND DATA
XLVIII. [From original MSS. in possession of Mrs. Julia Clark Voorhis and Miss Eleanor Glasgow
Voorhis. Loose sheets in Clark's handwriting, interesting as notes evidently taken during the progress
of councils, and afterwards expanded in the text of the journals.]
(Ricary)
October the 11th Thursday 1804 we met in Council to hear what
the Grand Chief Kakawissassa had to say in answer to the speech of
yesterday.[1]
The Grand Chief rose and spoke as follows i, e. My Fathers! My
heart is glader than it ever was before to see my fathers, a repetition.
If you want the road open no one can provent it It will always be
open for you. Can you think any one Dare put their hands on your
rope of your boat.[2]
No ! not one dar When you get to the Mandans
we wish you to speak good words with that nation for us. We wish to
be at peace with them. It gives us pain that we do not know how to
work the Beaver. We will make Buffalow roabs the best we can.
When you return if I am living you will see me again the same man.
The Indian in the prarie know me and listen to my words, when you
[come] they will meet to see you. We shall look at the river with
impatience for your return. Finishd
2nd. Chief Ricarey[3]
My Father, I am glad to see this is a fine Day to here [hear] the good
Councils & talk good talk. I am glad to See you & that your intentions
are to open the road for all We See that our Grand [great] father has
sent you to open the roads we See it Our Grand father by sending
you means to take pity on us Our Grand father has sent you with
tobacco to make peace with all nations, we think [we are] The first
nation who has recommended the road to be clear and open. You
come here & have Directed all nations which you have met to open
& clear the road. If you come to see the Water & roads to clear them
as clear as possible You just now come to see us, & we wish you to
tell our Grand fa
r that we wish the road to be kept clear & open I
expect the Chief in the next Town will tell you the same to move on
& open the road I think when you have saw the nation below the[y]
wish you to open the road, or something to that amount When you
pass'd the Souix they told you the same I expect. We See you here
to day we are pore our women have no strouds
[4]
& knives to Cut
their meats take pitty on us when you return You Come here &
Derect us to stay at home & not to go to war, we shall do so, we
hope you will when you get to the
Mandins you will tell them the same
& cleer the road, no one Dar to stop you, you go when you please,
you tell us to go down, we will go and see our grand father & here
& receve his gifts, and think fully that our nation will be covered after
our return, our people will look for us with the same impatience that
our Grand father looks for your return, to Give him. If I am going
to See my grand father many bad nations on the road, I am not afraid
to Die for the good of my people (all Cried around him.) The Chief
By me will go to the Mandans & hear what they will Say. (we agreed)
The verry moment we Set out to go down we will send out my Brother
to bring all the Nation in the open prarie to see me part on this great
mission to see my Great father Our people hunters shall be glad to
here of your being here & they will all come to see as you Cannot
stay they must wate for your return to see you. We are pore take
pity on our wants.
The road is for you all to go on who do you think will injure a
white man when they come to exchange for our Roabes & Beaver
After you set out many nations in the open plains may come to make
war against us, we wish you to stop their guns & prevent it if possible.
(Finished)
3d. Chief of Ricares.[5]
My father—I will see the Indians below & see if they have the
hart as they tell you. The nation below is the Mandan Maha &
Otteau but one nation, the Souix has not a good heart I always look
at the 1t Chief & the 2d where they go I will also follow ther example
& go on also. You see those 2 men they are chiefs, when I go they
will take care, they beleve your words. Mabie we will not tell the
trooth as to the Child perhaps they will not wish to go. My Childen
the old women & men when I return I can then give them, some a
knife some powder & others Ballse. What is the matter if we was to
go for nothing my great Chief wish to go, I wish to go also. When
I go to See my Grand father I wish to return sune for fear of my people
being uneasy. My children are small & perhaps will be uneasy when
I may be safe. I must go. I also wish to go, perhaps I may when I
return make my people glad.
I will Stay at home & not go to War even if my people are struck
We will believ your word but I fear the Indians above will not believe
your word. I will think that ½ of the men who will return will stay
in this Village ½ below in the other villages.
What did the Seaus tell you (We informed them)
Ricare Name for Dift Nations.[6]
Shar ha or Dog [Cheyenne] Indians 3 in the open Prarie Work
Ki a wah Kun na war wish Wa na sar wer War too che work
koo Au nah how Te pah cus Car tar kah All those nations live
the West & South West of the Rickery nation.
Mandans.
Ka gar no mogh ge[7]
the 2d Chief of the 2d Village of Mandam came
the 30t of Oct. and spoke to us as follows. Viz Will you be so good
as to go to the Village the Grand Chief will speek and give some
corn, if you will let some men take bags it will be well. I am going
with the Chief of the ricares to smoke a pipe with that nation I concluded
to go down.[8]
Mockeson Indians[9]
The principal Chief of the Wau te soon came and spoke a fiew words
on Varios subjects not much to the purpose. We smoked and after
my shooting the air gun he departed. Those nations know nothing
of regular councils, and know not how to proceed in them, they are
useless.
Black Cat or Pose. cop-sa-he! 1st.. Chief of the Mandans & [chief of]
2d Village.[10]
"I believe what you have told us in Council, & that peace will be
general, which not only gives me pleasure, but satisfaction to all the
nation, thy now can hunt without fear, and our women can work in
the fields without looking everry moment for the enimey" as to the
Ricares we will show you that we wish piace with all, and do not make
[war] on any with out cause, that Chief (pointing to the 2d of the
Village) and some young men will accompany the Ricrea Chief home
to his Nation to smoke with that people. When the Indian of the
Different Villages heard of your comeing up they all came in from
hunting to see they expected Great presents. they were disapointed
and some dissatisfied. as to my self I am not much so, but my village
are– He believed the roade was open: and he would go and See his
great father. he Delivered up 2 Traps which had been taken from the
french, & gave me a roabe & about 12 bushels of corn & smoked.
I answered the speech as explained, many parts which he could not
understand—of the speech of yesterday.
The 1 of Nov. Mandins 1st Village[11]
The Main Chief Big White & 2 others i. e. the Big Man or Sha-ha-ca
and Oh-hee-nar came early to talk, and spoke as follows, after smoking
viz.
Is it certain that the ricares intend to make good [peace] with us
our wish is to be at peace with all, we will send a Chief with the
pania Chief and some young men to smoke and make good peace?
are you going to stay abov or below [during] this Cold [season?]
answer by C.[aptain]L We are going down a few miles to look
[for] a place we can find no place abov proper
The panias know's we do not begin the war, they allway begin,
we sent a Chief and a pipe to the Pania to smoke and they killed them.
We have killed enough of them We kill them like the birds, we do
not wish to kill more, we will, make a good peace
We were sorry when we heard of your going up but now you are
going down, we are glad, if we eat you shall eat, if we Starve you
must Starve also, our village is too far to bring the corn to you, but
we hope you will call on us as you pass to the place you intend to stop.
C[aptain] L[ewis] answered the above.
