 | Notes Among the Indians |  |
INTERVIEW WITH THE WICHITAS, WACOES, CADDOES, KECHAS, AND OTHERS, APRIL 7, 1869.
General Hazen commenced the talk by informing the assembled chiefs that he was happy to meet them, that the goods which would be distributed among them were not a part of their regular annuity, but were those which had been sent on for the Comanches and Kiowas last year, who burned their store and grain house and destroyed their corn. That he had given them these goods because they were peaceful and industrious. That he had bought ploughs and garden seeds for them, and employed farmers to instruct them, and would continue to watch over their interests.
Colonel Boone, the Indian Agent, then spoke to them in the same friendly way, and assured them that the Government would do all it could for them.
General Hazen then introduced me to them, telling them that I had been sent out here by a society of good men of much power and influence, and that the new Father at Washington had told him and all other Generals and soldiers, to see that I was protected and allowed to see the Indians. They said, "Good, good," to each other, and waited to hear from me.
I told them "they had many warm and strong friends where I came from. That there were good and bad white men, as well as good and bad Indians. That now the good white men had united together, to take care of the good Indians, and that, relying on the Great Spirit, they would help them. That when the Indians were at peace, prosperous, and happy, we rejoiced and were glad; but when they were at war, unfortunate, or in distress, we were unhappy and much troubled. I told them that our new Father at Washington was their friend, and repeated the words of General Grant's 'inaugural' to them. That we wished to establish schools among them, and asked them if they would send their children to them."
The Chief of the Wacoes, Good Buffalo, then replied, "That he was glad to see our faces. That this was a happy day for himself and for his people. That the Indian was like the white man. The Great Spirit had made them both, only He had made the white man wiser than the Indian. That He had put him on a broader road, and told him to take care of the Indian, and show him the way. That so far they had not found the road. That they were worse off than when they started, but that to-day they hoped to find the road. Long time ago his father took
Wa-tu-pi, Chief of the Caddoes, then said that he wished to speak. That I "had come a long way to see them, and he was glad. That he was much pleased to see so many chiefs present to hear this talk. The Caddoes, when they first knew the white people, had been helped by them; but that they were now forgotten. His people, like the Wichitas, knew how to plough and plant corn. He hoped I would look and see how poor his people were."
I told him I saw it, and it made me very unhappy.
The Caddoes once owned and occupied the country which now forms the State of Louisiana. At present they have no land assigned to them, and are literally homeless wanderers. What a pity they have not able advocates like Mrs. General Gaines!
The chiefs noticed that I was taking notes of their reply, and asked the interpreter "what I was doing that for." He told them it was to show my friends at home and the Great Father at Washington. They said, "Wano, Wano," "Good, Good." They said they hoped I would put it all down.
I was deeply impressed with the whole scene, and left with a much higher opinion of the Indian race than I have had heretofore.
After the talk the squaws took the goods and distributed a share to each squaw and papoose present. The women and children sat around in a circle, and the squaws with the goods occupied the centre.
About three o'clock we left the Agency grounds, and rode over to the Wichita village, about three miles northeast, up the Eureka Valley.
| Notes Among the Indians | |