My father: Looking round at your children, you think all their ears are open to what you say; but I think part of them are deaf; they act like men that have no ears at all.
I have heart and ears, and take into them all I hear from you. These people have struck us often, but we have sat with our arms folded: still they strike, and we remain
My Father: What you say, and what our great father says, I always hear with open ears.
When I received the invitation from our agent, I determined, when I came, to keep my ears open.
What I say is all true. Once I acted a little foolishly, but no lives were lost then.
My ears are always open to good counsel; but I think my great father should take a
"We love you white men, but we have fear of your success because it is so dry. This is a pretty country but you white men take it away from us. The only thing this country is good for is red ants, coyotes, and cattle men."
Forty years ago my mother died. She captured by Comanche, nine years old. Love Indian and wild life so well no want to go back to white folks. All same people, God say. I love my mother. I like white people. Got great heart. I want my people follow after white way, get educate, know work, make living when payments stop. I tell ’um they got to know pick cotton
"Brothers...As you are once more assem- bled in council for the purpose of doing honor to yourselves, and justice to your country; we, your brothers, the sachems, chiefs and warriors, of the Seneca nation, request you to open your ears and give atten- tion to our voice and wishes.
"Brothers....You will recollect the late contest between you and your father, the great king of England. This contest threw the inhabitants
The Indian's speech, translated from the Latin, is as followeth.— "Since the subject of his errand is to persaude is to embrace new doctrines, perhaps it may not be amiss, before we offer hint the reasons why we cannot comply with his request, to acquaint him of the grounds and princi-ples of that religion he would hare Us to abandon.
"Our fathers were under a strong persuasion (as we are)
Father & Brothers Hurons! Brother Hurons. You say you were employed by our Father and your own Chiefs to come and have some conversation with us and we are happy to see you and to hear your and our Fathers speech. We heartily thank you both for having taken the condition of our poor women and children to your considerations: We plainly see that you pity as by the concern
My father, my father, this spring Monsieur de La Mothe sent us word that he barred the great river [to us], that he set a barrier there as high as the trees, that no one might make use of this way to come down here. But I said, why does Monsieur de La Motile block up this way against me? Is it not the way by which I go to
We salute our Father & our Brethren & return thanks to the Great Spirit who has been pleased to allow them to meet at this council.
General Harrison desires me to address the Chiefs, that having taken into consideration the long time the different nations have been separated has sent this deputation to speak with their Friends.
He has selected seven Hurons & one Seneka to tell (as he always
My Father,
When I heard the good news which my father the Red Head communicated to me I took the same road as my deceased Father used to take to come here; and my arrival is a fine day to me; for I see the good works of my English Father.
You ordered your children to lift the Tomahawk; But as for me I have not yet taken it in
My Father, I present myself this day before you this day to talk which gives me much pleasure, I speak of War I For I have already begun, I have sent back the Americans from La Prairie du Chien & then I came here to drive them away. Since then I find this Island more solid than when they were here. I believe that I am now under a clear
My Father, It is a long time past that you know us who are called Manominies, & I suppose you are acquainted with our behaviour towards the whites, & particularly towards our English Father.
Shall I tell you my Father that when I beheld the great fire which shined on this Island, its light brought to mind times that are passed & I said to myself, This then is the
My Father, I thank you for your words to day, which instruct us how to live happy, I am also sincerely thankful for the trouble you have taken to save the lives of our women and children for the ensuing winter by the bounty you have bestowed upon us.
My Father, You must before have heard that I am one of those very few Indians, who speak my sentiments openly
My Brother, according to your desire and Treaties with us, I have consulted with our Chief Warriors in respect to this Belt of Wampum which you discovered to be in the village and we all think it best to deliver it to you so that you may send it to your General; though we were not to let this belt be known of till it arrived at Ouiattonen; And then
Our Elder Brethren, We are well pleased with the message you bring us from, our Governor General Johnson. Lo, this is the first time, that we have the pleasure to know, that our General speaks to us, we see that he takes pity on us by sending us this good speech, and we receive it with both our hands, we will do every thing agreeable to his will when we
Acouestchichika by four branches. Warriors & my brothers listen to what I have to say in this place. My father, give attention if you please, to what I say to you the chiefs & warriors. It is now nearly two years since our nation was first called your children being told, I will render you happy, abandon the chase & do not hesitate to carry out the King's orders. Here
Chaminitawaa, Village Chief of the Odawas then rose up and said:
Father! I am chosen to speak the sentiments of the Odawas, Chippewas and Potawatomies.
Father! I beg you will listen to the words of your children and I beg they will be attentive.
Father! Since I am appointed to speak for your children, I hope you will excuse any impropriety, in my speech, I am but a poor ignorant
Ouandarong (or old Baby) then rose up and spoke as follows:
Father! we can have but little to say besides returning you thanks in the name of Sastakaritze, what I shall deliver is in the name of the Wyndotts & Miamis.
Father! we thank our brothers, the Outawaas, Chippewas and Potawatomies for what they have said, it touched our hearts, we are of the very same way of thinking with
Father! I hope you will listen to your children that come from the town situated between the two Creeks. We are of the same mind with our brethren who have Just, we beg you will have pity on us in our distress, we who inhabit the little Sciota, we are in want of many things, chiefly, Blanketts, Spirits, powder, Ball & knives.
Father, We the chiefs of the Chippewa Nation of Indians, inhabiting and owning the lands on the West and North of the Great Water, called Lake St. Clair, now waite on you, to assure, of our sincere and friendly attachment to the people with whom but very lately we were at war, but that war not brought on by us but instigated by bad council.
We sometimes since met a
Speech of the Four Bears a Mandan Warrior to the Arricarees and Mandans, 30th July 1837. My Friends one and all, Listen to what I have to say. Ever since I can remember, I have loved the Whites, I have lived with them ever since I was a boy, and to the best of my knowledge, I have never wronged a white man. On the Contrary, I have always protected
Great Queen, We have undertaken a long and tedious Voyage, which none of our predecessors could ever be prevailed upon to undertake. The Motive that induced us, was, that we might see our Great Queen, and relate to her those things we thought absolutely necessary for the Good of her, and us her Allies, on the other fide of the great Water.
We doubt not but our Great Queen has
By this time we began to think that our own religion was a great deal the best, and we made another trial to establish ourselves in it, and had made some progress. Then the war broke oist between our father, the president, and King George, and our nation was for war, and every man wanted to be big man. Then we drink whisky and fight, and when the war was