Winnebago Chief, 1799: Leaves of the Forest

This a short sentence that was found in a book called: Tecumseh and The Shawnee Prophet, which was published in 1878. The speech was given in 1799 and the author is describing the challenges of translating native languages into English. The context for the speech is given below:

Some difficulties had grown up between the Indians and the settlers on Mad River. In 1799, a council was held by them near the place where Urbana now stands. Tecumseh, who with other Shawnee chiefs attended this council, is said to have been the principal orator, and his speech was much admired for its eloquence. The interpreter, Dechouset, said that "We found it very difficult to translate the lofty flights of Tecumseh, although he was as well acquainted with the Shawnee language as with the French, which was his mother tongue."

The Indian eloquence is often very striking and remarkable, especially for its poetical element, which is well suited to "children of nature," as they are styled. Single sentences in the speeches of Indian orators often sparkle like gems, as for instance the saying of a Winnebago chief, portraying the wrongs of his people in an address to a government commissioner.