And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
"Report of a visit to Red Cloud" in United States, Office of Indian Affairs,
Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs to the Secretary for
the Year 1871 (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1872), 22-29,
NADP Document RA1871A.
[Page 22]
A a.--Report of a visit to Red Cloud and chiefs of
the Ogallala Sioux, by Commissioner Felix R. Brunot.
FORT LARAMIE, WYOMING TERRITORY,
JUNE 14, 1871.
http://coyote.csusm.edu/projects/nadp/ra1871a.htm
<snipped>
RED CLOUD. I wish Louis Richard and Joseph Bissenet to interpret for
me. [He then said:] I am Red Cloud. The Great Spirit raised both the white
man and theIndian. I think He raised the Indian first. He raised me in this
land and it belongs to me. The white man was raised over the great waters,
and his land is over there. Since they crossed the sea, I have given them
room. There are now white people all about me. I have but a small spot of
land left. The Great Spirit told me to keep it. I went and told the Great
Father so. Since I came back, I have nothing more to say. I told all to tim
Great Father. I was to tell all the Great Father said to my nation. I told them
all of it. Whatever I do, my people will do the same. Whatever the Great
Spirit tells me to do I will do. I have not yet done what the Great Father told
me to do. God raised us Indians. We are two nations. Whatever we decide
to do, we want to do together. I must ask you to wait. I am trying to live
peaceably. I told the Great Father so. When I went to him I asked no
annuity goods; all I asked was for my lands--the little spot I have left.
If you
have any goods to give, I want you to wait awhile. I will then tell you what
to do with them. Between here and the railroad is much land. I have not
been paid for it. I want to think of it.
General SMITH. Much that Red Cloud has said is true. He and those
who were with him East last summer saw a great many white people. They
are, as he knows, like the leaves of the trees, or the blades of grass on the
praprairie, in number. Their game is increasing , while the game of the red
man is decreasing. It is not worth while to talk of the past. The white man
wants the red man to meet him in council and decide what can bo done for
their good. Those who went to Washington last summer know that the Great
Father has many children to see. They come from the East, and the West,
and the North, and the South, and even from over tho great water to see
him. The Great Father cannot see to everything himself; he must have many
to assist him. The Great Father's heart is good toward the red man. The
Great Father knew that the red man was abused and cheated, and so he
selected good men, whose hearts are good, to come among them and see
that their agents do right with them. These are good men, and do not receive
any pay for coming among you. One of these men is here now. Mr. Brunot
has come to see that all is good with you. You know that I have always been
your friend. I told you that the Great Father, knowing that many bad white
men would come in selling whisky and getting the Indians' guns and ponies,
and that the longer they remained here the worse it would be getting, wanted
them to go farther away to the north, where bad men would not get to them.
I told you that we could not give any rations here but for a short time longer,
and that I wanted you to select a place for your agency, where the goods
now being brought can be sent. You told me you would see your people in
council and select a place for your agency. When I was East I told the Great
Father that your hearts were good and that you were now in council here to
decide where your agency should be located. The Great Father's heart was
glad, and he sent his messenger here to hear your words. A large quantity of
supplies has been bought, and will be sent to you as soon as you decide
where they shall go. There is now but a short time in which to erect the
necessary buildings for your agency. You should select the place at once, so
that your
24 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS.
squaws, and children, and people will not suffer, as I shall probably soon
have orders to issue no more rations here. The messenger of the Great
Father will now speak to you.
Mr. BRUNOT. You have all seen me before, and you know that I come
because my heart was good toward the Indian. You know that I come here
now beccause I am your friend. I have come here now for one purpose, to
talk about one thing. It is the beginning of what is right between the white
man and the Indian. I want all to taIk about one thing. With the Indian at
Fort Laramie, and white men all along the river, we are afraid of trouble.
When the Indians have anything that is good, some bad white men want to
get it. They give the Indian whisky. It is bad for them. The white men have
great towns in one place, far from the Indian; so we want you to have your
great towns far away from the white man. I want it because the Great Father
and all the friends of the Indian want it. We want you to think of this with
both your hearts, and your heads. Suppose trouble should come between the
white nien and the Indians; I want to tell you what will happen; we hope it
will never come; but when it was here before, the Great Father put
war-houses all through the Indian country. If trouble comes again, they will
be put there again. We do not want this done. It is better to have one agency
there now, than war-houses after a while. That is why I want you to decide
now, that I may tell your Great Father that you have selected place for your
agency in your own country, where bad white men can be kept away from
you. Some men do not want you to go away from here; but all the friends of
the Indian want you to go. If you select the place, we do not want to send
any of our soldiers to your post, or into your country; but you must be the
soldiers, and keep bad white men out of your country. If they get in, you
must arrest them and take them to your agent, who will send them to
General Smith, and he will punish there. The Indian has good sense, and
knows what I say is good. I waut you to let me take your words to the Great
Father with a good heart, so that he can help you. Do not say for us to wait.
Last fall you told Mr. Campbell and me that when winter came yon would
name the place. We told the Great Father what you said. You still wait, and
we are ashamed, because you are our friends. The Great Father said, I want
them to locate their agency in their own country now, so that houses may be
built, and their goods and provisions given to them there. A message came
over the wires saying, the goods for Red Cloud's bands are ready to send;
and another message saying, where shall they be sent? The Great Father
says they cannot come until the houses are ready for them in your own
country. I want you to decide while I am here, and the houses will be built at
once, and the goods sent there, and your friends can then send teachers, and
good men who will help you. <<end excerpt
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~thanks to Martha for the link
Circles...and circles....
Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html
doctrine of international copyright law.
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Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit)
Unenh onhwa' Awayaton
http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/
UPDATES: CAMP JUSTICE
http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/
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