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.We have justbeen down to Indian Territory and seen that part of the Band andnow we have come here to see them & learn from themselves theircondition and to satisfy ourselves as far we can what is for their bestinterests; and we want them to answer all questions as put to themunreservedly and they can rest assured that we are their friendsand that they can speak freely.(Revd.Mr.Dorsey read & translated to them the President s letter ofinstructions to the Commission, which can be seen on [167 68].State to them that we have heard the story of their removal so oftenthat we don t care to hear it again but want them to give us the storyfrom the time they left Indian Territory up to the present time.Wewant their story in as few words as possible, so as to save time.Standing Bear (dressed in civilian garb.)I do not think that we have made this day but I think that Godhas caused it, and my heart is glad to see you all here.Whyshould I tell you a different word? I have told to God my troublesand why should I deceive Him? I have told my troubles to Him.Whatever God does is good, I think; even if a thing happens whichmay not suit us or which may be unfortunate, still God causesit, I think.If a man gets by accident or puts himself into a bad place, orgets frightened, he remembers God and asks Him to help him.Youhave seen that land, my friends: God made us there, my friends,and He made you too, but I have been very weak.You have drivenme from the East to this place and I have been here two thousandsyears or more.(David The oldest man here cannot recollect when our people camehere.) I don t know how it came about that I encountered misfortune.My friends, they spoke of carrying me away.I was unwilling. Myfriends, if you took me away from this land, it would be very hardfor me.I wish to die in this land.I wish to be a very old man here .As I was unwilling they fastened me and made a person of me andcarried me to the Fort (Fort Randall.)1 When I came back, thesoldiers came with their guns and bayonets.The aimed their gunsat us and our people and our children were crying.This was a very1.Standing Bear refers to his arrest and detention at Fort Randall in 1876, where hewas held for ten days.See Robinson, General Crook, 233; Mathes and Lowitt, StandingBear Controversy, 29 30; Greene, Fort Randall, 120 22. 236 THE PONCA QUESTION CONTINUESdifferent thing that was done to me.I had hoped the Great Fatherhad not done this thing to me, forcing me to leave this land.Theytook me and carried me without stopping: they travelled all day untilnight came, and they carried me down to Baxter Springs.(David.Where there are rocks and lead mines which have been dug out.)I reached that place & while I was there I think that fully 150 ofmy people died.The land was truly bad and so I came back again.One of the employees of the President a commissioner cameto see me: I said to him: I am going back to my own land.I havenever given it to you.I have never sold it to you.You have not paidme for it.I am going back to my own land.The Lawyers, Ministersand those who are with them, those who control the land and GodHimself, if He desire[s] it; all will help me .I came back and there was some talk of this affair; they took pity onme, just as you here take pity on me, and there was a suit broughtabout it in the Courts and the affair was settled and I came backsuccessful.Some of my people have gone to my Great Father inWashington, are they there now? (General Crook.No.They vegone back.) My friend, I haven t got much brain, but you whiteshave a great deal of brain.The Indians do not know much but theGreat Father has caused you to come to look into our affairs.I referto this land, not knowing about it; the Indians are ignorant about it.When they went from Indian Territory to sell this land, they didn tknow about it and the Great Father should have told them cor-rectly.Which of the Great Fathers was it? He should have releasedme, let me alone.Which of the Great Fathers was it? (Was it theDutchman with the eye-glasses?) (The sentence in.brackets wassuppressed in the report submitted by the Commission.) What I amgoing to tell you here, will take me until dark.Since I have got fromthe Territory up to this time, I have not wished to give even a partof it to the Great Father.Tho he were to give me a million dollars,I would not give him the land.Even if the Great Father should wishto buy a part of the land from me, the Indians up the river would behear of it [sic] and would be unwilling.(meaning the Santees, Min-neconjoux and other tribes of the Sioux.) My friends, I have beenin our lands: to Omaha, Chicago, New York, Boston, Philadelphia,Washington all these cities & I have been to the Dakotas and they(the Sioux) have given me my land back (David.explained that lastsummer the Poncas went up to Spotted Tail Agency and had a grand THE DAKOTA PONCAS SPEAK 237council with the Dakotas and that Spotted Tail had told his peoplethey must not retain this land, but must give it back to the Poncaswho wanted to live upon it.) I wish to take back my people fromIndian Ty.I wish them to live[.] I haven t heard what you ve donewith regard to them.If the Secretary is sick or foolish, I hope you llact as physician and heal him.(Great laughter among the Indians.)I mean the one who speaks German.If one man cheats another,tries to make sport of him or to kill him, and the other party findsout his danger, he don t have anything more to do with him; he letshim go to one side.I refer to the land.When they went to the GreatFather to sell the land, which land did they mean? They live in IndianTy.: did they want to sell that land, or to sell this where I live andwhich is mine? One thing I forgot: the land in which you dwell, myfriends, is your own: who would come from another quarter to takeit away from you? Your land is your own & so are your things, andyou wouldn t like anybody to come and try to take them away fromyou.If men want to trade they say how much do you want for thatpiece of property? What price do you put upon it?[ ] But nothingof that kind was said.They came and took me away without sayinga word.Whenever I went travelling, this man went with me and hehas all the words of those people & he will tell them to you.Missouri Timber (speaking in Dakota through Mr.Riggs.) When a manfirst addresses any one, he should first make mention of God.Godalone is able to make anything or anyone and so it is entirely unfitthat He should be forgotten if one is to speak.My friends I am anIndian, but as the Great Father has given you a commission to travelabout, so I have been commissioned by the Indian chiefs to travelabout and now my friends, you will hear what they said to me.Last summer when they had a great gathering and all the Indiantribes were collected together, I was there.There are here now representatives from two parts of the Poncapeople: It was the wish of this Great Council that this Ponca peopleshould be troubled no longer.That Council was held for the sake of favoring anything that wasgood; for the sake of all things sent to us from the President [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |
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