Three Years on the Plains Part 4

Kda-ma-ni, his x mark, The One that rattles as he Walks.

Wah-han-ka-sa-pa, his x mark, Black s.h.i.+eld.

Can-te-non-pa, his x mark, Two Hearts.

_Ogallalla Sioux._

To-ka-in-yan-ka, his x mark, The One who goes ahead Running.

Ta-tan-ka-wa-kin-yan, his x mark, Thunder Bull.

Sin-to-min-sa-pa, his x mark, All over Black.

Can-i-ca, his x mark, The One who took the Stick.

Pa-tan-ka, his x mark, Big Head.

_Two-Kettle Band._

Ma-wa-tan-ni-han-ska, his x mark, Long Mandan.

Can-kpe-du-ta, his x mark, Red War Club.

Can-ka-ga, his x mark, The Log.

_Sansareh Sioux._

He-na-pin-wa-ni-ca, his x mark, The One that has neither Horn.

Wa-inlu-pi-lu-ta, his x mark, Red Plume.

Ci-tan-gi, his x mark, Yellow Hawk.

He-na-pin-wa-ni-ca, his x mark, No Horn.

_Santee Sioux._

Wa-pah-shaw, his x mark, Red Ensign.

Wah-koo-tay, his x mark, Shooter.

Hoo-sha-sha, his x mark, Red Legs.

O-wan-cha-du-ta, his x mark, Scarlet all over.

Wau-mace-tan-ka, his x mark, Big Eagle.

Cho-tan-ka-e-na-pe, his x mark, Flute-player.

Ta-shun-ke-mo-za, his x mark, His Iron Dog.

_In Was.h.i.+ngton Territory_ are five bands, such as the Spokans, Pend d'Oreilles, etc., in all 9,285

_California._--Seven bands, such as Wylackies, etc. 25,225

_Arizona._--Apaches, Yumas, Mohaves, etc. 31,570

_Oregon._--Walla-Wallas, Cayuses, etc. 10,942

_Utah._--Utahs and Utes 25,250

_Nevada._--Pi-utes, Shoshones, Bannacks, Washoes, etc. 8,200

_New Mexico._--Navajoes, Pueblos, Jicarilla Apaches, etc. (with 2000 captives held in peonage,--_i.e._ slavery) 20,036

_Colorado._--U-in-tak, Utes 5,000

_Dakota_, including Wyoming, set off from Dakota: Yancton Sioux 2,500 Poncas 979 Lower Brules 1,600 Lower Yanctonais 2,250 Two-Kettle Sioux 750 Blackfeet 1,200 Minneconjons 3,060 Uncpapas 3,000 Ogallallas 3,000 Upper Yanctonais 2,400 Sansarc 720 Wahpeton Sioux 1,637 Arickarees 1,500 Gros Ventres 400 Mandans 400 a.s.sinaboins 2,640 Sissetons and other Sioux 3,500 ------ 31,534

_Montana._--Piegans, Blackfeet, Flatheads, Gros Ventres, Kootenays, Crows, etc. 19,560

_Nebraska and Kansas._--Winnebagoes, Omahas, p.a.w.nees, Sacs and Foxes of Missouri, Iowas, Cheyennes, Arapahoes, and Sautee Sioux 17,995

_Central Agency, in Kansas and Indian Territory._--Pottawatamies, Shawnees, Delaware, Osages, Senecas, Kaws, Kickapoos, Ottawas, Comanches, Arapahoes, Cheyennes, and Apaches 17,422

_Southern Agency, Cherokee Country._--Creeks, Cherokees, Choctaws, Chickasaws, Seminoles, Wichitas, Keechies, Wolves, Tuscaroras, Caddoes, Shawnees, Delawares, etc. 48,145

_Green Bay Agency._--Oneidas, Menominees, and Munsees 3,036

_Wisconsin._--Chippeways of Mississippi 6,179

_Lake Superior._--Chippewas, etc., wandering 6,114

_Mackinac._--Pottawatamies, etc. 8,099

_New York State._--Cattaraugas, Cayugas, Onondagas, with Senecas, Allegany, Tonawandas, Tuscaroras, Oneidas, Onondagas 4,136 ------- Total 298,528

Friday was found on the Plains many years ago, while a lad, by Father de Smet, a Jesuit missionary, and taken to St. Louis, where he was educated. He returned again to his tribe, and leads a roving life. In November, 1869, he came to our post with Medicine-Man, Little Wolf, Sorrel Horse, and Cut-Foot, having been brought down by General Augur, Commander of the Department of the Platte, to go up the Union Pacific Railroad, as far as Wind River Valley, to meet old Waskakie, head chief of the Shoshones, and to make a treaty with his tribe, fearing the southern Sioux and Cheyennes would make war upon Friday's band, which numbered only fifteen hundred. Not finding Waskakie on his reservation, they waited several weeks for his return from the mountains, where he was gone on a hunt for his winter's supply of buffalo and deer meat.

After waiting as long as they could, the Arapahoes left some of their arrows for Waskakie, that he might know they had been there, and also brought back some of the Shoshones' arrows, to convince the Arapahoe Indians that they had fulfilled their mission.

At this time, Friday had a beautiful set of arrows, bow and quiver, which I desired to purchase and carry east, to show Sunday-school children the weapons of Indian warfare, and how they kill their game, Friday would not sell his "outfit," as it is called, for money, but was willing to "trade" for a revolver, with which he said he could hunt buffalo. At first, the Indian agent said it was unlawful to sell firearms and ammunition to the Indians. This I told Friday. He then said, "_Well, let's trade on the sly_." This I declined to do. But after a few days, I got permission, and took Friday into Cheyenne, to select the pistol. After picking out a good one, he then begged for bullet-mould, lead, powder, and caps. A trade is never complete with an Indian as long as he sees anything he can get added to the bargain.

General Duncan, of the 5th Cavalry, tells me of one of his trades with a red man at Fort Laramie. His little boy took a fancy to an Indian pony one day, and the general offered to exchange a nice _mule_ for the pony. This was soon done and settled, as the general supposed. But next day the Indian came back and demanded some tobacco, sugar, flour, etc.

"What for?" demanded the general. The Indian gave him to understand that he did trade horses, but as the mule had little or no tail, and the pony a long one, "_he wanted the sugar, tobacco, and flour to make up for the tail_!" After Friday and his fellow-chiefs had left us, some one wrote this to a Chicago paper, as follows:

THE AUTHOR A MEDICINE-MAN.

The Indians sometimes confer "brevets" on distinguished individuals as marks of favor, though they do not, or have not as yet, scattered them in like profusion, as in the army, so that the whole thing has become a farce.

Mr. Catlin, or Mr. Schoolcraft (Indian writers and painters), was made a regular chief of the Chippewas in the time of Red Jacket, a big chief at Tonawanda. In the month of November, 1869, five Arapahoe chiefs came to Fort Russell,--"Friday," "Little Wolf," "Cut-Foot," "Sorrel Horse,"

and "Head Medicine-Man." On account of many little kindnesses to them while remaining, Friday invited the writer to go up with the party to their home among the Black Hills, where he could be initiated into the forms of a civil chief. Friday said, "These fellows"--meaning his companions--"think a big heap of you, and want you to go home with them." As the ceremony includes a dog feast, it was postponed for awhile. They called me "The White Medicine-Man,"--and the feast has been partaken of at different times by some officers on the plains, who say dog's meat tastes much like mutton. A feast was made, it is said, at Fort Laramie for the Peace Commission, which met there in 1868.

There were Generals Sherman, Harney, Augur, Terry, Sanborn, and Col.

Tappan present. A big chief had given the entertainment of dog, in soup, roast, etc. Having only one big tin dish to serve the soup in, and it being rather dirty, the old squaw seized a pup to wipe it out with. But the old chief felt mortified at it, and so he tore off a piece of his s.h.i.+rt and gave the pan an extra wipe!