THE CHIPPEWAS OF LAKE SUPERIOR.

1

BY RICHARD E. MORSE, M. D., OF DETROIT.

No. 1.

Payment of the Chippewas-La Pointe-Chief NA-NAWONG-GA-BE, The Beautifying Bird.

It may be remembered that the payment to the Chippewa Indians at La Pointe, in August and September, 1855, was necessarily deferred during weeks, waiting for the remote bands to come in.

The department had sent express and timely orders to persons at La Pointe, to have the Indians gathered, and to be in waiting for the Commissioner or Agent, with goods and money for the payment, as per treaty, when we arrived. The persons failed to carry out the orders.

The officers of the commission, and persons connected with the payment, must remain from the time we arrived, (11th August,) until messengers could be despatched for the bands at a distance. To Grand Portage, North Shore, and over 200 miles in the wilderness towards the Mississippi and other directions. Consequently the Indians from the interior were weeks arriving. The interval of time being occupied by the Agency in taking the census of—and in putting up packages of goods for, and distributing to, the Indians, as they arrived, and in holding councils with the chiefs in relation to affairs of unsettled business, directing in regard to the payment

of their debts as per appropriation from Government of $90,000 for that purpose. Many sittings and councils were held, and speeches made between those of the commission and the chiefs. A long time, it seemed, had transpired.

The bands from the vicinity of Lac Court Orielle were yet to come. Finally news of the arrival of some 200 of these Indians upon the shore of the Bay, about 12 miles from La Pointe, had the evening before reached the Commissioner, who promptly employed three or four little sail boats, the only craft at hand, to bring the Indians over.

It was at a council on the green during the forenoon, the chief, WAW-BE-SHA-SHE, was speaking, though his remarks were not very important nor pertinent to any matter before the council, and besides were somewhat prosy, and becoming tedious, when an Indian, who was not a chief, interrupted him in a declamatory manner, creating a little merriment—said he, "Why are you taking up the time of our Great Father (Commissioner MANYPENNY) in talking nonsense, which does no good to any one? You know our brothers are at the Bay, waiting to come over."

The chief retorted with spirit-"Are you a fool? you talk like a child. Do you think our Great Father is going to take a canoe and paddle it over the Bay to bring the Indians?" A general and hearty laugh among the Indians.

The day was bright and warm. It was nearly noon that the three or four little sail boats which had been despatched to fetch these forest children across the Bay to La Pointe hove in sight, and nearing the shore, laden almost to the water's edge with men, women and children. There was a general gathering on shore to see them as they came in.

A scene of the like poverty and abject wretchedness, we hope we may never witness again. Some of these poor creatures, especially the children, were literally naked.

They had but shreds for blankets. Birch bark baskets, and dishes the same, were their chief wares-rude and untanned

deer and other skins, their principal wardrobe and baggage. Clothing, they could not be said to have had. Some of the men had what were once shirts-some had not-some, parts of leggings-others none. Most of the women had on them some kind of a miserable excuse for a garment.

The children nearly, some quite naked, were, as if to hide them from sight, mostly inside of a circle made of their effects, and what was a sad apology for baggage.

Several of these poor wretches were so feeble from hunger and sickness, that they needed supporting. A number were lame, others partially blind. All had, for some time, been on scanty rations of nought but wild rice, as they could neither fish nor hunt while hurrying with their sick and children, and fearing their enemies in ambush-to meet their "Great Father." Commissioner MANY PENNY, Gen. H. L. STEVENS, and many others who were present, can bear testimony to these truths.

the country of their old and Between these tribes, deadly have existed for more than a

Of these interior bands, NA-NAW-ONG-GA-BE was the head. They were from within 30 to 60 miles of the Mississippi; on the opposite side of which is implacable enemies, the Sioux. feuds and exterminating wars century, defying all efforts from their white neighbors, and the means which have been employed by the U. S. Government, to arrest them. Hence these people have good reason to be in continual fear, and on constant watch for their lives.

The warriors of these bands, it was conceded, excelled those of any and all others at La Pointe, in their noble features and fine, erect statures. Nor were they inferior in their sprightliness of mind; their head chief was the smartest orator on the ground. Not long after they arrived, the Commissioner sent a request for these bands to meet him at the council-ground, for the purpose of receiving rations. In two or three hours we saw some 80 to 100 stately warriors, NaNAW-ONG-GA-BE at their head, marching in more regular order

than those bands less accustomed to the war path, to meet the Commissioner. These Indians came late last year also, and the goods mainly having been distributed, they received but very little.

The head chief, NA-NAW-ONG-GA-BE, we should say, had seen about fifty-five winters. He is rather less than the medium height and size, an intelligent face and mild expression, a very keen eye, and when animated in speaking, a sort of fiery look or twinkle. Like most of the warriors, his face is highly colored with vermillion. At the head of his warriors and in council, he wears an elaborate turban of turkey feathers over his head and shoulders-giving him a fuller appearance in person than he really has, an unique look even for an Indian.

It was not long after this chief arrived, before he became the favorite orator and chief. We saw and noticed much of him and his people. We believe they have innate impulses as exalted as in human bosom ever dwelt. We saw tears of sympathy over the scene of misery before us, when these people landed at La Pointe. On the ground, the day they arrived, by the side of NA-NAW-ONG-GA-BE, stood Aw-KEWAIN-ZE, his principal, a tall and majestic chief, and a full head and neck above the red warriors seated around on the grass. The Commissioner addressed them, JOHN JOHNSON Of the Soo, a half Chippewa, and a man of intelligence and character, interpreting.

The Commissioner having said that he was very glad to see him and his people, though they had come late; that he felt pained to see them in such a sorrowful condition, looking so poverty stricken, &c.

NA-NAW-ONG-GA-BE, in a manner dignified and earnest, readily replied: "My father, we are very happy to see you also. We have reasons for not coming immediately after we heard your voice echoing through the wilderness. We were all roused by the sound of your voice. It created glad feel

ings and rejoicings among all my people. I lost no time to give orders to all my young men to collect before me. I then informed them that your words had reached me, desiring us to come immediately to you. I took the second thought, and concluded it would not be proper to advise my young men to leave immediately, while we were all busily engaged in collecting wild rice, to provide for my people against hunger and famine. After making all haste to do this, and provide for our sick old women and children, with four of my best warriors to defend them from my troublesome and dangerous neighbors, the Sioux, I and my people with me, hastened upon the path-way to the shores of the Chippewa Lake (Superior). I have obeyed your call-I am now before you. "You say, my father, you are sorry to see us in our state of poverty. No wonder, my father, you see us in poverty and showing so much of our nakedness. Five long winters have passed since I have received as much as a blanket for one of my children.

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"My father, what has become of your promise? You probably have sent what you promised to us, but where it has gone, is more than I am able to say. Perhaps it has sunk in the deep waters of the lake, or it may have evaporated in the heavens, like the rising of the mist-or perhaps it has blown over our heads, and gone towards the setting sun. Last year I visited our father (Indian Agent GILBERT) who came here, and gave goods to a portion of his red children— but I could not get here in time-I got nothing. I turned round to some of our traders, no doubt who are now standing among us here, and asked them for some clothing to take to my poor children, but they refused me. Therefore I had to retrace my foot-steps over a long road, with empty hands, to my home in the woods-just as I had come.

"In your words to me, you ask me not to use the fire-water; and after my traders refusing me, as I said before, I do not intend to accept their fire-water in case they offer it to me.