Speeches

We, the Mississauga Indians of St. Francis or Abenaki Tribe have inhabited that part of Lake Champlain known by the name of Misiskoui, Time unknown to any of us here present, without being molested or any one's claiming Right to it, to our Knowledge, except about eighteen years ago, the French Governor Mr. Vandeuil and Intendant came there, and viewed a spot convenient for a saw mill to facilitate the building of Vessels and Batteaus

Acouestchichika by four branches. Warriors & my brothers listen to what I have to say in this place.  My father, give attention if you please, to what I say to you the chiefs & warriors.  It is now nearly two years since our nation was first called your children being told, I will render you happy, abandon the chase & do not hesitate to carry out the King's orders.  Here is a hatchet on his

The following is a speech delivered by A-she-non-qua, a leader of the Wea people, who are a branch of the Miami people.  This speech was delivered in 1811, during a general council at Fort Wayne, Indiana.

You now tell us that we are on a wrong road, a road that will lead us to destruction. You are deceived. When I was walking along, I heard you speak respecting the Shawanoe (Prophet).  You said we were

Brothers, the red men, who are engaged in fighting for the British king, listen!  These words are from me, Tarhe, and they are also the words of the Wyandots, Delawares, Shawnese, and Senecas.

Our American father has raised his war pole, and collected a large army of his warriors.  They will soon march to attack the British.  He does not wish to destroy his red children, their wives, and families.  He wishes you to separate

By this time we began to think that our own religion was a great deal the best, and we made another trial to establish ourselves in it, and had made some progress.  Then the war broke oist between our father, the president, and King George, and our nation was for war, and every man wanted to be big man.  Then we drink whisky and fight, and when the war was ended we were all scattered

"Head-men, Chiefs, Braves and Warriors of the Sauks: For more than a hundred winters our nation was a powerful, happy and united people.  The Great Spirit gave to us a territory, seven hundred miles in length, along the Mississippi, reaching from Prairie du Chien to the mouth of the Illinois river.  This vast territory was composed of the finest and best land for the home and use of the Indian ever found in this

My Father, I thank you for your words to day, which instruct us how to live happy, I am also sincerely thankful for the trouble you have taken to save the lives of our women and children for the ensuing winter by the bounty you have bestowed upon us.

My Father, You must before have heard that I am one of those very few Indians, who speak my sentiments openly and without reserve, do not

Brothers of the Wyandots: You have invited me to this council, and you see me standing before you. I address myself to all present.  I have heard all that has been said, and am well pleased with it.  I agree with my brothers the Wyandots, in all they have said.

Brothers of the Six Nations: You were the first to make away with your lands, on which you ought to have reared your women and

Black Kettle, chief of the Cheyennes, after shaking hands with the commissioners, said: The Great Father above hears us, and the Great Father at Washington will hear what we say.  Is it true that you came here from Washington, and is it true what you say here today?  The Big Chief he give his words to me to come and meet here, and I take hold and retain what he says.  I believe all to

I do not care so much about the part on the Yellowstone and in the mountains, but above, in the valley, it is good. I am going to tell yen I treat my friends good. When you speak to me I say, yes! yes! Along the Muselc-Shell and Teton Mountains is Judith Basin. Many men go into that country wolfing; they kill game. We thought, when we saw them, that white men are giving us

You call the Great Spirit Jesus In your language; we call him in the Crow language E-so-we-wat-se.  I am going to light the pipe and talk to the Greit Spirit. (He lighted the pipe, and, looking up reverently, said:)

"The Great Spirit has made the red man and the white man, and sees all before Him today. Have pity upon us!  May the white man and the Indian speak truth to each other to-day.  The

Brothers of the Six Nations: We heard you yesterday.  You shall soon hear our reply.  We are pleased that the council fire is established at this place by our friends the Wyandots, and that our brothers, the Six Nations, have agreed to unite with us.

Brother: I remember what you said relative to our people being dispersed.  Some of them are scattered, it is true, and I shall do all in my power

"Brother, the Governor of Maryland, when you spoke of the condition of the country yesterday, you went back to old times, and told us you had been in possession of the province of Maryland above one hundred years.  But what is one hundred years in comparison to the length of time since our claim began?  Since we came up out of this ground?  For we must tell you that, long before one hundred years, our

Chaminitawaa, Village Chief of the Odawas then rose up and said:

Father!  I am chosen to speak the sentiments of the Odawas, Chippewas and Potawatomies.

Father!  I beg you will listen to the words of your children and I beg they will be attentive.

Father!  Since I am appointed to speak for your children, I hope you will excuse any impropriety, in my speech, I am but a poor ignorant man.  You see by this

Father, We the chiefs of the Chippewa Nation of Indians, inhabiting and owning the lands on the West and North of the Great Water, called Lake St. Clair, now waite on you, to assure, of our sincere and friendly attachment to the people with whom but very lately we were at war, but that war not brought on by us but instigated by bad council.

We sometimes since met a great war-chief of your people

My heart laughs for joy on seeing myself before thee; we have all of us heard the word of peace which thou hast sent us: the hearts of our whole nation laugh for joy on that occasion; the women, forgetting that instant all that passed, have danced ; and the children have leapt like young roe-bucks. Thy words shall never be forgotten, and our descendants will remember it as long as the ANCIENT WORD* shall

My heart laughs for joy on seeing myself before thee; we have all of us heard the word of peace which thou have sent us: the hearts of our whole nation laugh for joy on that occasion; the women, forgetting that instant all that passed, have danced; and the children have leapt like young roe-bucks.

The Indian's speech, translated from the Latin, is as followeth.— "Since the subject of his errand is to persaude is to embrace new doctrines, perhaps it may not be amiss, before we offer hint the reasons why we cannot comply with his request, to acquaint him of the grounds and princi-ples of that religion he would hare Us to abandon.

"Our fathers were under a strong persuasion (as we are) that those who act well

The following speech was an exchange of compliments, given by Corn Planter at the beginning of a counsel meeting, April 27th, 1791 at Buffalo Creek.

Brother Listen! It is usual for us to speak; and to you we do it as to a brother that has been absent a long time.  Now we all speak to you, and to our head warrior that left us last fall: — and we thank the Great Spirit for

You then told us that we were in your hand, and that by closing it you could crush us to nothing, and you demanded from us a a great country as the price of that peace you had offered us — as if our want of strength had destroyed our rights. Our chiefs had felt your power, and were unable to contend against you, and they therefore gave up that country. There were but few

I suppose you think I have left our big house. No, I am not a child. I went below to see the chief, who treated me well. I did not ask him for anything. I did not refuse his presents. But these cannot make me abandon this house, where are buried the remains of our fathers, whose tracks are yet fresh in all the paths leading to this place. No, I will not abandon this

Take away all these things and give me such as you see fit, and don't think I am a child who can be seduced with trinkets.

My Father: I have something to say, and I wish you to believe that what I shall say is the truth.

We have made peace, and have a good understanding with all the tribes here present; but a part of these are always the first to undo what is done.  When we address our great father, we like to speak the truth; we wish to be at peace, but these people are the first to

Brother: The Great Spirit has spared us until a new day to talk together, for since you came here from General Washington, you, and our uncles the sachems, have been counseling together.  

Moreover, your sisters, the women, have taken the same into great consideration, because that you and our sachems have said so much about it.  Now, that is the reason why we have come to say something to you, and to tell

"Brothers...As you are once more assem- bled in council for the purpose of doing honor to yourselves, and justice to your country; we, your brothers, the sachems, chiefs and warriors, of the Seneca nation, request you to open your ears and give atten- tion to our voice and wishes.

"Brothers....You will recollect the late contest between you and your father, the great king of England. This contest threw the inhabitants of this whole island into