indian heroes & great chieftains-第6章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



white　man；　perhaps；　than　by　his　own　people。









LITTLE　CROW





Chief　Little　Crow　was　the　eldest　son　of　Cetanwakuwa　（Charging

Hawk）。　　It　was　on　account　of　his　father's　name；　mistranslated　Crow；

that　he　was　called　by　the　whites　〃Little　Crow。〃　　His　real　name　was

Taoyateduta；　His　Red　People。



As　far　back　as　Minnesota　history　goes；　a　band　of　the　Sioux

called　Kaposia　（Light　Weight；　because　they　were　said　to　travel

light）　inhabited　the　Mille　Lacs　region。　　Later　they　dwelt　about　St。

Croix　Falls；　and　still　later　near　St。　Paul。　　In　1840；　Cetanwakuwa

was　still　living　in　what　is　now　West　St。　Paul；　but　he　was　soon

after　killed　by　the　accidental　discharge　of　his　gun。



It　was　during　a　period　of　demoralization　for　the　Kaposias　that

Little　Crow　became　the　leader　of　his　people。　　His　father；　a

well…known　chief；　had　three　wives；　all　from　different　bands　of　the

Sioux。　　He　was　the　only　son　of　the　first　wife；　a　Leaf　Dweller。　

There　were　two　sons　of　the　second　and　two　of　the　third　wife；　and

the　second　set　of　brothers　conspired　to　kill　their　half…brother　in

order　to　keep　the　chieftainship　in　the　family。



Two　kegs　of　whisky　were　bought；　and　all　the　men　of　the　tribe

invited　to　a　feast。　　It　was　planned　to　pick　some　sort　of　quarrel

when　all　were　drunk；　and　in　the　confusion　Little　Crow　was　to　be

murdered。　　The　plot　went　smoothly　until　the　last　instant；　when　a

young　brave　saved　the　intended　victim　by　knocking　the　gun　aside

with　his　hatchet；　so　that　the　shot　went　wild。　　However；　it　broke

his　right　arm；　which　remained　crooked　all　his　life。　　The　friends　of

the　young　chieftain　hastily　withdrew；　avoiding　a　general　fight；　and

later　the　council　of　the　Kaposias　condemned　the　two　brothers；　both

of　whom　were　executed；　leaving　him　in　undisputed　possession。



Such　was　the　opening　of　a　stormy　career。　　Little　Crow's　mother

had　been　a　chief's　daughter；　celebrated　for　her　beauty　and　spirit；

and　it　is　said　that　she　used　to　plunge　him　into　the　lake　through　a

hole　in　the　ice；　rubbing　him　afterward　with　snow；　to　strengthen　his

nerves；　and　that　she　would　remain　with　him　alone　in　the　deep　woods

for　days　at　a　time；　so　that　he　might　know　that　solitude　is　good；

and　not　fear　to　be　alone　with　nature。



〃My　son；〃　she　would　say；　〃if　you　are　to　be　a　leader　of　men；

you　must　listen　in　silence　to　the　mystery；　the　spirit。〃



At　a　very　early　age　she　made　a　feast　for　her　boy　and　announced

that　he　would　fast　two　days。　　This　is　what　might　be　called　a　formal

presentation　to　the　spirit　or　God。　　She　greatly　desired　him　to

become　a　worthy　leader　according　to　the　ideas　of　her　people。　　It

appears　that　she　left　her　husband　when　he　took　a　second　wife；　and

lived　with　her　own　band　till　her　death。　　She　did　not　marry　again。



Little　Crow　was　an　intensely　ambitious　man　and　without

physical　fear。　　He　was　always　in　perfect　training　and　early

acquired　the　art　of　warfare　of　the　Indian　type。　　It　is　told　of　him

that　when　he　was　about　ten　years　old；　he　engaged　with　other　boys　in

a　sham　battle　on　the　shore　of　a　lake　near　St。　Paul。　　Both　sides

were　encamped　at　a　little　distance　from　one　another；　and　the　rule

was　that　the　enemy　must　be　surprised；　otherwise　the　attack　would　be

considered　a　failure。　　One　must　come　within　so　many　paces

undiscovered　in　order　to　be　counted　successful。　　Our　hero　had　a

favorite　dog　which；　at　his　earnest　request；　was　allowed　to　take

part　in　the　game；　and　as　a　scout　he　entered　the　enemy　camp　unseen；

by　the　help　of　his　dog。



When　he　was　twelve；　he　saved　the　life　of　a　companion　who　had

broken　through　the　ice　by　tying　the　end　of　a　pack　line　to　a　log；

then　at　great　risk　to　himself　carrying　it　to　the　edge　of　the　hole

where　his　comrade　went　down。　　It　is　said　that　he　also　broke　in；　but

both　boys　saved　themselves　by　means　of　the　line。



As　a　young　man；　Little　Crow　was　always　ready　to　serve　his

people　as　a　messenger　to　other　tribes；　a　duty　involving　much　danger

and　hardship。　　He　was　also　known　as　one　of　the　best　hunters　in　his

band。　　Although　still　young；　he　had　already　a　war　record　when　he

became　chief　of　the　Kaposias；　at　a　time　when　the　Sioux　were　facing

the　greatest　and　most　far…reaching　changes　that　had　ever　come　to

them。



At　this　juncture　in　the　history　of　the　northwest　and　its

native　inhabitants；　the　various　fur　companies　had　paramount

influence。　　They　did　not　hesitate　to　impress　the　Indians　with　the

idea　that　they　were　the　authorized　representatives　of　the　white

races　or　peoples；　and　they　were　quick　to　realize　the　desirability

of　controlling　the　natives　through　their　most　influential　chiefs。　

Little　Crow　became　quite　popular　with　post　traders　and　factors。　　He

was　an　orator　as　well　as　a　diplomat；　and　one　of　the　first　of　his　

nation　to　indulge　in　politics　and　promote　unstable　schemes　to　the

detriment　of　his　people。



When　the　United　States　Government　went　into　the　business　of

acquiring　territory　from　the　Indians　so　that　the　flood　of　western

settlement　might　not　be　checked；　commissions　were　sent　out　to

negotiate　treaties；　and　in　case　of　failure　it　often　happened　that

a　delegation　of　leading　men　of　the　tribe　were　invited　to

Washington。　　At　that　period；　these　visiting　chiefs；　attired　in　all

the　splendor　of　their　costumes　of　ceremony；　were　treated　like

ambassadors　from　foreign　countries。



One　winter　in　the　late　eighteen…fifties；　a　major　general　of

the　army　gave　a　dinner　to　the　Indian　chiefs　then　in　the　city；　and

on　this　occasion　Little　Crow　was　appointed　toastmaster。　　There　were

present　a　number　of　Senators　and　members　of　Congress；　as　well　as

judges　of　the　Supreme　Court；　cabinet　officers；　and　other

distinguished　citizens。　　When　all　the　guests　were　seated；　the　Sioux

arose　and　addressed　them　with　much　dignity　as　follows：



〃Warriors　and　friends：　I　am　informed　that　the　great　white　war

chief　who　of　his　generosity　and　comradeship　has　given　us　this

feast；　has　expressed　the　wish　that　we　may　follow　to…night　the

usages　and　customs　of　my　people。　　In　other　words；　this　is　a

warriors'　feast；　a　braves'　meal。　　I　call　upon　the　Ojibway　chief；

the　Hole…in…the…Day；　to　give　the　lone　wolf's　hunger　call；　after

which　we　will　join　him　in　our　usual　manner。〃



The　tall　and　handsome　Ojibway　now　rose　and　straightened　his

superb　form　to　utter　one　of　the　clearest　and　longest　wolf　howls

that　was　ever　heard　in　Washington；　and　at　its　close　came　a

tremendous　burst　of　war　whoops　that　fairly　rent　the　air；　and　no

doubt　electrified　the　officials　there　present。



On　one　occasion　Little　Crow　was　invited　by　the　commander　of

Fort　Ridgeley；　Minnesota；　to　call　at　the　fort。　　On　his　way　back；

in　company　with　a　half…breed　named　Ross　and　the　interpreter

Mitchell；　he　was　ambushed　by　a　party　of　Ojibways；　and　again

wounded　in　the　same　arm　that　had　been　broken　in　his　attempted

assassination。　　His　companion　Ross　was　killed；　but　he　managed

to　hold　the　war　party　at　bay　until　help　came　and　thus　saved　his

life。



More　and　more　as　time　passed；　this　naturally　brave　and

ambitious　man　became　a　prey　to　the　selfish　interests　of　the　traders

and　politicians。　　The　immediate　causes　of　the　Sioux　outbreak　of

1862　came　in　quick　succession　to　inflame　to　desperate　action　an

outraged　people。　　The　two　bands　on　the　so…called　〃lower

reservations〃　in　Minnesota　were　Indians　for　whom　nature　had

provided　most　abundantly　in　their　free　existence。　　After　one

hundred　and　fifty　years　of　friendly　intercourse　first　with　the

French；　then　the　English；　and　finally　the　Americans；　they　found

themselves　cut　off　from　every　natural　resource；　on　a　tract　of　land

twenty　miles　by　thirty；　which　to　them　was　virtual　imprisonment。　　By

treaty　stipulation　with　the　government；　they　were　to　be　fed　and

clothed；　houses　were　to　be　built　for　them；　the　men　taught

agriculture；　and　schools　provided　for　the　children。　　In　addition　to

this；　a　trust　fund　of　a　million　and　a　half　was　to　be　set　aside　for

them；　at　five　per　cent　interest；　the　interest　to　be　paid　annually

per　capita。　　They　had