Indian Tribes of the Upper Missouri 7

Indian Tribes of the Upper Missouri 7

The time when the tribe reached its present location was from 1804 to

1825, when the most of them might be considered as established on the

waters of the Missouri, the boundaries of which have been pointed out,

though in 1839, 60 lodges of Assiniboin came over from the British

northern possessions and joined those of the Missouri, since which time

they have resided together.

 

INTERTRIBAL RANK AND RELATIONS.—As to the question, what rank and

relationship does the tribe bear to other tribes, we are not aware of

any political scale of superiority or inferiority existing among any

of the tribes along the Missouri; neither do their traditions point

out or assign any such particular position to each other. Being well

acquainted with the manners and customs of the Sioux, the Arikara, the

Mandan, the Gros Ventres, the Crow, the Assiniboin, the Cree, and the

Blackfeet tribes we can safely say that no such distinction exists

that would receive the sanction of all parties. There is, however,

this: Each nation has vanity enough to think itself superior to its

neighbors, but all think the same, and the more ignorant they are the

more obstinately they adhere to their own opinions. All tribes are

pretty much independent of one another in their thoughts and actions,

and, indeed with the exception of the Gros Ventres, the Mandan and the

Arikara, who are stationary and live in a manner together, neighboring

tribes usually are completely in the dark regarding one another’s

government, not even knowing the names of the principal chiefs and

warriors unless told them or recognizing them when pointed out. In all

the above-mentioned tribes there is no such thing as pretensions to

original rank. Rank is the growth of the present, as often acquired as

lost. The greatest chief any of these tribes ever produced would become

a mere toy, a butt, a ridicule, in a few days after he lost his eyes or

sense of sight.

 

Neither has affinity of blood in this sense anything to do with rank as

to succession. If the son for want of bravery or other qualifications

can not equal or follow the steps of his father chief, he is nothing

more than an ordinary Indian. There are consequently no discordant

pretensions to original rank, though it may be a matter of dispute

which of two or three chiefs ranks at present the highest, and in this

case it would be immediately decided in council by the principal men.

In fact the rank or standing of each Indian, be he chief or warrior,

is so well known, and his character so well judged by the vox populi

that he takes his place spontaneously. A higher step than his acts

and past conduct confer, imprudently taken, would have the effect of

injuring him in their eyes as a leader. Every chief, warrior, or brave

carves his own way to fame, and if recognized as one by the general

voice becomes popular and is supported; if not, he mixes with hundreds

of others who are in the same situation, waiting an opportunity to

rise. There is no relative rank among tribes bearing the name of uncle,

grandfather, etc. The names of the different bands among themselves

or the surrounding tribes have no such signification. There are, of

course, affinities of blood and relationship among the Indians as well

as among whites. People have their fathers, uncles, grandfathers,

brothers-in-law, etc., but this personal or family relationship has

nothing to do with the clanship, nor has it any bearing on other

tribes. As to the relations above alluded to we will have occasion to

refer to them under the head of tribal organization and government.

Among eastern or southern tribes such distinctions may exist, but we

can vouch they have no name nor interest in all the tribes mentioned in

the beginning of this answer. To prevent misunderstanding, it should

be observed that when we speak of a tribe we mean the whole group who

speak that language. Different tribes are different groups. Portions of

these groups or tribes are called gentes, and portions or societies of

these gentes are designated as subgentes, and the next or most minute

subdivision of gentes would be into families.

 

“Peaces” are made between wild tribes by the ceremony of smoking and

exchanging presents of horses and other property; sometimes women. The

advantages and disadvantages are well calculated on both sides before

overtures for peace are made. It is a question of loss and gain and

often takes years to accomplish. The Crows, a rich nation, five years

ago, through the writer as the medium made peace with the Assiniboin

after half a century of bloody warfare. Why? The Crows being a rich

nation and the Assiniboin poor, how could the former gain? The points

the Crows gained were these: First, liberty to hunt in the Assiniboin

country unmolested and secure from the Blackfeet; second, two enemies

less to contend with and from whom they need not guard their numerous

herds of horses; third, the privilege of passing through the Assiniboin

country to the Gros Ventres village in quest of corn. Now for the

other party. The Crows having large herds of horses and the Assiniboin

but few, the former give them a good many every year to preserve the

peace. The Crows winter with the Assiniboin, run buffalo with their

own horses, and give the latter plenty of meat and skins without the

trouble of killing it. The Crows are superior warriors and the others

have enough to contend with the Blackfeet. Again, one enemy less, and

jointly the numerical force is so augmented as to make them formidable

to all surrounding tribes, while separately they would prey upon

each other. It is in this case evident the peace must last, there

being sufficient inducements on both sides to keep it, although upon

the whole any of their “peaces” are liable to sudden and violent

interruptions and are not to be depended upon.

 

MAGNITUDE AND RESOURCES OF TERRITORY A CAUSE OF THE MULTIPLICATION

OF TRIBES.—There can be no doubt that magnitude and resources of

territory are the principal causes of an increase of population.

All roving tribes live by hunting, and scarcity of animals produces

distress, famine, disease, and danger by forcing them to hunt in

countries occupied by their enemies, when game is not found in their

own. Such a state of things happened in this district in 1841, when

during a total disappearance of buffalo and other game some of the

Assiniboin and Cree were under the necessity of eating their own

children, of leaving others to perish, and many men and women died

from fatigue and exhaustion. Although the above position is evident,

yet we do not see how it could multiply tribes, much less dialects. A

large territory with much game might induce portions of other tribes

not having these advantages to migrate, make peace with the residing

nation, and perhaps increase in a greater ratio than they otherwise

would have done, but the language would remain the same, neither would

it produce a separate tribe, but only a portion of the tribe who

migrated.

 

The Gros Ventres of the Prairie were once Arapaho and lived on the

Arkansas. They have for a century past resided with the Blackfeet, yet

have preserved their own language. True, by these means they learn

to speak each other’s language, but they do not commingle and make a

separate dialect of the two. The Assiniboin from the Sioux, the Cree

from the Chippewa, the Crows from the Gros Ventres are three other

cases of separation, and in each the language is so well preserved that

they understand without any difficulty the people whence they emanated.

The causes of these separations, whether feuds, family discords, or in

quest of better hunting grounds, does not now appear. Most probably

it was dissatisfaction of some sort. From all appearances we may

reasonably expect to see ere long a portion of the Sioux occupying

the large disputed territory south of the Missouri and along the

Yellowstone, as game is becoming scarce in their district since white

emigration through it and Indians are thronging there from St. Peters

and elsewhere.

 

The Sioux regard the Mississippi as once their home, and it is very

certain that nation came from thence, also the Cree and Assiniboin,

and perhaps others. It does not appear that the track of migration

pursued any direct course. From certain facts, similitude of language

and customs, it would seem some nations traveled from south to north

or northwest, such as the Gros Ventres of the Prairie who were once

Arapaho. The Arikara speak the same as the Pawnee and must have

migrated westward. The Blackfeet moved from north to southwest, and

the Crows, Cree, and Assiniboin west and north. It is reasonable to

believe they spread out over these immense plains from all points

and at different times as circumstances favored or forced them. The

habits of the prairie Indian differ essentially from the Indian of the

forest, and those of stationary and cultivating habits from both. It is

impossible for us now to state with any degree of certainty the time of

their first location on these plains, or to point out any one general

course of emigration pursued by them.

 

 

GEOGRAPHY

 

FIGURE OF THE GLOBE.—It can not be expected that these Indians who are

in a complete savage and unenlightened state should have any knowledge

of the configuration of the globe or of its natural divisions. They

know what a small lake or small island is and have names for the same

as they are to be met with through their country. They think the earth

to be a great plain bounded by the Rocky Mountains on one side and

the sea on the other, but have no idea of its extent nor of any other

lands except those they are acquainted with. Although told frequently,

they can not realize extent of lands in any great measure, and without

troubling themselves to think or inquire are content with believing

there are few lands better or larger than their own. It is not in

their nature to acknowledge inferiority, which would follow were they

convinced of the extent of the territory and power of the whites. Of

the sea they have a vague idea from information offered them by the

traders, and would not believe there is such a body of water had not

the same received a sort of sanction through the Cree and Chippewa,

some of whom, having seen Lake Superior, represent it as the ocean.

 

LOCAL FEATURES OF THE HABITAT.—The chief rivers running through the

Assiniboin country are, first, the Missouri, which is so well known as

to need no description here. The next is Milk River, on the northwest

boundary, a very long and narrow stream; heads in some of the spurs of

the Rocky Mountains east of the Missouri and lakes on the plains, runs

a southwest course, and empties into the Missouri about 100 miles above

the Yellowstone. Its bed is about 200 yards wide at the mouth, though

the waters seldom occupy more than one-third of that space, except

during the spring thaw, when, for a week or two, it fills the whole

bed; is fordable on horseback all the year except at the time above

alluded to and when swollen by continuous rains.

 

Rivière aux Tremble, or Quaking Aspen River, empties into the Missouri

about 50 miles below Milk River, is about half the length and breadth

of the others, and heads in the range of hills constituting the divide,

called “Les Montaignes des Bois.” It is fordable at all times except

during spring freshets and when swollen by rain. Neither of these

streams is navigable by any craft larger than a wooden canoe except at

the high stages of water above referred to, and then navigation would

be difficult and dangerous owing to floating ice and driftwood. There

are no rapids or falls in either of them.

 

Several creeks fall into the Missouri below the point on the east side

called Big Muddy, Little Muddy, Knife River, etc., all of which contain

but little water and are of no consequence.

 

White Earth River, the last, is about 100 miles in length and at the

mouth a little more than 100 yards wide, contains but little water,

always fordable, and not navigable by anything, empties into the

Missouri near the commencement of the Great Bend. None of these rivers

being navigable except the Missouri, goods are only landed at the

following points along that river, viz: Fort Pierre (Sioux), mouth of

the Teton River; Fort Clarke (Arikara) at their village; Fort Berthold

(Gros Ventres village); Fort Union (Assiniboin), mouth of Yellowstone.

Steamboats have gone up the Missouri as high as the mouth of Milk

River, but heretofore goods for Fort Benton (Blackfeet), near the mouth

of Maria River, have been transported by keel boats from Fort Union.

 

We know of no large navigable lakes in this district, though along the

northern boundary there are many small ones, or rather large ponds of

water, without any river running through them or visible outlet, being

fed by snows, rain, and springs, and diminished by evaporation and

saturation. Lakes of this kind are to be met with in many places on the

plains and differ in size from 100 yards to 2 or 3 miles or even more

in circumference, are not wooded, and contain tolerably good water. Small springs are also common, most of them having a mineral taste, though none are large enough to afford water power.