Autobiography of Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak, or Black Hawk | Page 3

Rock river, in the year 1767, and am
now in my 67th year. My great grandfather, Nanamakee, or Thunder,
according to the tradition given me by my father, Pyesa, was born in
the vicinity of Montreal, Canada, where the Great Spirit first placed the
Sac nation, and inspired him with a belief that, at the end of four years
he should see a white man, who would be to him a father. Consequently
he blacked his face, and eat but once a day, just as the sun was going
down, for three years, and continued dreaming, throughout all this time
whenever he slept. When the Great Spirit again appeared to him, and

told him that, at the end of one year more, he should meet his father,
and directed him to start seven days before its expiration, and take with
him his two brothers, Namah, or Sturgeon, and Paukahummawa, or
Sunfish, and travel in a direction to the left of sun-rising. After
pursuing this course for five days, he sent out his two brothers to listen
if they could hear a noise, and if so, to fasten some grass to the end of a
pole, erect it, pointing in the direction of the sound, and then return to
him.
Early next morning they returned, and reported that they had heard
sounds which appeared near at hand, and that they had fulfilled his
order. They all then started for the place where the pole had been
erected; when, on reaching it, Nanamakee left his party and went alone
to the place from whence the sounds proceeded, and found, that the
white man had arrived and pitched his tent. When he came in sight, his
father came out to meet him. He took him by the hand and welcomed
him into his tent. He told him that he was the son of the King of France;
that he had been dreaming for four years; that the Great Spirit had
directed him to come here, where he should meet a nation of people
who had never yet seen a white man; that they should be his children
and he should be their father; that he had communicated these things to
the King, his father, who laughed at him and called him Mashena, but
he insisted on coming here to meet his children where the Great Spirit
had directed him. The king had told him that he would find neither land
nor people; that this was an uninhabited region of lakes and mountains,
but, finding that he would have no peace without it, he fitted out a
napequa, manned it, and gave him charge of it, when he immediately
loaded it, set sail and had now landed on the very day that the Great
Spirit had told him in his dreams he should meet his children. He had
now met the man who should, in future, have charge of all the nation.
He then presented him with a medal which he hung round his neck.
Nanamakee informed him of his dreaming, and told him that his two
brothers remained a little way behind. His father gave him a shirt, a
blanket and a handkerchief besides a variety of other presents, and told
him to go and bring his brethren. Having laid aside his buffalo robe and
dressed himself in his new dress, he started to meet his brothers. When
they met he explained to them his meeting with the white man and
exhibited to their view the presents that he had made him. He then took

off his medal and placed it on his elder brother Namah, and requested
them both to go with him to his father.
They proceeded thither, were where ushered into the tent, and after
some brief ceremony his father opened a chest and took presents
therefrom for the new comers. He discovered that Nanamakee had
given his medal to his elder brother Namah. He told him that he had
done wrong; that he should wear that medal himself, as he had others
for his brothers. That which he had given him was typical of the rank
he should hold in the nation; that his brothers could only rank as civil
chiefs, and that their duties should consist of taking care of the village
and attending to its civil concerns, whilst his rank, from his superior
knowledge, placed him over all. If the nation should get into any
difficulty with another, then his puccohawama, or sovereign decree,
must be obeyed. If he declared war he must lead them on to battle; that
the Great Spirit had made him a great and brave general, and had sent
him here to give him that medal and make presents to him for his
people.
His father remained four days, during which time he gave him