Three Years on the Plains | Page 8

blessings on his race.
[For this tradition I am indebted to N. P. Willis, Esq., whose visits to

my house in New York were among the events of early days never to
be forgotten.]

TRIBES ON THE PLAINS.
The Indian tribes on the plains, altogether, with those of New Mexico,
Texas, California, and Arizona, do not exceed 300,000, including
Indians, squaws, and papooses. They are as follows:
Dakota.--Sioux (pronounced Soos), of these there are several bands,
under chiefs for each band, called Yanktons, Poncas, Lower Brules,
Lower Yanctonais, Two Kettle Sioux, Blackfeet, Minneconjons,
Uncpapas, Ogallahs, Upper Yanctonais, Sansarc, Wahpeton Sioux,
Arickarees, Gros Ventres, Mandans, Assinaboins, Sipetons, Santee.
This nation is the most numerous and warlike, numbering 31,534. They
range from Kansas, on the Republican River, to Winnepeg, on the north.
A treaty was made with these in 1868, between General Sherman,
General Harney (an old Indian fighter), General Augur, General
Sanborn, General Terry, Colonel Tappan, and Mr. Taylor,
Commissioner, all of the Peace Commission, on the part of the
government, at Fort Laramie, now Wyoming Territory, with
Ma-za-pon-kaska, Tah-shun-ka-co-qui-pah, Heh-non-go-chat,
Mah-to-non-pah, Little Chief, Makh-pi-ah-hi-tah, Co-cam-i-ya-ya,
Can-te-pe-ta, Ma-wa-tan-ni-hav-ska, He-na-pin-na-ni-ca, Wah-pa-shaw,
and other chiefs and headmen of different tribes of Sioux. This treaty,
among other things, contained an agreement that, "If bad men among
the whites should commit any wrong on the property or persons of
Indians, the United States would punish them and pay for all losses.
"If bad men among the Indians shall do wrong to white men, black, or
Indian, the Indians making the treaty shall deliver up the wrong-doer to
the government, to be tried and punished; also agreeing about certain
lands for reservations, farms, annuities of goods, etc., to be paid them
instead of money, thus:

"For each male person over fourteen years of age, a suit of good
substantial woolen clothing, etc.
"Each female over twelve, a flannel skirt, or goods to make it, a pair of
woolen hose, twelve yards calico, and twelve yards cotton domestics,
etc.
"Ten dollars in money for those who roam and hunt, twenty for those
who engage in farming. For such as farm, a good American cow and
one pair broken oxen.
"1. The Indians agreed to withdraw all opposition to railroads built on
the plains.
"2. They will not attack any persons at home, or traveling, nor molest
or disturb any wagon trains, coaches, mules, or cattle belonging to the
people of the United States, or to persons friendly therewith.
"3. They will never capture or carry off from the settlements white
women or children.
"4. They will never kill or scalp white men, nor attempt to do them
harm. The government agrees to furnish to the Indians a physician,
teachers, carpenter, miller, engineer, farmer, and blacksmiths, and ten
of the best farmers shall receive five hundred dollars a year who will
grow the best crops."
The names of the chiefs who signed the treaty are as follows:
Brule Sioux.
Ma-za-pon-kaska, his x mark, Iron Shell. Wah-pat-thah, Red Leaf.
Hah-tah-pah, Black Horn. Zin-tak-gah-lat-skah, Spotted Tail.
Zin-tah-skah, White Tail. Me-wah-tak-ne-ho-skah, Tall Mandas.
He-cha-chat-kah, Bad Left Hand. No-mah-no-pah, Two and Two.
Spotted Tail, who was at Fort D. A. Russell in 1868, just after the treaty,
wore a coon-skin cap,--hence called Spotted Tail. Each chief gets his

peculiar name from some event in his life, or some peculiarity of
person, as for instance,--
Tah-shun-ka-co-qui-pah, Man-afraid-of-his-horses. His horse
stampeded one day, when his tribe was fighting some other one, and
ran into the ranks of the enemy. When his owner got back again, he left
his horse behind and went in (as we say), on foot, to fight again. It is
not a term of reproach, as he was not a coward, but did not want to lose
his horse,--hence called "Man-afraid-of-his-horses."
Ogallahs.
Tah-shun-ka-co-qui-pah, his x mark, Man-afraid-of-his-horses.
Sha-ton-skah, his x mark, White Hawk. Sha-ton-sapah, his x mark,
Black Hawk. E-ga-mon-ton-ka-sapah, his x mark, Black Tiger.
Oh-wah-she-cha, his x mark, Bad Wound. Pah-gee, his x mark, Grass.
Wah-non-reh-che-geh, his x mark, Ghost Heart. Con-reeh, his x mark,
Crow. Oh-he-te-kah, his x mark, The Brave. Tah-ton-kah-he-yo-ta-kah,
his x mark, Sitting Bull. Shon-ka-oh-wah-mon-ye, his x mark,
Whirlwind Dog. Ha-hah-kah-tah-miech, his x mark, Poor Elk.
Wam-bu-lee-wah-kon, his x mark, Medicine Eagle.
Chon-gah-ma-he-to-hans-ka, his x mark, High Wolf.
Wah-se-chun-ta-shun-kah, his x mark, American Horse.
Mah-hah-mah-ha-mak-near, his x mark, Man that walks under the
ground. Mah-to-tow-pah, his x mark, Four Bears. Ma-to-wee-sha-kta,
his x mark, One that kills the bear. Oh-tah-kee-toka-wee-chakta, his x
mark, One that kills in a hard place. Tah-tonka-skah, his x mark, White
Bull. Con-ra-washta, his x mark, Pretty Coon. Ha-cah-cah-she-chah, his
x mark, Bad Elk. Wa-ha-ka-zah-ish-tah, his x mark, Eye Lance.
Ma-to-ha-ke-tah, his x mark, Bear that looks behind. Bella-tonka-tonka,
his x mark, Big Partisan. Mah-to-ho-honka, his x mark, Swift Bear.
To-wis-ne, his x mark,