Piankashaw Locations (ca. 1805-ca.1832)(Part 4, pp. 246-252)
/pg. 246/ The Piankashaws also received compensation for the "full equivalent" /pg. 247/ of their salt annuity, their improvements of the lands they had in the State of Missouri, and for horses lost in moving; in addition they were to be given five hundred dollars worth of "cattle, hogs, and such farming utensils" as they needed each year for five years after ratification of the treaty, and seven hundred fifty dollars in immediately needed expenditures for agriculture and improvements on their new lands plus two hundred dollars in cash. Similar benefits were to be given the Weas, and a blacksmith's shop was to be set up for five years for the common use of the Piankashaws, Weas, Peorias, and Kaskaskias. (7 Stat: 410-411)
Information on the successful signing of the treaty and the amount of the stipulations agreed upon were sent to Washington in October 1832. (Clark, Kouns, and Allen, Dft. Ex. A-152; Clark, Dft. Ex. A-151; Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-4O, p. 216) The treaty itself was forwarded in December 1832. (Clark, Dft. Ex. A-143)
On November 23, 1833 the Piankashaws, at the instigation of the United States Government, agreed to formal peace articles with Pawnees and "Otoes," though they were "never enemies." (Incomplete Journal..., Dft. Ex. A-250)
A Congressional report listing Indians removed to the west side of the Mississippi before September 30, 1835 gives an entry for the Piankashaws removed as 162 in number and stated that they were located, with 225 Weas, on 160,000 acres of land south of those allocated to the Shawnees. (Dft. Ex. A-156, p. 414; see also ibid., p. 419)
In October of 1836 Piankashaws, together with Delawares, Shawnees, Weas, Peorias, and Kaskaskias agreed to allow the United States to
/pg. 248/
open military posts and roads in their country. (Agreement...Dft. Ex. A-195)
In the summer of 1837 the Piankashaws, along with a number of other Indian groups, took part in conferences with Isaac McCoy and agreed to several governmental propositions -- that an exclusive Indian Territory be limited to
The country between the Puncah and Red rivers, and southwest of Missouri river, and west of the States of Missouri and Arkansas, to the distance of two or three hundred miles, (McCoy, Dft. Ex. A-73, p. 527)
except for necessary military roads and posts and public highways; that a general Indian council be held at least once a year with delegates from each of the tribal groups; and that a representative for them should be sent to Washington for each session of Congress. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-73, pp. 526-528)
In a report on the condition of the Indians in 1838 the Piankashaws were stated to number about 100 persons. Some of these were doing well in practicing agriculture. However
the balance are not stationary, but are sometimes on Red river and sometimes at home. Upon the whole the Piankeshaws are not doing as well as their neighbors, the Weas, Peorias, and Kaskaskias. (Dft. Ex. A-157, p. 507)
The figure of 162 Piankashaw Indians removed to the west of the Mississippi River is repeated in a report prepared by the Office of Indian Affairs in November l, 1838. (Dft. Ex. A-157, p. 470)
In a passage referring to about this same time the lawyer, traveler, and writer, Thomas J. Farnham, described the Indians in "Indian Territory," which he observed on his trip west from his home, then in Peoria, Illinois, /pg. 249/ to Oregon in 1839. He noted 157 Piankashaws as being among them, (Farnham, Dft. Ex. A-104, p. 121) and described the Piankashaws further as follows:
The Weas and Piankashas are bands of Miamis. Their country lies north of the [138] Pottawatamies, adjoins the State of Missouri on the east, the Shawanoes on the north, and the Peorias and Kaskaskias on the west -160,000 acres. These people own a few cattle and swine. About one-half of their dwellings are constructed of logs, the remainder of bark, in the old native style. Their fields are enclosed with rails, and they cultivate corn and vegetables sufficient for a comfortable subsistence. The Piankasha band is less improved than the Weas. The former have a field of about fifty acres, made by the government; the latter have made their own improvements. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-104, pp. 134-135)[see footnote 61]
Farnham has been criticized for his interpretations end opinion of what he saw, but has been given some credit for reasonably accurate descriptions.[see footnote 62] There is reason from information in the official reports in the 1830's and 1840's to consider Farnham's statements on the Piankashaws as reasonably accurate.
The figure of 162 Piankashaws removed west of the Mississippi River is repeated in an official report of 1841. (Dft. Ex. A-158, p. 268) In 1842 the same figure for removed Indians appears in another official report along with a statement that the western population was probably about 100, but this was an estimated figure and not based on actual census. (Dft. Ex A-199, pp. 389-390)
In a report dated September 30, 1842, Anthony L. Daris, Indian Sub-agent responsible for the Piankashaws reported "about one hundred" /pg. 250/ (Dft. Ex. A-159, p. 440) of them in his sub-agency and described them together with their near neighbors in his agency in the following terms:
The Kaskaskias and Peorias, Weas and Piankashaws, have made but little change in their condition since former reports. They own some cattle and hogs, workoxen, farming utensils, &c., and depend entirely on agricultural pursuits for a subsistence; and, if it was not for the ruinous practice pursued by those lawless individuals who are settled immediately on the line of the State of Missouri, and in violation of the State laws (which are very severe), furnish them with whiskey, I am of the opinion their improvement would be rapid. (Dft. Ex. A-159, p. 441)
In another official report for 1843 162 Piankashaws again were reported to have been removed to the west of the Mississippi but 98 Piankashaws were estimated to be living there currently. (Dft. Ex. A-160, p. 278) The same figures were used in the 1844 report. (Dft. Ex. A-161, p. 322)
Census figures authorized in March of 1847 list for the Piankashaws living in Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River 25 families who totaled 107 persons of all ages and both sexes. There were 24 males under 18 years of age and 17 females under 16, and 35 males between 18 and 60 and 31 females between the ages of 16 and 60. There had been 15 marriages during the year of the census; 4 males and 6 females had been born, and 3 males and 5 females had died. (Schoolcraft, Dft. Ex. A-99, p. 488)
In 1849 the "Ottowas, Piankeshaws, and Weas" were said to be "far advanced in civilization." They no longer depended on their annuities, "but have gone to work, made themselves farms, and are doing well."
/pg. 251/
(Dft. Ex. A-162, p, lO95) Miamis had also moved to the area but were not doing as well, though their lands were good. (Dft. Ex. A-I62, pp. 1095-1096)
Prom figures of an 1850 census the Piankashaws and Weas are jointly said to have had 250 persons removed west of the Mississippi from Indiana. Their current population was also said to be 250 persons and to be located near the source of the Osage River. (Schoolcraft, Dft. Ex. A-101, p. 495)
The Piankashaws continued to make progress in their western area according to official reports in 1850, (Dft. Ex. A-163, p. 58) 1851, (Dft. Ex. A-164, pp. 327, 352-353) and 1852. (Dft. Ex. A-165, pp. 298, 387-390)
In May 1854 the Kaskaskias, Peorias, Weas, and Piankashaws, having recently been united, agreed to concede to the United States for compensation after selecting "the quantity required for their homes," most of the lands given them by the treaty at Castor Hill in October 1832, which they had been living on before that time. An agreement was reached to terminate their annuities also, in exchange for a consideration. No details of this agreement will be gone into here since the point at issue is the fact that the Piankashaws were still residing west of the Mississippi River, and the agreement ended their involvement in the Mississippi and eastern areas.[see footnote 63]
Later information on the Piankashaws is also superfluous here, since nothing
has been found to indicate that Piankashaws moved east /pg. 252/ of the
Mississippi River into the areas being considered.
Footnote 62:See entry on Thomas Jefferson Farnham in Johnson and Malone, D M . Ex. A-61, pp. 283-284.[return to text]
Footnote 63: The general arrangements can be seen in Manypenny, Dft. Ex. A-258 and Manypenny, D M . Ex. A-259.[return to text]
[Summary
of Piankashaw Locations (ca. 1805- ca. 1832) pp. 252-257)
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