THE OHIO VALLEY-GREAT LAKES ETHNOHISTORY
ARCHIVES: THE MIAMI COLLECTION
It is noted that the following work from the Miami Archives should be read and
considered within the historical context in which it was composed and printed.
The opinions expressed and the language used do not reflect the opinions or
standards of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, but are, rather,
indicative of thought in that historical moment during which the document was
published.
The Indian Council
at Michillimackinac
|
In: Stevens, Sylvester K., Donald H. Kent, and Emma Edith Woods, eds., J. C. B., Travels in New France, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Dept. of Public Instruction, The Pennsylvania Historical Commission, Harrisburg, 1941, pp. 39-43. |
VI
THE INDIAN COUNCIL AT MICHILLIMACKINAC
DURING the twelve days that we remained in Michillimakinac, several savage tribes of the neighborhood gathered there, with whom a council was held, in three different sessions. Sixteen different tribes took part in these councils. They were: Hurons, Ottawas, Sauteux, Algonquins, Potawatomies, Outagamies or Foxes, Miamis, Mississaugas, Mascoutens or the Fire Tribe, Puants, Sioux, Kickapoos, Malomines or Follavoines, Assinaboines, Pawnees, and Weas.1 All these various tribes differ in language as well as customs, and do not show the same degree of bravery.
Since the gathering of the savages amounted to twelve hundred men, and we were hardly a fourth of that number, we were forced to take precautions against a surprise attack, in case of any evil intentions on their part. We remained under arms, and loaded the cannons with grape shot.
The first council was held under the guns of the fort. When the savages had all assembled in a half circle, the commander of the French detachment, who presided over this council, spoke to them as follows:
"I was sent to you by your Father Ononthio,2 to tell you he loves all his children, and wishes to give them a token of his love by the presents that I was charged to bring you in his name. But I am also instructed to let him know your views about pledging yourself to raise the hatchet,3 and to go with your French brothers to fight the English. For your Father Ononthio has heard that you have listened to evil counsel, causing you to turn your arms against your French brothers, who are as numerous as the leaves of the trees. Those you see here around me, are only a small branch of the great tree."
After the interpreters had turned this speech into the various tongues of these nations, each chief stood up and spoke, one after another. All their speeches led to the same conclusion, which was that they were, and always would be, ready to march at the order of their Father Ononthio; and also that they would levy all their young men to go to war against the English, who had already deceived them, and to whom they would listen no more. The commander replied in a few words, that he was satisfied with their speeches, and would report their good intentions to Ononthio; and that he would give them the presents entrusted to him by Ononthio. He had some tobacco given out, and after this distribution had been made, following their custom, they all stood up, formed a circle, and all together gave the war cry; then sat down on the ground crossing their legs in tailor fashion. They painted themselves red and black,4 then sang the war song. Some rose and began to dance to the sound of the "Chichikoi."5
After this dance, they began to march in a circle following each other, calling upon Areskoui and Agrekoui6 for aid. After they had danced in this manner the rest of the day and part of the evening, they went to bed. The French remained under arms, and did so during the whole week that the Indians stayed with them. There were two more councils held to make sure of their promises, which they confirmed by strings of beads.
In making an alliance, in declaring war or peace, strings of small glass beads of varied colors, called porcelaine in this province, are exchanged. These beads are three to four lignes long, pierced lengthways, rounded and string like a rosary in a single string. Some beads are all blue, and some of two colors mixed. The belts7 are made of several strings, sewed together on a band, three or four inches wide and eighteen to twenty inches long.
In an assembly, an orator never makes assertions, without giving illustrations by each string or belt, and sometimes both, that he presents. If (page 41) he discusses several matters he will present a string for each one, and will take great care to remember, on any similar occasion, all that he said, and when he spoke, in regard to each string and belt. Their speeches are always as laconic as they are symbolic. They are often propounded in the assembly of the village or tribe. Each councillor holds a string or belt to serve as a reminder, when necessary, to the orator who is the spokesman. When the question of answering arises, strings and belts are given them in the same way, according to the circumstances. But we always take the precaution of writing down the speeches and replies to make sure of recalling them at need.
The calumet is offered, as another sign of peace and concord. It is a good omen, when accepted. There are some tribes that present it, when they go to war. Then, instead of the calumet,8 it is the tomahawk which they smoke in the same way. The head opposite its sharp edge is shaped like a pipe, and the handle is pierced lengthwise. It would be proof of cowardice on the part of those to whom it is presented, if they refused to smoke. They would always be despised by the warriors. When raising a war party is in question, a deputation of warriors is sent among the neighboring tribes to invite them to march. If they go by water, canoes are provided for the voyage, and if by land in winter, they make snowshoes and tranes for the snow.
The trane is a thin plank, six to nine feet in length, and twelve to fifteen inches in width. It is bent at one end in a half circle, called a hood,9 to which a strap called a collar is attached- made of birch withes about eighteen feet long. The center part is about three or four inches wide and sixteen to eighteen inches long. This collar is also used to haul a load. The thick middle piece of the collar rests on the forehead, or sometimes slantingly across the chest and shoulders. The trane has, down its length and sides, sinews of animal hide into which a cord is laced to hold the goods loaded on the trane. Two or three hundred leagues can be covered in this way over the snow and ice.
Snowshoes are made in a flattened pear-shape worked with deer sinews, and somewhat like tennis racquets, but stronger, and eighteen to twenty inches long by about fifteen inches wide. They are fastened with straps on the feet like skates. These are used so a man can travel easily over the (page 42) snow, without sinking more than two inches, despite his weight. You must take care to keep your feet apart when you walk, and make the snowshoes pass over each other at each step without catching, else you will fall in the snow, from which it will be hard to get up, especially when the snow is heavy, and newly fallen.
During the week that the savages in council at Michillimakinac stayed there, they gave us an exhibition of dancing and reconnoitering. This is a pantomime showing what the savages do on a war expedition. A man, usually a warrior, dances alone in the midst of several who sit around him. He begins by slowly going forward to the center of the circle, gesturing like a person who does not want to be seen. He remains still for an instant, after which he shows the warrior's departure, land march, water voyage, and the encampment. Finally, pretending to reconniter and to see the enemy's approach, he stops, looks about him, and then suddenly going into a frenzy, starts running as if he meant to take a prisoner, or seize hold of his foe. In this case he shows how he breaks his victim's head and scalps10 him, cutting a circle with the blade of his knife. He then advances a step forward, puts his knife between his teeth, and appears to be pulling the hair off with both hands. He shows how he attaches it to his belt, while giving the death cry, of which we shall speak later. Then he immediately runs away at top speed as though pursued. Such was the first act of this tragic pantomime. The savage actor, who was by then strongly agitated and wet with perspiration, had to rest.
After a short pause, he introduced the second act, beginning to run here and there, as if hiding behind trees, then standing in a listening positions, and acting as though he had killed a man. Appearing to be discovered and pursued, he stopped short, to escape hurriedly in a round-about way, but calling out nothing since he cold take no scalp. Such was the second act. Going on with the third, the same performer began by going to war as if seated in a canoe, moving his hands and arms as if he was using an oar and changing it from one hand to the other to travel faster. Pretending to see the enemy, he beached his canoe, seemed to tie it, and then to hide in ambush to surprise his enemy. Seemingly discovered, and unable to get back to his canoe, he sought to escape through the woods. After this feint, the savage acts as if the enemy had fallen into ambush, and been killed or made prisoner. In the latter case, he shows how he takes the prisoner along in triumph, giving cries of joy. This is the last act of the pantomime.
The savages have other dances of entertainment; but as they are less interesting, no mention will be made of them.
Those savages who remained at Michillimakinac went hunting, and brought us
game of several species. As they consumed a great deal of food each day, and as
we needed provisions for our detachment's trip, we thought of sending them
away. But before doing this we had a final council. Its purpose was to have
them demonstrate again their continued loyalty to their father Ononthio, and
their friendship for their French brothers. The savages promised it with strings
of wampum, saying they were going to march at the first word received from
Ononthio. After this promise, tobacco, powder, balls, shirts, woolen blankets,
cloth to make into mitasses,11 pieces of ribbon,
and knives were given them. They seemed satisfied and left the next morning.
________________________________
1The French reads: "des Hurons, des Outaouas, des Sauteux, des Algonquins, des Pontouatamis, des Ontagamis ou Renards, des Miamis, des Mississagus, des Mascoutins ou nation du feu, des Puants, des Sioux, des Kicapoux, des Malomines ou Folavoines, des Assinipoils, des Pnis, et des Ouiatanons."
2 Ononthio in the Huron and Iroquois languages means "great mountain." All the savage tribes have adopted that word to designate the Governor General. When they wish to speak of the King, they call him "Great Ononthio."
3 Raising the hatchet is the phrase used by the savages to show that they are declaring war. To do this they raise their tomahawks, which are small axes- mentioned before.
4 They do this by dipping their fingers in the color with which they want to paint their faces in every direction, forming stripes across and down the face. This will be described with great length at the end of these travels, in connection with their physical appearance.
5 The "Chichikoi" is a sort of calabash filled with small stones which they shake and accompany vocally with "ugh-ugh" deep down in their throats.
6 Savage divinities, of whom I will tell at the end of these travels.
7 "Colliers" in the French. The true wampum (porcelaine) beads were made of shells.
8 A kind of pipe made of a red stone found in the north of Canada and in the west towards Missouri. The savages present it to be smoked, as a sign of peace and friendship.
9 "Chaperon."
10 I will explain later about scalping.
11 Mitasses or mitassones, so-called in the savage language, are a kind of stockings made of two half ells of cloth, or one ell of milton, cut in two parts, one for each leg, and sewed down the leg as wide as the calf, so that the leg can enter. Outside the seam a piece about four or five inches wide is left, which flaps freely along the leg; or the lower end may be tucked into the shoe and fastened at the top by a garter above the calf. When it is wished to make this kind of stocking ornamental it is trimmed with ribbon sewed together or in points on the edge of the flapping outside strip. To this ornament the savages often add porcupine quills fashioned in various colors, as well as animal fur dyed red. They also fasten on little bells sold to them by the Europeans. It is usually the savage women who give these luxurious touches. The garters are also trimmed with little bells or with small pieces of copper three or four lignes in length, made like the ends of shoelaces but widened to a cornet shape. They are attached so closely that they touch and make a sound that can be heard from afar when the man or woman wearing them is in motion. Shoes of the savages are trimmed in the same way. They are called mocassins or mockassons. These will be spoken of at the end of these travels when describing their clothing. The savages also wear mitasses of deer or elk skin, but they do not trim them. The men prepare them, and the women sew them.
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