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.
Letter 32: Of the Political
Government of the Savages
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Raudot, Antoine Denis, "Memoir Concerning the Different Indian Nations of North America: Translation of Letters 23 to 41 and Letters 45 to 72 inclusive" in Kinietz, W. Vernon, The Indians of the Western Great Lakes: 1615-1700, pp. 355-358. |
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(page 355) scopes who would be very unlucky if among several false things which they say, there is not one thing of truth.
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I am, sir, etc. |
LETTER 32
Of the Political Government of the Savages
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At Quebec, the 1709 |
Sir,
The government of the savages is republican; the elders regulate all the affairs, and the young people only execute them. Among these elders are the war chiefs. They become such by the outstanding feats which they accomplish, by the friendship of the young people which they draw to themselves, and by the gifts that they make to them, for usually these chiefs are the most poorly dressed of the nation, giving everything to make themselves liked. The elders assemble over the smallest things and, while smoking, consider matters, without ever getting angry with each other. Although they are of opposite feelings they always speak gently and never conclude anything without a mature and long deliberation. There are orators among them who speak for the whole nation when there is some speech to make. They speak well and always figuratively. They present porcelain collars, of which I have already told you, which serve them for their ornament, and state that by this they wish to say such or such a thing.
That is how the savages in general govern themselves, some with more intelligence and reason than others, not being all equally able. It often happens that passion, spite, vengeance, and drunkenness prevail over all the wise counsels the old give the young, of which they are not always the masters. But affairs later go back to the same state.
As the savages never wish to take the lands nor the woods of their enemies, one cannot doubt that it is only animosity, spite, vengeance, and inordinate desire to kill men or to ag- (page 356) grandize themselves by slaves that cause them to make war.
When they adopt the slaves that they take, which they do not fail to do when they have lost many people, they make them come into their cabins, regard them as being of their nation, and force them to make war against their relatives.
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I am, sir, etc. |
LETTER 33
Of
the War Feasts of the Savages and of Their Departure
from Their Village
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At Quebec, the 1709 |
Sir,
As the war which the savages wage against each other is very cruel, they take all the precautions possible to surprise and not to be surprised. This war is properly a permitted assassination and often declared because of a dream or for some murder done to someone of the nation in a hunt or in drunkenness. The relative of the deceased after wearing mourning for a year (which I shall explain to you later on) has a feast to which, by sticks, he invites a certain number of persons. While he eats he tells his plan and what his manito has inspired him with, then he sings of war, that is to say, he wishes to avenge such a one and eat the enemy nation, and challenging in this song all his guests he engages them imperceptibly to join him and to take sticks. Those who take them are enlisted. Their friends also join them; thus the party grows. The plan of leaving being formed, they work to collect provisions, to make their canoes, their arrows, their war clubs, and other things which they need, and they dance all night.
The day of their departure having arrived, they put on their best attire, paint their faces, load their canoes, and embark. At this time the chief of the war party gives a discourse in which he tells his plan and the time that he must come back. All the others sing their death song at the top of their voices as long as they are within sight of the village. Sometimes they (page 357) take one or two young women in these parties to do the cooking. When they do not take any, it is the youngest of them who does it. They go to the place where they expect to find enemies hunting or fishing or on their way somewhere. They place their canoes in some hidden spot where they debark only at night and never make a fire at this camping place for fear of being discovered. They begin their march by land and appoint among them the scouts who are always the most adroit, the bravest, and the best runners. They have two or three at the most who walk far from the sight of each other, in order that they will not all fall into the same ambush. They approach their enemies as close as they can and during the night consider the enemy's forces and in what manner they should make their attack. As soon as the scouts have made this discovery one of them goes off to notify the large body. They all start on the march during the night to join the other scouts and make their attack at dawn, which is usually the time when one is the most drowsy, especially the savages, who dance all night when they are in their camp and keep no sentry. They fall on their enemies with loud cries, enter the cabins, kill, and take what they can. They find little, or rather, no resistance, for in such a surprise each one thinks of fleeing and hiding himself rather than of defending himself.
This is the way they conduct an attack on their enemies when they are not in their village or when they believe themselves strong enough to force the piles with which these villages are usually surrounded; but if they do not believe themselves strong enough to do it they hide in the fredoches1 or behind stumps and remain there living on ears of Indian corn until they are able to assassinate some one who is obliged to leave this fort to go to fetch water or wood.
The forts are usually only interlaced poles on the top of which there are
fascines on which one can easily walk. There
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