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Chief Little Crow
was the eldest son of Cetanwakuwa (Charging Hawk). It was on account of
his father's name, mistranslated Crow, that he was called by the whites "Little
Crow." His real name was Taoyateduta, His Red People.
As far back as
Minnesota
history goes, a band of the Sioux called Kaposia (Light Weight, because
they were said to travel light) inhabited the Mille Lacs region. Later
they dwelt about St. Croix Falls, and still later near St. Paul. In 1840,
Cetanwakuwa was still living in what is now West St. Paul, but he was soon
after killed by the accidental discharge of his gun.
It was during a period of demoralization for
the Kaposias that
Little Crow became the leader of his people. His father, a well-known
chief, had three wives, all from different bands of the Sioux. He was the
only son of the first wife, a Leaf Dweller. There were two sons of the
second and two of the third wife, and the second set of brothers conspired
to kill their half-brother in order to keep the chieftainship in the
family.
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Chief Little Crow
in 1862, courtesy
Minnesota
Historical Society
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Two kegs of whisky were
bought, and all the men of the tribe invited to a feast. It was planned to
pick some sort of quarrel when all were drunk, and in the confusion
Little Crow was to
be murdered. The plot went smoothly until the last instant, when a young
brave saved the intended victim by knocking the gun aside with his
hatchet, so that the shot went wild. However, it broke his right arm,
which remained crooked all his life. The friends of the young chieftain
hastily withdrew, avoiding a general fight; and later the council of the
Kaposias condemned the two brothers, both of whom were executed, leaving
him in undisputed possession.
Such was the opening of a
stormy career. Little
Crow's mother had been a chief's daughter, celebrated for her beauty
and spirit, and it is said that she used to plunge him into the lake
through a hole in the ice, rubbing him afterward with snow, to strengthen
his nerves, and that she would remain with him alone in the deep woods for
days at a time, so that he might know that solitude is good, and not fear
to be alone with nature.
"My son," she would say,
"if you are to be a leader of men, you must listen in silence to the
mystery, the spirit."
At a very early age she
made a feast for her boy and announced that he would fast two days. This
is what might be called a formal presentation to the spirit or God. She
greatly desired him to become a worthy leader according to the ideas of
her people. It appears that she left her husband when he took a second
wife, and lived with her own band till her death. She did not marry again.
Little Crow was an
intensely ambitious man and without physical fear. He was always in
perfect training and early acquired the art of warfare of the
Indian
type. It is told of him that when he was about ten years old, he engaged
with other boys in a sham battle on the shore of a lake near St. Paul.
Both sides were encamped at a little distance from one another, and the
rule was that the enemy must be surprised, otherwise the attack would be
considered a failure. One must come within so many paces undiscovered in
order to be counted successful. Our hero had a favorite dog which, at his
earnest request, was allowed to take part in the game, and as a scout he
entered the enemy camp unseen, by the help of his dog.
When he was twelve, he
saved the life of a companion who had broken through the ice by tying the
end of a pack line to a log, then at great risk to himself carrying it to
the edge of the hole where his comrade went down. It is said that he also
broke in, but both boys saved themselves by means of the line.
As a young man,
Little Crow was
always ready to serve his people as a messenger to other tribes, a duty
involving much danger and hardship. He was also known as one of the best
hunters in his band. Although still young, he had already a war record
when he became chief of the Kaposias, at a time when the
Sioux were
facing the greatest and most far-reaching changes that had ever come to
them.
At this juncture in the
history of the northwest and its native inhabitants, the various fur
companies had paramount influence. They did not hesitate to impress the
Indians
with the idea that they were the authorized representatives of the white
races or peoples, and they were quick to realize the desirability of
controlling the natives through their most influential chiefs.
Little Crow became
quite popular with post traders and factors. He was an orator as well as a
diplomat, and one of the first of his nation to indulge in politics and
promote unstable schemes to the detriment of his people.
When the United States
Government went into the business of acquiring territory from the
Indians
so that the flood of western settlement might not be checked, commissions
were sent out to negotiate treaties, and in case of failure it often
happened that a delegation of leading men of the tribe were invited to
Washington. At that period, these visiting chiefs, attired in all the
splendor of their costumes of ceremony, were treated like ambassadors from
foreign countries.
One winter in the late
eighteen-fifties, a major general of the army gave a dinner to the
Indian
chiefs then in the city, and on this occasion
Little Crow was
appointed toastmaster. There were present a number of Senators and members
of Congress, as well as judges of the Supreme Court, cabinet officers, and
other distinguished citizens. When all the guests were seated, the
Sioux arose
and addressed them with much dignity as follows:
"Warriors and friends: I
am informed that the great white war chief who of his generosity and
comradeship has given us this feast, has expressed the wish that we may
follow to-night the usages and customs of my people. In other words, this
is a warriors' feast, a braves' meal. I call upon the Ojibway chief, the
Hole-in-the-Day, to give the lone wolf's hunger call, after which we will
join him in our usual manner."
The tall and handsome
Ojibway now rose and straightened his superb form to utter one of the
clearest and longest wolf howls that was ever heard in Washington, and at
its close came a tremendous burst of war whoops that fairly rent the air,
and no doubt electrified the officials there present.
On one occasion
Little Crow was
invited by the commander of Fort Ridgeley,
Minnesota,
to call at the fort. On his way back, in company with a half-breed named
Ross and the interpreter Mitchell, he was ambushed by a party of Ojibways,
and again wounded in the same arm that had been broken in his attempted
assassination. His companion Ross was killed, but he managed to hold the
war party at bay until help came and thus saved his life.
Continued
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