Tuesday, April 14, 2009

The Lakota

This Week we encountered the well known Natives the Teton Sioux. They are also called the Lakota, perhaps the most powerfull of the Native American Tribes. We thought we could easily befriend them but it turned out much harder than we imagined.... It started when we stopped to camp out on the South Side of the Missouri, very close to the mouth of the Bad River. Three younglings appeared on the other side of the river and swam over to come meet us. Luckily they knew sign language so we could comunicate with them. They told us they were Lakota's so to welcome them we gave them gifts of tobbaco for the band chiefs, and we arranged for a parley on the 24th. Then we sent Pvt. John Colter to go hunt for some food on horse-back. He killed four Elk and called for our help to get the carrcass'. I had some of the crew row the boats across the river when Pvt. John Colter signaled alarm, for the Sioux stole his horse. Then when 5 boys appeared on the shore we told them in sign-language that that we had come as friends and didn't want any trouble, and that we would fight back if neccessary. The next morning 3 of the head indians and lots of warriors came to have a meeting with us. The gave us a large amount of buffallo meat and we gave them a medal, hat, and a military cloak. They seemed unimpressed with our presents so they demanded more. We were afraid they might attack us so we invited the chiefs aboard to have a drink of whiskey with us. Then when we asked them to go back ashore they didn't want to leave, so we had to force them into a boat and row them back shore. When we got ashore I got mad at the chief who wanted more gifts. I refused and the Sioux knocked there bows aimed for us so I called for more men. Then I unsheathed my sword and signaled the boat to prepare for action. Since the chief saw the Cannon loaded he had his men back off. Then they came to our campground to patch things up and we smoked peace pipes. Some of the slaves of the Sioux saw us and warned us they were trying to attack us and end the expedition. We took a risk and stayed for another 2 days. As we were leaving one of their warriors grabbed our docking ropes. The chief didn't want us to leave but we had to so we had a standoff. This time we both prepared to fire at the same time, but they largley out numbered us. We manged to barley get away as we are now afloat upriver away from the Lakota..............

2 comments:

  1. GET PICTURES


    otherwise its cool

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  2. Riveting stuff, Andrew. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised, but to hear your voice describing these events in such realistic detail so fluently and well . . . Well, I am impressed with your work. Yes, as Curtis commented, a picture or two would add, but your words describe things as well as any I have read in many, many journals.

    Pay: B

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