SCALPING DONE HERE.
' (By Chief .Bed Shirt, of Ogle, U.S.A.) • ' I have not {ought against the White Man for many years. Twelve years ago , I, promised the Government of the United States of America that I would ' be * good Indian. They gave me a medal in order that* I should not forget my ' promise, but that -when I Saw the medal I should remember that I was a good r Indian and not fight against the White Man. I always wear the medal. The White Man has been very uaf air to my .people. He has stolen our land "- from us and has driven us away to the I Sad Lands. Before he came across the sea many _' years ago we lived very happily, for all tie land belongeu to my people, to our father and to our grandfathers and to ',*' our great-grandfathers. And many bc- < fore that. When the White Man came our fathers' made him welcome. Had not ■o~ onr fathers given tjtm food.- many of ' the first settlers would have died- „., STOLE OUR LAND FOR*HLS CATTLE. , The White Man said he. wanted to trade, but lie would not live at peace „ l .Willi our fathers. He stole their land and sent for his brothers to come across ~t s the sea and help him to .push them , back. And his brothers came, many, » wary of them, and spread themselves' '(/ over the land that had.'befbnged to our fathers. And our fathers were forced i, to go farther hack. G > Sometimes the White Man has stolen 2, our land because he wanted pastures for r his cattle. Sometimes he has sent us *_'' »way because there was gold on our 7~ t ' lands. And then there has' been much '_£ fighting, and we have slain the White i<CMzn and seized his cattle and taken * away his gold. And was it not right? r"' Was it not the gold that was found * on the land of the Nez Perces that brought many settlers and miners? The , .land was taken' away from the Ne* Perces and towns were built by the '■ .White Man.
' Then there was much .talk with the !,, Goveranient men, and the Government ' r men said the Nez Perces must leave their tribal lands and be taken away to another reserve. But they did not • -want to leave their tribal lands. There - was much fighting because' the White bad robbed the Nez Perces, but f vjcay soldiers came to the help of the /settlers.
The soldiers were all "round about' the Perces, and they, being hindered , Jiy their women and children, eould aot * move quickly enough, nor could they / make a stand agaiast the guns of the ■ »ldiers. _ \ Jtor many miles they retreated; for a p:. ihonand miles. Then they could go no iy-farther, and they said, "We will surrcnS?;"oer to jou if you will take us to the M Lapwai EeserYe.".. And the soldiers proj| '■; wised. But they did not keep their pro- • .' »u*i and the Nez Perces were taken jy .far away for many years, and when ri' lrere allowed to return more than gijlialf of them had died. So that the £■ j.TCte Alan is not always faithful. Jf. ' SCALPING OUR ENEMIES. £ When we go on the warpath the ifj JWJ br »Te tries to kill many of his i,' so that he may take their '-'' foalps. When he -has got a scalp he f. beoemee a warrior. " , The White Men have badges and J medals so that all men .may see they , have beet w battles,-but we have no £ badges or medals. ■
.'i when we are in battle we rush at' our uy and strike him with a war--1 nb > atone. Generally he is slain atj j ou«.e. vVhon hejhas fallen we cut from' ■*! J the top of hig head, .a round piece of ~ -akin with the hair on it, to show that f' ■ w» have killed an enemy. '■l We only take the scalp from an J* enemy who has just been slain. It is C itiol very often that a living man is "* _ scalped. If it were done carefully, an ' ■Hwr might be scalped'without injur- • &l>.' 'he bone of bis head, and he might in some *naSsacres it may'happen that > d wounded tflan lias been scalped and .„ hai BO* died tuft,lias escaped. But these '.' scalps are not tosorable scalps. And . . if a wa.lior knows ti*t his scalp is the . scalp of an enemy who stM\ lives he will ;7 .miry it. So bring him lienor tie.Scalp must be 4, tnrti the head of an" en*™.? he has slanj. A warrior must tak'* * !s scsl P« *J | bis own hand. Ho must **"• *"•? then: ) I nor must he sell them. B^ H * * /e *N y- honorable. And when he dies **M |* must be buried with his Uis"" c """M* 9l , §T, must not keep them. If we kill's £&] y of our on n tribe in anger against hi/ ~ -we do not take his scalp. It is onf* *_ -.honorable to have the scalps of enemies i we have slain. i I have many scalp's. I have thirty- ; six. I trfok them in the Black Hawk S' ■jfeS!'" 6 ! and that '» lam chief. *„, «-v"™ he has done an honorable thin» -• |li. .Vhite Man. is called "sir" And |j after every battle or massacre the & warrior who has taken most scalps is ff; made "chief" of that battle. No oth?r fejj warrior took more scalps, than I did at ||K<f - niitek Hawk Massacre. Ip. fcj f became "chief." There are not K£ » B n v ' ""Me chiefs. The greatest of them |fc> is Cliief Red Cloud, who is a very old ll&man. He is eighty-two years old. lam Eg; Utt old man, but I am not so old as thit. m'A «W the next, chief to Red Cloud.— AVeekly.
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Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 138, 10 July 1909, Page 4
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968SCALPING DONE HERE. Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 138, 10 July 1909, Page 4
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