Excerpt on the Ioways, from "Black Hawk, Dictated by Himself"A story dictated by Black Hawk (Sauk) on the Ioway, from "Black Hawk, Dictated by Himself", Boston, 1834. Also called, "Life of Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak".
"My nation had now some difficulty with the Ioways, with whom we wished to be
at peace. Our young men had repeatedly killed some of the Ioways; and these
breaches had always been made up by giving presents to the relations of those
killed. But the last council we had with them, we promised that, in the case
any more of their people were killed by ours, instead of presents, we would
give up the person, or persons, that had done the injury. We made this
determination known to our people; but, notwithstanding, one of our young men
killed an Ioway the following winter.
"A party of our people were about starting for the Ioway village to give the
young man up. I agreed to accompany them. When we were ready to start, I
called at the lodge for the young man to go with us. He was sick, but willing
to go. His brother, however, prevented him, and insisted on going to die in
his place, as he was unable to travel. We started, and on the seventh day
arrived in sight of the Ioway village, and when within a short distance of it,
halted and dismounted. We all bid farewell to our young brave, who entered the
village alone, singing his death-song, and sat down in the square in the middle
of the village. One of the Ioway chiefs came out to us. We told him that we
had fulfilled our promise-that we had brought the brother of the young man who
had killed one of their people-that he had volunteered to come in his place, in
consequence of his brother being unable to travel from sickness. We had no
further conversation, but mounted our horses and rode off!
"As we started, I cast my eye towards the village, and observed the Ioways
coming out of their lodges with spears and war clubs. We took our trail back,
and travelled until dark-then encamped and made a fire. We had not been here
long, before we heard the sound of horses coming towards us. We seized our
arms; but instead of an enemy, it was our young brave with two horses. He told
me that after we had left him, they menaced him death for some time-then gave
him something to eat-smoked the pipe with him-and made him a present of two
horses and some goods, and started him after us. When we arrived at our
village, our people were much pleased; and for the noble and generous conduct
of the Ioways, on this occasion, not one of their people has been killed since
by any of our nation."
Transcribed by Shelley
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