Codex Battleford
Transcription: 10
Transcription:
{10 [written in the top right corner]
without escort.“The Indian Agent at first refused fearing an ambush, but on the advice of William McKay he decided to join the other two.That meeting took place on Little-Pine reserve,in the council lodge,where the chiefs and their headmen were assembled.Crozier,after the usual shakehands [sic], xxxxxx [crossed out] begged to be short in exposing their views.All unanimously expressed their regret over the events which had just taken place,they begged them to forget the past and to beleive [sic] in their sincere friendship.They shook hands as a sign of pardon.A gift of tobacco sealed this pact of friendsip. “The chiefs and the bands who took part in this affair,wrote Agent Raë after thisx meeting ,“seem very much frightened at what they had done,and I feel sure that if the proper power is placed in my hands and supplies given me so that I can deal liberally with these bands,there will be no more trouble but I do not think that Big Bear or any others are going to submit to be starved out,and there is no doubt that these men are particularly hard-up. If,one the other hand,the Department are bound to stick to their present orders,then full preparations should be made to fight them,as it will sooner oxr later come to this,if more liberal treatment is not given.”
As the agent continued the policy of refusing rations as long as the strangers had not gone out of the reserve,the Indians who lived only on their daily catch,were not long before feeling the pangs of hunger.At the end of the week they had to separate.Poundmaker and Lucky Man resumed their usual work .Big Bear,having got victuals for his journey,set out for his reserve.
The sudden departure of the Indians had rendered impossible the public discussion in which the great project of union was to be decided.The idea of an Indian Council was not however abandoned.During his way home,xx [crossed out] Big Bear was informed of the arrival of Louis Riel. xxxxxxxxxxxx [crossed out] The Indians were well acquainted with his reputation as an agitator and Big Bear was not long in taking advantage of his presence.Instead of returning to his reserve,he directed his steps towards Fort Carlton,and Duck Lake. During the last weeks of July,Big Bear sent messengers among the neighbouring tribes with invitations to attend a council of the chiefs at Duck Lake. This council began on July 31st 1884.Beside Big Bear and Lucky man,all the chiefs of the Carlton Agency,nine in number,were present.Big Bear delivered a scathing denunciation of the lack of good faith of the whites and urged united Indian action.All the speeches were full of disillusion,disappointment and resentment.The Indians complained that the terms of the treaty were inadequate for their needs,that the tools,the waggons [sic] and the cattle were of inferior quality and quite insufficient to gain a livelihood with them.They suggested that an Indian representative should be chosen every four years to act as an intermedisry [sic] between the Indians and the whites.They declared before parting that they were fed up with the sweet promises of the Department and that they would only wait xx [crossed out] until the next summer to see if this council has the desired effect,failing which they will take measxures to get what they want.The last sessions took place at Carlton took place at Carlton [sic] where the Agent consented to feed them and their grievances were fully aired before the Agent.Towards the middle of July,Agent MacRaë declared the council at an end . xxxxx [crossed out] But before the council could convene again ,time and circumstances had taken the control of the events out of their hands.The drought completely destoyed [sic] the Indians’harvest in 1884.Once more they were bitterly disappointed.The hope alone of escaping hunger and misery had maintained their unskilled hands to work and behold after eight years they were poorer than ever.They taught themselves dupes of the greedness [sic] of the whites.Their grievances were not different from those of the halfbreeds who were disturbing the whole xxxx [crossed out] country around because they were}
without escort.“The Indian Agent at first refused fearing an ambush, but on the advice of William McKay he decided to join the other two.That meeting took place on Little-Pine reserve,in the council lodge,where the chiefs and their headmen were assembled.Crozier,after the usual shakehands [sic], xxxxxx [crossed out] begged to be short in exposing their views.All unanimously expressed their regret over the events which had just taken place,they begged them to forget the past and to beleive [sic] in their sincere friendship.They shook hands as a sign of pardon.A gift of tobacco sealed this pact of friendsip. “The chiefs and the bands who took part in this affair,wrote Agent Raë after thisx meeting ,“seem very much frightened at what they had done,and I feel sure that if the proper power is placed in my hands and supplies given me so that I can deal liberally with these bands,there will be no more trouble but I do not think that Big Bear or any others are going to submit to be starved out,and there is no doubt that these men are particularly hard-up. If,one the other hand,the Department are bound to stick to their present orders,then full preparations should be made to fight them,as it will sooner oxr later come to this,if more liberal treatment is not given.”
As the agent continued the policy of refusing rations as long as the strangers had not gone out of the reserve,the Indians who lived only on their daily catch,were not long before feeling the pangs of hunger.At the end of the week they had to separate.Poundmaker and Lucky Man resumed their usual work .Big Bear,having got victuals for his journey,set out for his reserve.
The sudden departure of the Indians had rendered impossible the public discussion in which the great project of union was to be decided.The idea of an Indian Council was not however abandoned.During his way home,xx [crossed out] Big Bear was informed of the arrival of Louis Riel. xxxxxxxxxxxx [crossed out] The Indians were well acquainted with his reputation as an agitator and Big Bear was not long in taking advantage of his presence.Instead of returning to his reserve,he directed his steps towards Fort Carlton,and Duck Lake. During the last weeks of July,Big Bear sent messengers among the neighbouring tribes with invitations to attend a council of the chiefs at Duck Lake. This council began on July 31st 1884.Beside Big Bear and Lucky man,all the chiefs of the Carlton Agency,nine in number,were present.Big Bear delivered a scathing denunciation of the lack of good faith of the whites and urged united Indian action.All the speeches were full of disillusion,disappointment and resentment.The Indians complained that the terms of the treaty were inadequate for their needs,that the tools,the waggons [sic] and the cattle were of inferior quality and quite insufficient to gain a livelihood with them.They suggested that an Indian representative should be chosen every four years to act as an intermedisry [sic] between the Indians and the whites.They declared before parting that they were fed up with the sweet promises of the Department and that they would only wait xx [crossed out] until the next summer to see if this council has the desired effect,failing which they will take measxures to get what they want.The last sessions took place at Carlton took place at Carlton [sic] where the Agent consented to feed them and their grievances were fully aired before the Agent.Towards the middle of July,Agent MacRaë declared the council at an end . xxxxx [crossed out] But before the council could convene again ,time and circumstances had taken the control of the events out of their hands.The drought completely destoyed [sic] the Indians’harvest in 1884.Once more they were bitterly disappointed.The hope alone of escaping hunger and misery had maintained their unskilled hands to work and behold after eight years they were poorer than ever.They taught themselves dupes of the greedness [sic] of the whites.Their grievances were not different from those of the halfbreeds who were disturbing the whole xxxx [crossed out] country around because they were}
