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Introduction to Black Hawk's Narrative
The Sauk and Mesquakie Indians were living in the Mississippi valley
in the 1820s and 1830s when pioneer settlers began moving west into their
hunting grounds. In the summer the Indian men hunted buffalo and elk and
bartered for supplies with European traders.
At first the fur trade was good for both the Indians and the Europeans.
Eventually, however this trade led to conflicts over land. As these problems
increased and pioneer settlers pressed farther toward Indian lands, the
U.S. government moved the Indians west. But some refused to move. Chief
Black Hawk of the Sauk Tribe resisted moving.
Chief Black Hawk
Black Hawk, the famous war chief of the Sauk tribe, was
born in 1767. He grew up in Saukenuk
an Indian village on the Rock River near the Mississippi. During his lifetime,
he earned a reputation as a daring warrior.
When Black Hawk refused to leave his village in the spring
of 1831, the U.S. army was called in to move him across the Mississippi
to Iowa. He was not to return to Saukenuk on the Illinois side of the
river. The next spring Black Hawk disobeyed this order and led his warriors
and their families back to his village. The military was ordered to capture
Chief Black Hawk.
Black Hawk led his followers north to escape, but the army followed.
Three months later the remnants of his group of men, women, and children
were captured in Wisconsin. Called the Black
Hawk War, this conflict ended with Black Hawk being put in prison.
To punish the Sauk and Mesquakie for the trouble caused by Black Hawk,
the government made them sign a new treaty at Fort
Armstrong selling even more of their land.
To convince Black Hawk that the Indians could not win, government officials
took the chief east to see cities, army forts, and gun factories. He saw
that fighting was useless when railroads could always bring more troops
of soldiers. Everywhere on the tour, the train stations were crowded with
people trying to get a glimpse of the chief. In Washington, D.C., Black
Hawk met President Andrew Jackson.
At that meeting the Sauk chief promised not to make war again, but he
was not ashamed about fighting to protect his lands. "I am a man and you
are another;" he told President Jackson, but he realized that there were
too many whites to fight.
Black Hawk returned to Iowa to live in a small cabin with his family.
During his last years, he told the story of his life to Antoine
Le Claire, a man who knew English, French and many Indian languages.
He wrote down Black Hawk's memories of his life. In a letter
written on October 16, 1833, Antoine Le Claire wrote the following:
From Black Hawk's Autobiography:
Indian Agency, Rock Island, October 16, 1833
I do hereby certify, that Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiah or Black Hawk,
did call upon me, on his return to his people in August last, and
express a great desire to have a History of his Life written and
published, in order, (as he said) "that the people of the United
States, (among whom he had been traveling, and by whom he had been
treated with great respect, friendship and hospitality,) might know
the causes that had impelled him to act as he has done, and the
principles by which he was governed." In accordance with his request,
I acted as Interpreter; and was particularly cautious, to understand
distinctly the narrative of Black Hawk throughout -- and have examined
the work carefully, since its completion -- and have no hesitation
in pronouncing it strictly correct, in all its particulars.
Given under my hand, at the Sac and Fox Agency, the day and date
above written.
Antoine LeClair
U.S. Interpreter for the Sacs and Foxes
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Black Hawk's Narrative of the Yearly Cycle of the
Sauk and Mesquakie Tribes is just a part of the memories of Black
Hawk. He dictated them to Antoine Le Claire who wrote them down.
Chief Black Hawk graphic used by permission from the State
Historical Society of Iowa.
Used by permission: Special Collections, State Historical Society of Iowa,
Iowa City. |
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