Great American Indian Speeches v1 p1

The words of Geronimo, Black-Hawk, Cochise, Chief Joseph and others

Edited by Arthur Junaluska.
Read by Vine Deloria, Jr. and Aurthur Junaluska

This volume of Great American Indian Speeches is not only a tribute to those illustrious Indian leaders whose words and lives were an inspiration and guidance to their people during a troubled period in the history of America. Nor is it solely a celebration of the special and enduring value of the American Indian way of life. It is, most importantly, a recognition of what American Indians have contributed to our national life, and so, it is a gift returned to itself–a testimony to a strong and noble influence on the growth of America.

To be sure, great oratory has had a profound and fundamental impact on the formation of our country. Many an orator has significantly influenced the course of events through his genius for arousing the curiosity and passions of his audience. While the immediate purpose is to convey a message, the lasting value of an oration lies in the total expression of the innermost thoughts and feelings of the speaker, which leaves a powerful impression on his audience. This unique interplay of expression and impression derives from an ingenious combination of the orator's skill, his creativity, and his power and manifest itself in his presentation of himself to his audience. By skillful use of words and imaginative technique, the orator adapts the tools of communication to his message. The artist in him deftly conjures up mental images, gently revealing the subtleties so as to strike a chord of recognition in the experiences and emotions of his listeners. He evokes in them a realization of common opinions, shared attitudes and similar feelings. Thus, he effects a mutuality of communication which leads to a deep intellectual understanding and an emotional awareness. Ultimately, his skill and artistry transforms his message into a statement of himself–a revelation of personal essence and ultimate concern. Hi performance is his power. It is this presentation of himself, delivered with dignity and spoken from the depth of his being, which stirs the minds and hearts of his audience and leaves a lasting impression.

The orator, then, buy virtue of his personal power and stature, must become a spokesman; he commands attention and so he especially must speak for those who have no voice and who are never heard. His conceptual and perceptive powers enable him to grasp the totality of a situation and thus to translate his understanding to his listeners. Adept as he is at revealing the essence of a matter, often when it is obscure or not fully understood, it is he who must give voice to those more subtle and elusive phenomena and become a mouthpiece for those inaudible utterances. It is only through him and his sensitivity to their essence and their nature that those imperceptible voices can be heard.

Indian oratory offers a special dimension to the notion of "great speeches." While much oratory deals in symbolic representation, a unique feature of Indian oratory is that the symbol is the reality and the mode of expression is filled with natural images. It offers an insight into the rhythm of life and invokes a special awareness of our own very immediate relationship to it. It sensitizes us to sensual impressions, unencumbered by an order imposed from the outside. What we experience then is a revelation of the natural order of things, beautifully communicated by a speaker who sees into the heart of the matter and deftly exposes it to our view.

Historically, the cultural and philosophical perspective of the American Indian is quite different from that of the Western world. Our conceptional structures and mental machinery give the illusion of a static, uni-dimensional world–a perspective conspicuously lacking depth or dynamics. To a great extend our reactions to life are regulated by this viewpoint such that we tend to fit reality to a predetermined order. Our constructs become our boundaries and so restrict our ability to broaden the territory of our understanding.

Indian oratory presents an opportunity to experience a deeper realm. These Indian speakers vividly and poignantly portray the values and ideals at play in tribal–and human–survival, and eloquently communicate the nobility and emotion inherent in that struggle. Whatever the occasion–tribal councils, treaty negations, government conferences, battle scenes–they adeptly transform our knowledge of the situation into a deeper understanding of its impact on the lives of their people. Whether traditional or progressive, they express a keen awareness of the confrontation between cultures and a deep concern for the survival of their people. They speak with hope and desperation, with gentility and bitterness, with fortitude and abandon. And always they seek to be understood and respected for their own customs, beliefs, and way of life.

However these Indian leaders are not only representatives for their own tribe at a specific time, they are also spokesmen for things of a spiritual nature. They speak of values which represent the cycle of life and the performance of nature, and they realize their own part within the whole life process. They know from when we they came and where they will return. They speak with respect and appreciation because theirs is an awareness of mutuality and dependence, not of dominatrices and ownership. After all, how can we own that which sustains and gives us life?

An early visitor to Indian country, making his observations in the late 18th century, has said about Indian oratory: ". . . when they mean to persuade as well as convince, they take the shortest way to reach the heart." This collection of Indian orations regenerates this spirit of our Indian forefathers. Their words are as significant and emotive today as they were one or two hundreds years ago. In a very real substantial way the fabric of America reflects the influence of the leaders and their legacy. They have awakened us to those dimensions of our experience long hidden by callousness and insensitivity. They have offered us insights into our relationship with life, nature, and the family of man, which have become tragically obscured over the years. They have moved us to begin to respect others' differences, to be cognizant of our own, and to foster a true acceptance of the wonderful diversity intrinsic in life. Finally, they have encouraged us to understand America in a different way, a revelation tantamount to revitalizing a body with a renewed appreciation of its soul.

MARIA L. FACCHINA

Play song

Name

Performed by

Description

Native Words

Translation

Notes

Chief Red Cloud Deloria Powhatan was the esteemed chief of the Powhatan confederacy, a group of Algonquin tribes who occupied Virginia when the English settle there in the early 17th century. He was a peace-loving man and welcomed the white settlers at first, but later became angered by their forcible actions, particularly the kidnapping of his favorite daughter, Pocahontas. Her marriage to John Rolfe stabilized relations, but Powhatan died in 1618 still earnestly requesting peace and harmony between the two races.

Powhatan's remarks to John Smith reflect his continual instance that sharing, not force, was the means to achieving this end.
Powhatan
Canassatego Deloria Canassatega was a respected leader and frequent spokesman for the powerful Iroquois Confederacy, often called the Six Nations, which included the Onondaga, Oneida, Seneca, Mohawk, Cayuga, and Tuscarora tribes, He participated in the council of 1742 at Philadelphia and was apparently instrumental in persuading the Delawares to relinquish a section of their land along the Delaware River to the Pennsylvania governor. In 1744 he represented the Iroquois at the treaty negotiations at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, when Maryland and Virginia purchased lands from the Six Nations. He died at Onondaga, once the capital of the Iroquois Confederacy, in 1750.

Replying to an offer made by the Virginia Legislature to educate youths of the Six Nations, Canassatego expressed an understanding of Indian education far different from that of his white counterparts.
Iroquois
Chief Logan Deloria Chief Logan was a Cayuga chief of the Iroquois Confederacy and was also known as a Mingo. For many years he lived in harmony with the white settlers in Pennsylvania until he moved to a location along the Ohio River around 1770. In 1774 his family and other members of his tribe were brutally murdered, apparently by some renegade British soldiers. Logan's desire to avenge the deaths of his family instigated the involvement of the Mingoes in the continuing hostilities between British forces and the Indians of the Ohio River area. He died in 1780 as a result of a family quarrel.

Chief Logan's message to Governor Dunsmore of Virginia who had invited him to participate in the peace conference reveals his bitter feelings towards the British for their cruel and devastating actions.
Cayuga
Chief Buckangehalas Junaluska As a chief and distinguished warrior of the Delaware tribe, Buckangahelas was known for his strength of character and his sensitivity to the realities of war. Deeply disturbed by the division among his people in their alliances with the British and the United States, he himself was torn, being sympathetic with the British before the Revolutionary War and turning to the United States afterwards. He eventually signed several treaties with the Unites States on behalf of the Delawares, before his death in the early 1800's.

Chief Buckangahelas speech to the commissioners at the council at Fort Pitt in 1775 exhibits the dilemma of the Indian when force to choose side between the Americans and the British.
Delaware
Pontiac Deloria Pontiac, a powerful Ottawa chief and warrior, distinguished himself at an early age as shrewd and courageous in battle. He was a loyal supporter of the French and was very disturbed by the British invasion of the Northwest Territory, particularly their conquest of Detroit. He is noted for his plan to ally all the tribes northwest of the Ohio River and mobilize them to destroy the British settlements and military posts there. In 1763 he nearly succeeded in accomplishing that goal when he was informed that France and Great Britain were at peace. After a last futile attempt to rid the territory of the British intruders, Pontiac finally agreed to peace in August of 1765.

Posing as Menehwehna, the Chippewa, Pontiac took the opportunity to inform Alexander Henry of the Indians' allegiance to the French, and their reluctance to accept English domination.
Ottawa
Red Jacket Junaluska Red Jacket, Seneca chief and orator, was a very controversial character. He is perhaps best remembered for his oratorical ability, yet he was not considered a thinker of depth and foresight. His ability as a warrior was questionable and he was even considered by some to be cowardly and timid. Nevertheless, he advocated on behalf of his people and fought vigorously against white institutions, religions, and customs being imposed on them. As a frequent attendant at councils and convocations, his speaking ability often proved to be most influential and effective. He died on January 20, 1830 at the present city of Buffalo, New York.

The speech herein was delivered by Red Jacket to a conference attended by other Seneca chiefs and replied to offers of a white missionary to bring religion to the Indians.
Seneca
Chief Tecumseh Junaluska A celebrated Shawnee Chief and eloquent orator, Tecumseh was an outspoken advocate of the rights of the Indians of the Ohio valley. He was bitterly opposed to the encroachment on their land and actively resisted the Federal Government policy of purchasing land from individual Indian tribes. He is remembered for his attempts to organize a confederacy of the Ohio valley tribes to oppose this practice. His plan unfortunately never came to fruition. In the war of 1812 he allied himself with the British and was killed in a battle with the United States forces under General Harrison on October 5, 1813. His grandson was the famed Big Jim, leader of the Absentee Shawnees.

In 1810 Tecumseh addressed Governor Harrison, already advocating a union of the tribes and expressing a distrust of the encroaching whites, whom he believed to use devious and evil means to swindle the Indians' lands from them.
Shawnee
Pushmataha Deloria One of the most influential of Choctaw chiefs, Pushmatah's cleverness and courage in battle were equaled by his remarkable oratorical ability and skill as a negotiator. He did much to maintain good relations with the United States particularly when other Indian tribes were openly hostile and often requested that the Choctaws join forces in battle against the United States. He was deeply interested in the education of his people, and did much to encourage the establishment of a Choctaw school system. Well-respected for his diplomacy and sharp intellect, he was a frequent representative for his people at treaty convocations and tribal councils. He died in Washington, D. C. in 1824 while attempting to negotiate a treaty.

Pushmataha's refusal to engage his people in needless hostilities led him to rebuke Tecumseh for his efforts to recruit the southeastern tribes to form an alliance against the United States; actions which eventually led to the War of 1812.
Choctaw
Red Eagle Deloria Known as Red Eagle among his people, William Weatherford was a Creek chief who displayed valiant leadership against General Andrew Jackson in the Creek War of 1812 to 1814. After many battles, his forces suffered a terrible defeat at Great Horseshoe Bend and he subsequently surrendered to the General to prevent further slaughter. He negotiated his own release on the assurance that he would try to maintain peace between his people and the Georgians. He died on March 9, 1824.

Red Eagle's address to General Jackson demonstrated a force of character and boldness which commanded the respect and attention not only of the General but of all who heard him.
Creek
Metea Junaluska Metea was not only an eminent Potawatomi chief and warrior, but he was also a respected orator. He and his band of warriors were recruited by the British to fight in the War of 1812 and proved themselves to be outstanding in battle. Because of his oratorical ability, he often participated in treaty negotiations and government conferences. Held in high regard by those who heard him, he conducted himself with dignity and displayed fair judgement, while skillfully advocating for education and other benefits for his people. He died at Ft. Wayne in 1827.

Speaking at treaty negotiations in 1821, Metea expressed perplexity at the white man's greed for land and desire for ownership–his main concern being retaining what he knew was needed by his people.
Potawatomi
Chief Patalesharo Junaluska Petalesharo was a venerable chief and powerful warrior of the Pawnee tribe. His achievements in battle were many and he was noted for his skill and courage in the face of the enemy. His reputation as a tenacious warrior as well as his strong and noble character won him the loyalty and respect of his people and invoked the admiration of his opponents both red and white. He died in 1874, having exerted a powerful influence on the life of the Pawnee people.

At a conference in February 1822, Petalesharo responded to President Monroe's urging the Pawnee to abandon their uncivilized ways by explaining from the Indian point of view what they were being asked to give up.
Pawnee
Senachwine Deloria Senachwine is considered, with Black Partridge and Shabbona, one of the most influential and powerful chiefs of the Potawatomies. When the tribes of the upper Ohio valley were fighting amongst themselves as well as against the whites to maintain a claim on their lands. Senachwine staunchly refused to join forces with Black Hawk in his confrontations against the United States. His sense of destiny in the face of certain extinction led him to choose a course of least resistance and he advocated moving west of the Mississippi River, despite his love for his native land.

No doubt it pained Senachwine greatly to accept the futility of resistance and to reject Black Hawk's plan, as he did by his speech at the Indian council at Indiantown in Illinois in June 1830.
Potawatomi
Black Hawk Deloria A great Sauk and Fox warrior and one of their subordinate chiefs, Black Hawk distinguished himself at a very young age as a clever and courageous in battle, having lead many offensives against the Osages and several white settlements before the age of twenty. As a British sympathizer in the War in 1812, he was considered a threat to American forces, despite the alliance of his own head chief, Kiokuk, with the United States. After the war, arrangements were made to remove the tribe to west of the Mississippi. It was some time before Black Hawk ceased hostilities and abandoned his efforts to activate the neighboring tribes to resist white settlement of their lands. Even after he retreated west of the Mississippi in 1831, he remained in conflict with white forces and settlements for some time. He was subsequently captured and sent East, during which time he was taken on tour of many major Eastern cities. He died on October 3, 1838 near Iowaville on the Des Moines River.

Upon his capture in 1832, Black Hawk was turned over to the Indian agent at Prairie du Chien when he expressed deep emotion at realizing the futility of his efforts.
Sauk and Fox
Arapooish Deloria Arapooish, also known as Rotten Belly, was one of the greatest of the Crow chiefs. As a persistent and fierce defender of the Crow land and tribal identity, he led numerous attacks on both white and Indian intruders who attempted to encroach on the Crow country, which majestically spread from the Black Hills to the Rocky Mountains. He was a constant voice of doom and repeatedly tried to convince his tribesmen of the necessity to fight for their rights or else perish as a nation. He died in battle with the Blackfeet in the summer of 1834, his last words admonishing his people for their complacence and still encouraging them to defend themselves.

In late summer of 1833, Arapooish expressed to Robert Campbell of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company his deep kinship and devotion for his native land.
Crow
Chief John Ross Junaluska John Ross, a Cherokee chief, was extremely influential in the political life of his tribe, especially around the time of their removal to the Indian Territory in the 1830's. Having himself experienced the benefits of education, he consistently advocated for the establishment of schools for his people. His exposure to government affairs made him an instrumental force in organizing a formal governmental system for the Cherokee Nation. He labored throughout his life in the service of the Cherokee people and died in 1866 while holding the office of chief.

Untiring in his efforts to secure and preserver unity among the Indian people–the only way to truly improve their situation–Chief John Ross delivered another plea to a large convocation of Indians in 1843 at Tahlequah, the capital of the Cherokee Nation.
Cherokee