THE OHIO VALLEY-GREAT LAKES ETHNOHISTORY
ARCHIVES: THE MIAMI COLLECTION
It is noted that the following work from the Miami Archives should be read and
considered within the historical context in which it was composed and printed.
The opinions expressed and the language used do not reflect the opinions or
standards of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, but are, rather,
indicative of thought in that historical moment during which the document was
published.
History of the Savage Peoples who
are Allies of New France
La Potherie in: Histoire de l'Amerique septrionale, Paris 1753.
Blair ed.: Indian Tribes of the Upper Mississippi and
the Great Lakes Region, Volume II, pp.
54-56.
(page 54) The Outagamis and the Maskoutechs, wishing to second the Outaouaks at the time when they took sides with the Iroquois- who had sent them a large collar, in order to thank them for having restored to them five chiefs whom they had captured when on a hostile expedition against the Islinois- resolved, to do the Iroquois a pleasure, to massacre all the French who were coming down from the country of the Nadouaissioux. They persuaded themselves that they would, by such a massacre, attract to themselves the friendship of that haughty nation, who had appeared greatly pleased when the Outagamis had sent back to them five slaves of their nation, whom the Miamis had given to them to eat. The arrival of the French at Michilimakinak was heard of at La Baye. The chief of the Puans, a man of sense, who greatly loved our nation, resolved to thwart the plot to kill our people. He went to find the Outagamis, and made them believe that Onontio had sent La Petit Bled d'inde [i.e., Perrot] with three hundred Iroquois from the Sault, as many more Abenaquis, (see fn. 20) all the (page 55) Nepiciriniencs, and six hundred Frenchmen, to revenge himself for their evil project. The Outagamis precipitately quitted their ambuscade, and went back to their village. This chief, who was afraid that they would learn of his ruse, went to meet Perrot at the entrance of the bay; the latter promised to keep his secret, and presented to him a gold-trimmed jacket. A contrary wind compelled them to halt there for a time, and Perrot had an opportunity to become acquainted with all that had occurred at the bay. The Outagamis had taken thither their hatchets, which were dulled and broken, and had compelled a Jesuit brother to repair them; their chief held a naked sword, ready to kill him, while he worked. The brother tried to represent to them their folly, but was so maltreated that he had to take to his bed. The chief then prepared ambuscades, in order to await the French who were to return from the country of the Nadouaissiouix. All the peoples of the bay had, it is true good reason to complain, because our people had gone to carry to their enemies all kinds of munitions of war; and one could not be astonished that we had so much difficulty in managing all those people. Perrot sent back the Puan chief to the Outagamis, to tell them on his behalf that he had learned of their design against his young men, and would punish them for it; and, to let them know that he was not disturbed by all their threats, that he had sent back all his men, except fifty Frenchmen; that he had three hundred musket-shots to fire and enough ammunition with which to receive them; that if he should by chance encounter any one of their tribe, he could not answer for the consequences; (page 56) and that it would be useless for them to ask him to land at their village.
The Puan chief returned to the bay, where he
exaggerated still further what Perrot had said to him. The Renard chief visited
him expressly to ascertain the truth of the matter, and dared not wait for
Perrot. He departed with eighty of his warriors to march against the
Nadouaissioux, after he had given orders to the people of his village to assure
Perrot in his behalf that he loved him, and to take great pains to entertain
him well. He proceeded to the post of the Frenchmen who were sojourning in the
country of the Nadouaissioux; as they were afraid of him, they gave him
presents- a gun, a shirt, a kettle and various munitions of war; and he told
them that Le Petit Bled d'Inde had resolved to recall them to the bay. This
news, which was not very agreeable to them, induced them to quit that
establishment; and they retired to a to a place eighty leagues further inland,
where they engaged the Nadouaissioux to go hunting, and to return to them in
the winter. The Outagamis profited by this opportunity to attack the
Nadouaissioux, of whom they slew many, and took several captives. The alarm was
immediately given among the villages; the warriors fell upon them, and likewise
slew many of the Outagamis, and took some captives. The chief fought on the
retreat with extraordinary courage, and would have lost many more of his people
if he himself had not made so firm a stand at the head of his band.
______________________
20 Abnaki (a term derived from Algonkin words meaning "east-land," or "morning-land"), "a name used by the English and French to designate an Algonquian confederacy centering in the present state of Maine, and by the Algonquian tribes to include all those of their own stock resident on the Atlantic seaboard, more particularly the 'Abnaki' in the north and the Delawares in the south. . . In later times, after the main body of the Abnaki had removed to Canada, the name was applied more especially to the Penobscot tribe." The Sokoki were one of the tribes in this confederacy. In 1903 the Abnaki of Canada (which include remnants of other New England tribes) numbered 395; and the Penobscot of Maine say that their present population is between 300 and 40.- James Mooney and Cyrus Thomas, in Handbook Amer. Indians.
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