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.
Councils of the Hurons
(May 14, June 2 & 3, 1703)
In: English Translation of Margry, Vol. 5, pp. 426-431.
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Council of the Hurons, on the 14th of May, 1703.
We come to request you to tell us whether you know that any canoe from Montreal is going down.
M. de Lamothe.- The Outaouas and some Iroquois from Le Sault informed me that they were to go down very soon; they did not tell me on what day they would set out.
The Hurons.- We come to tell you that we will not quit our village, and will not go to the English.2
M. de Lamothe.- I had no such thought about you; I know that the Hurons have understanding, and will not start mischief.
The Hurons.- When Michipichy, our Chief, has returned from Missilimakinak, it may be that a canoe or two will go to Montreal to take Onontio the news of what he has done.
Council held at the Outaouas village on the 18th of May 1703.
The Outaouas having invited M. de Lamothe to a feast of the dead, he attended; the Hurons, Openago and Miamis were also invited.
Koussikouet, chief of the Outaouas.- I speak here publicly, my father; people keep telling me, every day, that I am dead if I remain at Detroit, and I am told that you hate us and do not like us to be near you. I am very glad that everyone hears me, because there are some here who speak to me in that way, and often men come from Missilimakinak who assure us that it is true. It is not yet two years since M. de Callieres told us that he united the land, and that we should hear of war no more. We obeyed him; yet today he has the tomahawk in his hand against the English. That is surprising, that in so short a time the land is beginning to be troubled again.
For my part, I conceal nothing and I tell you in public all that is going on privately. That is as it should be, and secrecy should not be kept in matters of importance. Here is a necklace which Kilingioue brought. It was the Governor of the English who sent it to us, to request us to go and see him. But we wish to know, first of all, whether you approve of that; for in that case we shall go, but, if not, we shall remain here. It was the Iroquois who gave this necklace to Kilingioue, on behalf of the Governor of the English. It is a present which our dead make to you, the Kiskakouns, Outaouas-Sinagos and Gens du Sable.
Reply of M. de Lamothe to the Outaouas, the same day.- I have not yet found the secret of bridling men's tongues. How could I come to have this hatred of you Outaouas? Was it because you were the first who obeyed Onontio and came and took your place near me? Can one hate those who are obedient? Whoever attacks the tribes which are at Detroit, attacks me; if you are dead, I am dead. I hold you all to my breast; I fold you in my bosom, that I may die with you. The war between us and the English does not darken the sun nor bring confusion on the land so far as you are concerned. Leave it to us, and smoke in peace.
I approve of your conduct, Koussikouet, in concealing nothing from me. How is it, then, that the Governor of the English wishes to see you today? Is it in order to invite you to do what the Iroquois have refused to do for him? Since you ask me whether you may go there or not, as I know that you are about to go down to Montreal, ask the Governor about it and do what he tells you. Take care to do nothing against his will. Have patience. If the war lasts, the English will very soon eat up our villages (page 428) (that is, capture or destroy them), or else we shall eat up theirs. But it seems that the minds of the Iroquois are evilly disposed, since they give you necklaces from the English Governor.
Koussikouet.- It is not the Iroquois, it is only one of them, who has been employed by the English and does what he has been told.
M. de Lamothe.- Who is this Iroquois?
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XIV.
A necklace which is to be taken to Montreal.
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Council
held by the Hurons on the 3rd of June 1703
at Fort Pontchartrain.
Quarante-Sous speaks. I come to tell you what I am to do at Montreal, where I am going.* This is a necklace which was sent to us by the Iroquois and was brought to us by the Iroquois; we do not know what it signifies.
M. de Lamothe.- How is it that you received this necklace without knowing for what purpose it was sent to you?
Quarante-Sous.- It is a long time now since we received it; I was not present, and our old men have forgotten what it said.
M. de Lamothe.- Your old men are not regarded as children, that their memory should be so short.
Quarante-Sous.- We do not accept this necklace; but we are going to take it back to the Sonnontouans, to learn what it (page 429) signifies; for it is a serious matter not to reply to a necklace; that is the custom among us.- The Outaouas will be able to tell you what it is, for our men have forgotten.
M. de Lamothe.- The Outaouas will reply to me that, as you received it, you ought to remember. But, since this necklace is dumb and has lost its message, I can only be silent.
By two bracelets of porcelain beads.- These are to give to Sastaretsy, when he is at Montreal, to say to him: "We are in a good place at Detroit, and have large fields there; there is no need to seek others; now we must make but one and the same fire, and when our lands are old we will seek another place."
By a large necklace, which he is to give to the Chevalier de Calliéres, he is to say to him as follows: "It will very soon be two years that we have been at Detroit; we come to see you today and to tell you that we have been exposed on all sides there.1 The fire of Sastaretsy is a good fire; it is at Missilimakinak, with the Miamis and at Sonnontouan; it was he himself who took it to Detroit. It was not the French who put it there; and when the tribes go to Detroit and see the smoke, they will say: 'That is the fire of Sastaretsy; and as long as that fire and the fire of the French remain at Detroit, we will warm ourselves there together.'".
M. de Lamothe.- If this necklace were addressed to me, I should have my reply ready at once; but since you are taking it to Onontio, he will give you the answer himself, for he is wiser than I.
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XV.
Tribes invited to re-unite at Detroit.
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Council held by the Hurons, at which the Outaouas were present.
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*2nd of June, 1703. |
Quarante-Sous, otherwise called Michipichy, speaks.- I come to give you an account of what I did on my journey to Missilimakinak. On my arrival, I told Sastaretsy at the council that I was doing the will of Onontio, who had told me to come and see him and to hear him.
I told him that my fire had been with the Miamis, but that I had hearkened to the word of Onontio and had taken it to Detroit to obey him.
By a necklace.- I invite Sastaretsy to remove his fire from Missilimakinak and take it to Detroit, in order that all our tribe may be re-united. Onontio wishes this. He has good eyes; he has seen that the land at Missilimakinak is a poor land. Once, it is true, our men were slain at Taronto; but the reason was that there were no French people with us. There are some at Detroit, a big village. That has made us safe. He who commands there has understanding; he watches night and day, he takes heed of everything.
By a second necklace.- Sastaretsy, look at this necklace. It is the same which you gave me, to invite me to join you at the village of Missilimakinak, for you said that was the command of the Governor. Think now of this necklace; it should bring you back to the place where the word of Onontio is. It is at Detroit where our tribe should be re-united, in a good land.
By two bracelets.- A great Iroquois chief from the Mountain of Montreal, (Thirty Iroquois Christians settled at Detroit. L. C.) urges you to re-unite.
This is what Sastaretsy replied to me, at the council: "I shall take my fire to Saguinan, Onontio told me to do so; he promised to give me a French chief, to be with us. (They try to induce the Indians to form various posts, in order to put officers there.)
By a necklace which Sastaretsy gave to Quarante-Sous and by another necklace to Sannaouarez.- I am still young. I do not trouble myself except about my calumet. These two necklaces are to beg to settle the affair in question between you.
The Hurons of Missilimakinak gave me the lie in open council, saying that it was untrue that Onontio had told the Hurons to go and settle at Detroit near you; I replied that I had not lief, that I had heard it distinctly, as well as all the Hurons who were present, and that I had heard no mention of Saguinan.
Finally, after discussing it a long while, it
was resolved that the old men at Missilimakinak and those at Detroit should go
down to Montreal in order to settle this dispute, and that we should do what
Onontio wished.
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2.(p. 426) They begin to shew what they have in their minds. (L. C.)
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