The Autobiography of Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak, or Black Hawk quotes

He requested us to come up immediately as he had good news for us, and a variety of presents. The express presented us with tobacco, pipes and wampum.

The news ran through our camp like fire through dry grass on the prairie.

Our lodges were soon taken down and we all started for Rock Island. Here ended all hopes of our remaining at peace, having been forced into war by being deceived.

They all fought like braves, but would not do to lead a party with us.

Our maxim is: “Kill the enemy and save our own men.”

Those chiefs will do to paddle a canoe but not to steer it. The Americans shot better than the British, but their soldiers were not so well clothed, nor so well provided for.

They all fought like braves, but would not do to lead a party with us. Our maxim is: “Kill the enemy and save our own men.”

Those chiefs will do to paddle a canoe but not to steer it.

The Americans shot better than the British, but their soldiers were not so well clothed, nor so well provided for.

What do we know of the manners, the laws, and the customs of the white people?

They might buy our bodies for dissection, and we would touch the goose quill to confirm it and not know what we were doing.

This was the case with me and my people in touching the goose quill for the first time.

We can only judge of what is proper and right by our standard of what is right and wrong, which differs widely from the whites, if I have been correctly informed.

The whites may do wrong all their lives, and then if they are sorry for it when about to die, all is well, but with us it is different.

We must continue to do good throughout our lives. If we have corn and meat, and know of a family that have none, we divide with them.

In my early life I spent many happy days on this island. A good spirit had charge of it, which lived in a cave in the rocks immediately under the place where the fort now stands.

This guardian spirit has often been seen by our people. It was white, with large wings like a swan’s, but ten times larger.

We were particular not to make much noise in that part of the island which it inhabited, for fear of disturbing it. But the noise at the fort has since driven it away, and no doubt a bad spirit has taken its place.

The rapids of Rock river furnished us with an abundance of excellent fish, and the land being very fertile, never failed to produce good crops of corn, beans, pumpkins and squashes.

We always had plenty; our children never cried from hunger, neither were our people in want.

Here our village had stood for more than a hundred years, during all of which time we were the undisputed possessors of the Mississippi valley, from the Wisconsin to the Portage des Sioux, near the mouth of the Missouri, being about seven hundred miles in …

But how different is our situation now from what it was in those happy days.

Then were we as happy as the buffalo on the plains, but now, we are as miserable as the hungry wolf on the prairie.

But I am digressing from my story. Bitter reflections crowd upon my mind and must find utterance.

He then quits playing and makes another trial at night which mostly turns out favorable. During the first year they ascertain whether they can agree with each other and be happy, if not they separate and each looks for another companion.

If we were to live together and disagree, we would be as foolish as the whites.

No indiscretion can banish a woman from her parental lodge; no difference how many children she may bring home she is always welcome—the kettle is over the fire to feed them.

We are nothing compared to his power, and we feel and know it. We have men among us, like the whites, who pretend to know the right path, but will not consent to show it without pay.

I have no faith in their paths, but believe that every man must make his own path.

When our corn is getting ripe, our young people watch with anxiety for the signal to pull roasting ears, as none dare touch them until the proper time.

… village, brought his violin with him to the tower, to play and dance for the amusement of a number of our people, who had assembled there, and while dancing with his back to the cliff accidentally fell over it and was killed by the fall.

The Indians say that always at the same time of the year, soft strains of the violin can be heard near that spot.

On returning in the spring from our hunting grounds, I had the pleasure of meeting our old friend, the trader of Peoria, at Rock Island. He came up in a boat from St. Louis, not as a trader, but as our Agent.

They were not satisfied with this, but took all the packs of skins that he had collected during the winter, to pay his trader and clothe his family with in the spring, and carried them off.

How could we like a people who treated us so unjustly?

We determined to break up our camp for fear they would do worse, and when we joined our people in the spring a great many of them complained of similar treatment.

I looked upon him as a coward and no brave, to abandon his village to be occupied by strangers. What right had these people to our village, and our fields, which the Great Spirit had given us to live upon?

My reason teaches me that land cannot be sold.

The Great Spirit gave it to his children to live upon and cultivate as far as necessary for their subsistence, and so long as they occupy and cultivate it they have the right to the soil, but if they voluntarily leave it, then any other …

… to live upon and cultivate as far as necessary for their subsistence, and so long as they occupy and cultivate it they have the right to the soil, but if they voluntarily leave it, then any other people have a right to settle on it.

Nothing can be sold but such things as can be carried away.

In consequence of the improvements of the intruders on our fields, we found considerable difficulty to get ground to plant a little corn.

I hope this will prove that we are a peaceable people—having permitted ten men to take possession of our corn fields, prevent us from planting corn, burn our lodges, ill-treat our women, and beat to death our men without offering resistance to their barbarous cruelties.

This is a lesson worthy for the white man to learn: to use forebearance when injured.

We acquainted our agent daily with our situation, and through him the great chief at St. Louis, and hoped that something would be done for us. The whites were complaining at the same time that we were intruding upon their rights.

The whites were complaining at the same time that we were intruding upon their rights. They made it appear that they were the injured party, and we the intruders. They called loudly to the great war chief to protect their property.

How smooth must be the language of the whites, when they can make right look like wrong, and wrong like right.

During this summer I happened at Rock Island, when a great chief arrived, whom I had known as the great chief of Illinois, (Governor Cole) in company with another chief who I have been told is a great writer (judge James Hall.)

… they took from us for one thousand dollars a year, be worth sixteen thousand dollars a year forever to the Pottowattomies, then the whole tract of country taken from us ought to be worth, to our nation, twenty times as much a this small fraction.

Here I was again puzzled to find out how the white people reasoned, and began to doubt whether they had any standard of right and wrong.

Communication was kept up between myself and the Prophet. Runners were sent to the Arkansas, Red river and Texas, not on the subject of our lands, but on a secret mission, which I am not at present permitted to explain.

The war chief, apparently angry, rose and said:

“Who is Black Hawk? Who is Black Hawk?”

“I am a Sac! My forefather was a Sac! I and all the nations call me a Sac!!”

“Who is Black Hawk? Who is Black Hawk?”

“I am a Sac! My forefather was a Sac! I and all the nations call me a Sac!!”

“I came here neither to beg nor hire you to leave your village. My business is to remove you, peaceably if I can, forcibly if I must!

I now began to fear that the whites would come up with my people and kill them before they could get across. I had determined to go and join the Chippewas; but reflecting that by this I could only save myself,

I concluded to return, and die with my people, if the Great Spirit would not give us another victory.

During our stay in the thicket, a party of whites came close by us, but passed on without discovering us.

We were now confined to the barracks and forced to wear the ball and chain. This was extremely mortifying and altogether useless.

Was the White Beaver afraid I would break out of his barracks and run away?

Or was he ordered to inflict this punishment upon me? If I had taken him prisoner on the field of battle I would not have wounded his feelings so much by such treatment, knowing that a brave war chief would prefer death to dishonor.

This is contrary to our way of thinking, and from my intercourse with the whites, I have learned that one great principle of their religion is “to do unto others as you wish them to do unto you.”

Those people in the mountains seem to act upon this principle, but the settlers on our frontiers and on our lands seem never to think of it, if we are to judge by their actions.

The first village of importance that we came to, after leaving the mountains, is called Hagerstown. It is a large village to be so far from a river and is very pretty. The people appear to live well and enjoy themselves much.

“Major Garland, who is with you, will conduct you through some of our towns. You will see the strength of the white people. You will see that our young men are as numerous as the leaves in the woods.

What can you do against us?

You may kill a few women and children, but such a force would seen be sent against you as would destroy your whole tribe. Let the red men hunt and take care of their families.

We were told that a man was going up in the air in a balloon. We watched with anxiety to see if this could be true; and to our utter astonishment, saw him ascend in the air until the eye could no longer perceive him.

Our people were all surprised and one of our young men asked the Prophet if he was going up to see the Great Spirit?

After the ascension of the balloon, we landed and got into a carriage to go to the house that had been provided for our reception.

Everybody treated us with friendship, and many with great liberality. The squaws presented us many handsome little presents that are said to be valuable.

They were very kind, very good, and very pretty⁠—for palefaces.

Among the men, who treated us with marked friendship, by the presentation of many valuable presents, I cannot omit to mention the name of my old friend Crooks, of the American Fur Company.

I feel grateful to the whites for the kind manner they treated me and my party whilst traveling among them, and from my heart I assure them that the white man will always be welcome in our village or camps, as a brother.

The tomahawk is buried forever!

We will forget what has passed, and may the watchword between the Americans and the Sacs and Foxes ever be—friendship.

“ ‘I was once a great warrior—I am now poor. Keokuk has been the cause of my present situation—but do not attach blame to him. I am now old.

I have looked upon the Mississippi since I have been a child. I love the Great river.

I have dwelt upon its banks from the time I was an infant. I look upon it now. I shake hands with you, and as it is my wish, I hope you are my friends.’

“ ‘

I was once a great warrior⁠—I am now poor.

Keokuk has been the cause of my present situation—but do not attach blame to him. I am now old. I have looked upon the Mississippi since I have been a child. I love the Great river.

“ ‘

The white mole digs deep, but Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak (Black Hawk) flies high and can see far off,

’ said the chieftain in a deep, gutteral tone, addressing me.

Nothing occurred, however, to give me any real uneasiness upon this point till the following morning, when Black Hawk, passing by me, turned and eyed me keenly for a moment or so. Then, stepping close to me, he said in a low tone: ‘

Does the mole think that Black Hawk forgets?

’

“ ‘I am going to send you back to your chief, though I ought to kill you for running away a long time ago, after I had adopted you as a son—but

Black Hawk can forgive as well as fight.

When you return to your chief I want you to tell him all my words. Tell him that Black Hawk’s eyes have looked upon many suns, but they shall not see many more;

He is half dead, his arm shakes and is no longer strong, and his feet are slow on the war path. Tell him all this, and tell him, too,’ continued the untutored hero of the forest, with trembling emotion and marked emphasis, ‘that

Black Hawk would have been a friend to the whites, but they would not let him, and that the hatchet was dug up by themselves and not by the Indians.

Tell your chief that Black Hawk meant no harm to the palefaces when he came across the Mississippi, but came peaceably to raise corn for his starving women and children, and that even then he would have gone back, but when he sent his white …

and upon parting with me he said with mournful dignity, as he cast above him a glance of seeming regret: ‘

My children think I am too old to lead them any more!

’

He gave us a look, and kept his eyes upon us as his giant form raised up, and, with a sweep of his sword arm, said in majestic tones: “

Sir, it is the duty of a General to take care of his army; should he fall another can take his place; but, without an army his occupation is gone!

”