ERRATA BY EDITOR

In preface-Walter J. instead of "William J. Hovey.

Note 1, page 86-Tinta (prairie), Tonwan (village)-prairie villages. The word Tonwan (village)" should be supplied.

Note 2, page 87-1805" should be 1804.

Note 11, page 95-See note 2, should be see note 1.

Note 18, page 102-Wakpa, not "Napka."

Note 24, page 105-Date "1830" should be 1831-2.

Note 58, page 126-"On September 30th and again on September 6th," should read on August 30th and again on September 6th.

Note 83, page 145-Word "epitaph" should be marker.

Note 90, page 155-"His mother was a daughter of a chief of the O-o'he-no-pa." The words "a chief of" should be supplied.

The Indian treaties printed in the appendix, page 442, et seq., are a portion of Dr. Robinson's contribution to these collections.

EDITORIAL NOTES ON

Historical Sketch of North and South Dakota

By DR., DE LORME W. ROBINSON

1Sioux or Dakotas-The term "Sioux" is applied in the larger sense to all the tribes who speak the Siouan tongue. It is derived from the Algonkin word, Nadowessiwag-"the snake," and as applied to them by their neighboring foes, means "the snake-like ones, enemies:" Its equivalent in the Indian sign language, a forcible drawing of the finger across the throat, signifying the act of cutting off heads. Their eastern neighbors, the Ojibways (Chippewas) called them Nadowessioux, or enemies, and the white man coined the word Sioux out of the last two syllables. Under four general divisions, of which the Lakota, or Dakota, is one, the Siouan linguistic family occupied the greater portion of the vast territory extending from about 33° north in Hudson Bay Company's possessions southward to and including much of what is now the present states of Missouri and Arkansas, and from the Great Lakes on the east to the Rocky Moun tains on the west. They were noted as warriors and conquerors by the surrounding tribes, and when first known to the Europeans had long held sway over that region, although the different branches of the family seemed to have frequently changed their place of abode. Dr. Stephen R. Riggs, in his account of a visit to Fort Pierre in 1840, writes: "At Fort Pierre we found about one hundred Indian lodges, a part of whom were Yanktons and part Tetons. We expected to have met more Indians at the fort. It may be remembered in general that we have abundant testimony to the fact that all the bands of the Sioux once occupied a country much east of that in which they are now found. Most of the Indians now on the St. Peter (Minnesota) and Mississippi, at no very distant day lived beyond, that is east of that river, and the time when the Ihanktonwanna (Yanktonaise) bands occupied the vicinity of Lac Qui Parle is yet well remembered by many who are not yet old men. These now range to Devil's Lake and the Missouri and even beyond that river. Mr. Campbell (the half-breed interpreter at Fort Pierre) states that the original country of the Ihanktonwan (Yankton) band was on the River Des Moines and that of the Tetonwan (Teton) band was farther down on the Mississippi in a portion of what now forms the state of Missouri. At present the Tetonwans are all west of the Missouri, their hunting grounds are from

that river to the Black Hills and from the Mandan villages on the north to the Platte River on the south, while the Yanktons, although they are still considered as living on the eastern side, hunt mostly west of the Missouri. Mr. Campbell states that the first band of Tetons which passed west of the river was the Oglalas. This took place probably not far from forty years ago. The Tetons now speak of it as a thing which happened not long since. Their fathers, they say, used to sit in council with the chiefs of the Santee bands, in which name they include all on the St. Peter and Mississippi." The Lakota, or Dakota, subdivision, as far back as we have any exact knowledge of them, has been one of the largest and most warlike branches of the Siouan family. They divided into seven tribes or branches, and occupied most of the extensive plains in the watersheds of the upper Missouri and Mississippi rivers. The word Dakota means "friends, allies," and when interpreted by the Indian himself, "a brotherhood of people speaking the same language, bound together by a common tongue." Some writers have thought this indicated an ancient league with a pseudo governmental organization. The seven council fires of the Dakotas is a part of their stock of traditional history. It is doubtful, however, whether there was ever any organization among the Dakotas, other than that which would be natural to nomadic and savage tribes, speaking the same language and contending with the same enemies. Of the Dakotas of history four branches lived in the upper Mississippi basin-the Mendewahkantoan, which had their habitat east of the Mississippi River, and the Wahkpatoan Wahkpakotoan and Sisitoans, who inhabited the country to the west along the St. Peter River in Minnesota to its headwaters. Later pressure from the east pushed them westward across the border into the territory of the Dakota states. The three western branches, the Yanktonwan, the Yanktoanans, the Teton or Tetonwans, had their habitat in the great buffalo plains, a part of which are now embraced within the commonwealths of North and South Dakota. The usual habitat of the Yanktons was along the basin on the James River, the Yanktonwans between that river and the east bank of the Missouri, while the Tetons or Tetonwans made their home on the west side of the greater river, roaming from the Platte on the south to the headwaters of the Missouri, and westward to the Black Hills.

Much of the early and most thrilling history of the two Dakota states is closely interwoven with the history of these Indians, many descendants of whom still live within our borders, and a part of whom have become creditable citizens. The Tetons are by far the most numerous and pow. erful of the tribes, having also the distinction of being the last to make peace with the white man. They derive their name from Tinta (prairie) "prairie villagers." They are divided into seven bands, the Ogallala, Minneconjou, Sans-Arc, Uncapapa, Brule, Two-Kettle and Blackfeet. These bands, which are now living principally on our reservations, were, for almost half a century, the terror of the settler and of the emigrant, from the Platte to the British possessions. Under the leadership of such chiefs as Red Cloud, Spotted Tail, Sitting Bull, Gall (major general in the Little

Big Horn fight, where Custer fell), John Grass, Charger, Rain-in-the-Face, and others, they furnish much material for the historian, as they gave much occupation to the earlier settlers of our state.

*Predecessors of the Sioux-The immediate predecessors of the Dakota branch of the Sioux in the Dakotas were the Arickaras, or Rees, the Mandans and the Minnetarees (Minitaras, government orthography), who lived in the stockaded villages on the banks of the Missouri and cultivated the valleys and islands of the river. Their lodges were built in circular excavations. Somewhat similar remains, but evidently of older origin, are still to be found along the Missouri River to its headwaters, as noted in the text. One such ancient village site has been found within a few rods of the crest of the Rocky Mountains. It is apparent, therefore, that these tribes were not the first inhabitants of the Missouri Valley, for it is the opinion of Professor J. V. Brower, the anthropologist, that they never lived farther north than the present site of Bismarck, North Dakota, nor farther south than about the vicinity of Fort Randall, South Dakota. The Rees were older settlers than the other tribes and were a branch of the Pawnees of the south, who broke away from the parent tribe and first settled on the banks of the Missouri River, near the site of old Fort Randall. The trend of their migration was northward. Lewis and Clarke, in 1805, found them near the mouth of the Moreau River. The Mandans and Minnetarees emigrated to the Missouri Valley from the north and northwest, their earlier habitation being at the head of Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba. The remains at the headwaters are beyond the probable abode of any of these tribes, and are probably not the work of any other historic Indians. The character of these remains strongly suggests an earlier occupant than the Rees or the other tribes mentioned herein. (See my article, The Prehistoric Fortifications at Pierre, S. D.-Monthly South Dakotan, page 109, volume 1.)

It is worthy of notice that two of these tribes above referred to-the Mandans and the Minnetarees (misnamed Gros Ventres) --though hereditary enemies of the Dakota Sioux, belonged to the same linguistic family and were in reality their remote kinsmen. The wide extent of territory occupied by the tribes which spoke the Siouan tongue rendered separation into bands easy and frequent. This led to complete isolation of many of the family branches from the others. It is quite probable that this condition accounts for the origin and growth of the several tribes speaking the Siouan language. The inevitable result of such conditions would be a wide difference in habits and dialects. It is easy to understand how the family representative who lived in Missouri or Arkansas might widely differ from his ancient relative whose home was in the far north, and how the roving hunter tribes of the plains might become far removed in habits from the more stationary agricultural Minnetarees and Mandans.

'First Fort or Log Cabin in Dakota-I find no record of a post or log cabin at Pembina, or any other point in Dakota on the Red River, which was built as early as 1780. Neither do I find authentic data sufficient to

warrant the generally accepted belief that the first post built in Dakota was at or near Pembina on the Red River. On the contrary, it is clear to the writer that at least two posts had been built and were in operation on the Missouri River, one as early and the other earlier (1796) than any post on the Dakota side of the Red River. (See editors' notes 11 and 17, this volume.) The Hudson Bay Company first began operations in the Red River Valley about 1793. The first post in the neighborhood of Pembina, of which there is any authentic record, was built by Peter Grant on the east, or Minnesota, side of the Red River, opposite the mouth of the Pembina. This post was built by Grant for the Northwest Fur Company in the early '90s, probably in 1792 or 1793. The trader referred to in the text is doubtless C. J. B. Chaboillez, of the Northwest Fur Company, who built a post on the south side of the Pembina River, near its mouth, in 1797, and wintered there in 1797-8. Alexander Henry, the younger, in September, 1800, found this post abandoned. Henry makes the following mention of his arrival at the mouth of the Pembina: "We came to the Pembina River and crossed it to the old fort, which was built in 1797-8 by Chaboillez. Opposite the entrance of this river, on the east side of the Red River, are the remains of an old fort built by Peter Grant several years ago." It is evident that neither of these posts or forts was long occupied. John Tanner, the historian, who spent his life among the northern Indians, visited the mouth of the Pembina about 1799 and found no white man there. Chaboillez, the trader before referred to, had charge of the department of the Assinaboine for the Northwest company in 1804, and continued until his death in 1809. (See Henry-Thompson journals, "New Light in the History of the Northwest," edited by Dr. Elliott Coues, pages 79, 80, 81.)

'First Dakota Literature-It may be justly questioned whether credit should be given Henry for penning the first English literature in Dakota. David Thompson, Canadian explorer and royal surveyor, visited the Man dan Indians at their villages on the Missouri River during the months of December, 1797, and January, 1798. While with them he made a complete vocabulary of the Mandan language and recorded other interesting facts and observations, which are still extant, and although never published, are frequently used as references. Thompson's visit to the Mandans antedates the arrival of Henry at Pembina about three years. Many years prior to these dates (1738) the Verendryes, father, son and brother, early Canadian traders and explorers, made a journey of exploration from the head of Lake Winnipeg to the Mandan villages. Verendrye, the elder, wrote an elaborate and interesting account of this tour. (See Explorations in the New Northwest, 1738-9, Gaulthier De Verendrye, Ca nadian Archives, 1889.) Though penned in the French language, it is interesting to note that sixty-eight years had elapsed between the tours of Verendrye and Henry.

Alexander Henry-Alexander Henry, the younger, a fur trader and explorer, was a nephew of that Alexander Henry whose travels and ad