13i) 



[11 



Hach of those tribes is again divided into a great nnmbpr of small bands, bound together by 

 ties of kindred and alHiiity ; eacii of these consists of a single family connection, lives by itself^ 

 and regulates its own private concerns. 'I'liey have no chief possessins the aulhoriiy which is 

 generally associateil with that title, but the men of authority amongst them are those who have 

 gained it by an exten-ive family coiniection, by their great vvi;alih, or by iheir success lu war 

 and general character for wisdom. There are a nnmber of such mi'ii in each band. 



These bands all take names that their own taste may select, or that some circumstance may 

 give them. Those given in the table are by no means the whole number, but they are ihe prin- 

 cipal ones, and are sutHcient to illustrate the nature of these divisi.nis Tlie Tiloiis have an 

 interniediate division between these small bands and the larger ones, eonsisliiig of seven bands, 

 as marked in the table, the Brules, IJIackfeet, iSzc. There are olher ass()(i;itiuns amongst all tiie 

 iribes, whidi I have not noticed in the table ; these are somewhat aiialouons lo the association of 

 Odd Fellows and other secret societies amongst us, t)aviiig f ir their object miiiual protection 

 and defence. The coiiniry of each tribe has necessarily been as-igned by Ibe ml)^t general 

 limits. The Sioux nation has no fixed place of residence; the people use skin lodges for their 

 habitations and are constantly on the move, and their only wealth consists of horses and the 

 bnlfalo robc^s that they nny procure. The rivers referred to in the table are the ones on some 

 part of wh ise b isiiis the tribe generally passes the winter. 'I'he limits between hostile nations 

 may be tolerably well defined, as they are exceedingly careful not lo meet their enemies unless 

 traveling in large bands or in war parties. 



The list of names that closes the table is intended principally to illustrate tlieir method of 

 ii'iming; these are the naxies of a few of the princi[ial men in each band, and ihe same method 

 of naming is em[)loyed in everything. It will be seen that all the names are signili'-ant uiid most 

 probably given lo the persons from some circumstance bappeniiii; to tlipm, or gre.'.t feat per- 

 formed b\ them. 'J'he last column is the Indian name spelled as priniounced, as nearly as the 

 ear could catch the sound. 



Explanation of tlie Tabular view of several Indian nations of the Upper 



Missouri. 



THE CHEYENNE NATION. 



Most of the previous remarks apply also to the nations referred to in these tables. I sliall here 

 merely note peculiarities. This nation once lived on the Missouri, but h.as been driven back 

 gradually by the Sioux people, until their principal range is west of ibe Hl.ick Hills. They speak 

 a distinct language, which is so dilKcult to acipiire, that but two or three whites are able to 

 speak it. In ]<'<4'J iliey sntfered severely from the cholera; about two luiiidicd lodges being 

 carried otFby that disease. The following are the names of two of their principal men. Yellow 

 Wolf — Sha ga-man-to g'hi. Mad Bull — To-tun-cha-ga-nuntchi ah. 



THE ARICCAREE NATION. 



This people dilTers from most other tribes in using dirt lodges and living in a permanent 

 village. Tlieir village is located at Fort Clarke, o.n the we>t hank of the .Vlissonri, lilile above 

 forty-seven degrees of i\orth Latitude. They inhabit this during the whole of the yi-ar, except a 

 part of the winter months They raise large quantilies of corn, which diHcrs veiy miuh from that 

 raised in our fields, but none of our vegetables have reached their) yet. The Kees were once a 

 large nation, but within the last thirty years, [)eslileiice, di-:ease and war have reduced their 

 numbers very greatly. This has almost broken up these large family connections that consti- 

 tute the bands amongst the Siou.\ and the bands of Rees in the table, are those smaller associa- 

 tions mentioned in page 4. 



THE MANDAN NATION. 



This is the remnant ofqiiite a large band that was almost exferniinatod bv the small pox ii» 

 IS'JSor 18:>1). Their depopulated village was taken poss(!s-ioii of by the Rees who now hold it 

 and they themselves becai;;e partly incorporated with the Kee.s anil other ti ibes. <!Xi-epting a 

 few who have a small \illa;;e. five miles above that of tin; Rees. Thev are again increasing 

 very slowly, and are said to a brave peo[)le. They spenk a di-tiiict laii:.nri:.'e. 



Mr. Joseph Desautel, of Fort Clarke, is my auth,jrity for ihe numbers of the Ree nation. 



THE GROS VENTRE NATION. 



The Indian name for this nation is Minnetaree— people of the Willows. Like the Rees they 

 live in a permanent viliaije aiii "ullivate the land; their village is at Fort IJerihoM, on the east 

 side of the Missouri, seveniy-liv(! miles above the Ree villa:;e. 'Fliey have lately enclosed it 

 with good pickets, lo protect themselves from their enemies, and are said to he anxious to adopt 

 the arts of civilized life. The bands here, as with the Rees, are not formed by family cou- 



