NO. 7 SOHON'S portraits 01" INDIANS — EWERS 29 



Picp^an camp. De Smet was impressed by Victor's oratory at the 

 meeting of the head men of the tribes in the priest's lodge: 



Victor, head chief of the Flathcads, by the simpUcity and smoothness of his 

 conversation gains the good will of his hearers entirely. He begins by telling 

 some of his warlike adventures; but as is easy to sec, much less with the inten- 

 tion of exalting himself than to show forth the protection that the true God 

 always grants to those who devote themselves to his service. [Ibid., p. S92.I 



Among the many causes of the disaffection of the Mathcad that 

 led to the closure of St, Mary's Mission in 1850, Father Accolti men- 

 tioned the loss of influence of the chiefs following the abolishment of 

 the punishment of the whip. (Garraghan, 1938, vol. 2, p. 382.) In 

 the face of rising dissatisfaction with his leadership, Victor chuig to 

 his decision not to use the whip. Victor's close identification with the 

 missionaries and his known piety also served to make him a target 

 for abuse by the dissatisfied element. He deplored his people's change 

 of heart, but seemed powerless to prevent it. Father Accolti wrote 

 in the fall of 1852 that Victor had become only a nominal chief, 

 especially since he had permitted a rival to strike him in the face 

 without retaliating. (Ibid., p. 387.) 



Governor Stevens visited \'ictor at Fort Owen in early October, 

 1853. He briefly recorded his impressions of the Flathead chief: 

 "He appears to be simple-minded, but rather wanting in energy, which 

 might, however, be developed in an emergency." (Report of Fxplora- 

 tions, etc., 1S60, vol. 12, pt. i, p. 123.) Apparently that emergency 

 was at hand the next time these two met, at the Flathead Treaty 

 Council in the summer of 1855. When he visited Stevens 2 days 

 before the formal Council opened, \'ictor complained of the failure 

 of the Black foot to keep the peace promised by their chiefs 2 years 

 earlier. He informed Stevens that 12 Flathead hunters had been 

 killed by the Black foot and many horses stolen since the Black foot 

 chiefs agreed to a peace. He mentioned that the Black foot had stolen 

 horses seven times that spring. "Now I listen and hear what you wish 

 me to do. W^ere it not for you I would have had my revenge ere this." 

 (Partoll, 1938a, p. 286.) 



It must have been a shock to \'ictor to find, after the Council 

 opened, that Governor Stevens talked of land cessions and the place- 

 ment of the Indians on a reservation, rather than of a solution to the 

 pressing problem of Black foot depredations. Nevertheless, he re- 

 tained his faith in Stevens' good intentions. "I believe you wish to 

 assist me to help my children here so that they may have plenty to 

 eat, and so that they may save their souls." Although X'ictor claimed 



