36 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 1 10 



Ambrose, Successor to Moise as Flathead Second Chief (Plate io) 



Ambrose (in baptism) 

 Shil-che-lum-e-la, or Five Crows 



A chief of the Flatheads, mentioned many times in the "Oregon Missions," for 

 his bravery and generosity. 



Father De Smet wrote Ambrose's Indian name "Sechelmeld." 

 (Chittenden and Richardson, 1905, vol. i, p. 320.) Father Palladino 

 considered "Amelo or Ambrose" one of the notable men of the Flat- 

 head tribe. (Palladino, 1894, p. 63.) He is remembered by the mod- 

 ern Flathead by the names "Amelo" and "Five Crows." 



In a battle with the Blackfoot in 1840 Ambrose counted coup by 

 permitting an armed Blackfoot, who had mistaken him for one of 

 his own tribe, to ride double with him, then wresting the enemy 

 warrior's gun from him and killing him. (Chittenden and Richardson, 

 1905, vol. I, p. 320. The editors state that Ambrose's own drawing 

 of this action is among Father De Smet's papers.) 



The Catholic missionaries considered Ambrose one of the Flathead 

 leaders who remained loyal to their cause after the abandonment of 

 the Mission. (Menetrey in Garraghan, 1938, vol. 2, p. 388; Chit- 

 tenden and Richardson, 1905, vol. 2, p. 766.) Twice in 1857 he 

 accompanied Victor to St. Ignatius to fulfill his religious obligations. 

 Father Hoeken credited Ambrose with having played an influential 

 part in a notable amelioration in the whole Flathead Nation in that 

 year. Ambrose had "convened several assemblages, in order to ar- 

 range and pay off old debts, to repair wrongs, etc." (Chittenden and 

 Richardson, vol. 4, p. 1240.) 



During the Flathead Treaty Council, Ambrose revealed that Victor 

 had refused Alexander's offer to move onto a reservation in the Bit- 

 terroot Valley, which resulted in Governor Stevens' relentless attack 

 upon Victor. Ambrose quickly came to Victor's defense and at- 

 tempted to restore calm to the proceedings by remarking, "I say to 

 the white chief, don't get angry, maybe it will come out all right. 

 Maybe all the people have a great many minds. Maybe they will 

 come all right. See my chiefs are now holding down their heads 

 thinking." (PartoU, 1938a, p. 305.) 



Ambrose signed both the Flathead and Blackfoot Treaties. A year 

 after he signed the Blackfoot "treaty of peace," his son, Louis, was 

 killed by the Gros Ventres, a party to that treaty. (Chittenden and 

 Richardson, 1905, vol. 4, p. 1248.) 



Through the late fifties and sixties Ambrose continued to go on 

 buffalo hunts with his tribe. During Victor's illness in 1858 he shared 



