40 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 1 10 



Father Hoeken wrote that Insula "is well known and much beloved 

 by the whites, who have occasion to deal with him, as a man of sound 

 judgment, strict integrity, and one on whose fidelity they can im- 

 plicitly rely." The priest called Insula "a keen discerner of the char- 

 acters of men" who "loved to speak of those white men who were 

 distinguished for their fine qualities." Insula adopted Col. Robert 

 Campbell of St. Louis and Maj. Thomas Fitzpatrick as brothers. 

 Colonel Campbell reciprocated by sending him a fine present in the 

 spring of 1857. (Ibid., pp. 1232, 1245.) 



Of Insula's numerous deeds of heroism, Father De Smet cited but 

 two, both of which occurred before 1841. On one occasion Insula 

 "sustained the assaults of a whole village" of the enemy. On another, 

 a party of Bannock, estimated at 200, who had visited Insula's camp 

 and observed the small number of the Flathead, returned to attack 

 the Flathead the next night. Advised of their intentions. Insula as- 

 sembled his warriors to meet the attack. The small Flathead force 

 killed nine of the enemy before Insula, in the heat of the pursuit, 

 recalled that it was Sunday and ordered his warriors back to camp 

 for prayer. (Ibid., vol. i, pp. 322-324, 365-366.) 



According to Duncan McDonald, Insula was killed by Cree and 

 Assiniboine on Milk River in October i860. At that time the old man 

 was living with the Kutenai and Fend d'Oreille. (Owen, 1927, vol. i, 

 p. 236, footnote.) 



Little Insula appears to have possessed the most appealing per- 

 sonality among the Flathead leaders of his time. Not only was he 

 very popular with the Indians of his own and friendly tribes, but he 

 also proved adept at winning and holding the friendship of influential 

 white men. Apparently he found subtle flattery, such as teaching his 

 son to call the priest papa and adopting important white men as 

 brothers, helpful in cementing these friendships. An ardent Catholic 

 and a courageous warrior, he epitomized the missionaries' ideal of 

 the Christian soldier. 



Bear Track, Flathead Chief and Medicine Man (Plate 13) 



Soey-te-sum-'hi or Bear Track. 



A Chief, and one of the very few pure Flathead Indians in the tribe. He is 

 said to be a very brave and daring man, and is certainly one of the best looking 

 men in the tribe, decision is written in every line of his countenance. 



Bear Track spoke at the Flathead Treaty Council on July 13, 1855, 

 after Victor's refusal to accept Alexander's ofifer to move to the 

 Bitterroot Valley. He made no reference to Victor's action. He ex- 

 pressed his own willingness to make a treaty but emphasized the pov- 



