48 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 1 10 



In the Rathead Treaty Council, Alexander clashed with Victor, the 

 Flathead head chief, over the location of the reservation for the com- 

 bined Flathead-Pend d'Oreille-Kutenai tribes. He readily agreed to 

 Governor Stevens' proposal to place these tribes on one reservation, 

 but he strongly favored the northern or Flathead Valley location. He 

 argued that wild fruits and berries were plentiful there, that his crops 

 grew well there, that it was a larger area than the Bitter root Valley, 

 and that the Kutenai and Lower Pend d'Oreille as well as his own 

 people would prefer the northern location. When it became apparent 

 that Victor would not accept this proposal, Alexander magnanimously 

 went to Victor and offered to move to the Bitterroot Valley. But 

 when Victor did not accept this offer immediately, Alexander with- 

 drew it. Later Alexander offered to acknowledge Victor as his chief 

 if Victor would accept the northern reservation. Again Victor was 

 deaf to Alexander's proposal. Subsequently, Alexander refused Vic- 

 tor's compromise proposal to abide by the Government's decision as 

 to the better location following a survey of the resources of both 

 areas. He no longer would consider any reservation site but the 

 northern one. 



The Treaty, as finally drawn up and signed, secured to the Upper 

 Pend d'Oreille their right to residence on a reservation in their tradi- 

 tional homeland. The Flathead Treaty, which was to plague Victor 

 the rest of his life, was a complete victory of Alexander. 



At the Blackfoot Treaty Council in October 1855 Alexander did 

 not hesitate to express his dissatisfaction with both the location and 

 the small size of the area proposed by the Commissioners as a buffalo- 

 hunting ground for the western tribes. They had set aside a relatively 

 limited tract east of the Rockies, west of the Crow territory, and south 

 of the Musselshell River, as a common hunting ground in which the 

 Blackfoot and the tribes from west of the mountains might hunt, but 

 in which none of the tribes might establish permanent villages. Alex- 

 ander vigorously championed the right of his people to hunt on the 

 plains of present Montana, in the area the Commissioners wished to 

 reserve to the Blackfoot. Alexander based his argument soundly on 

 the traditional use of the area by his people, saying 



A long time ago our people, our ancestors belonged in this country. The 

 country around the Three Buttes. We had many people on this side of the 

 mountains. ... A long time ago our people used to hunt about the Three 

 Buttes and the Blackfeet lived far north. When my Father was living he told 

 me that was an old road for our people. 



Alexander demanded to know why his people could not continue 

 to cross the Rockies by the northern passes (referring probably to 



