30 OMAHA AND PONKA LETTERS. 
who do not know our ways to doubt what. ‘Tibbles tells. But what Tib- 
bles says he says because he has indeed gone to you to right the wrongs 
of us Indians. 
(Sinde-xa®xa" said:)—My friend, as I think to-day of the principal 
people who are intelligent, I will petition to them. A man has gone 
hence to you, and he has gone with a full knowledge of our troubles, 
for he has seen us with his own eyes. In former days I never saw even 
one man who did such a thing; but just now I see the deed (done). 
I mean Tibbles. O ye people, I petition to you because I hope that 
when he tells you about all the things that are difficult for us, you will 
accept them from him. Notwithstanding those who know nothing about 
our difficulties doubt him, as he knows about us, you will please accept 
his words. The President does not have a full knowledge of our 
trouble, aud though he has the oversight of us, behold, he wishes us to 
die! But as we wish to live, we pray to you, O ye persons who help 
us! [am undertaking one thing; I am learning to do various kinds 
of work. I have accepted all your customs. But though I have done 
this, the President acts just as if he was saying, “I do not wish you 
(Indians) to live as white people!” I think of the man who is going 
hence to-day. O ye great men, I think of you all. Perhaps you think 
that you have persevered (in our behalf); I send to you to beg you to 
persevere again. 
(Na"pewa¢é said:)—My friend, to-day I think more of those who pray 
(than of any others). We hope that you may accept all the words of 
this man who is going, and that you may act accordingly. He goes to 
work for all the tribes of Indians, And when you succeed, and it is 
settled in a very satisfactory manner for us, O ye who work for us Indians, 
we ought to be human beings. We desire you to make us human beings! 
We used to think that the oversight which the President exercised 
over us Indians was a good thing, but now it is not apt to be so. We 
used to think that something was ours, but behold, we are virtually 
not their owners. If that be the case, I hope that you will do your best 
very soon to aid those who have been approximating to you. Though 
we Indians have been looking all aroun d in seareh of the good road for 
ourselves, we hope that they may cause us to find the goed (close at 
hand). My friend, when [ said that we had looked all around for it, I 
referred to our having faced toward your methods, those good things. 
(Le-uya"ha said :)--My friend (Tibbles), some of these Indians remem- 
ber you. We think of you to-day, because you went to work at various 
things for us. Though I have had sense for forty years, I have not 
known a person who resembles him (Tibbles) in doing kind acts. And 
now, though he does not at all belong to those who have in their veins 
our Indian blood mixed with the blood of another race, yet he pities us 
and works at various things for us! The white people have always 
wished us to continue wild; but now God has ordere! him (Tibbles) 
to do various kinds of work for us, and thus he does. And now, as [ 
