1044 WILD RICK GATHERERS OF UPPER LAKES [ETH. ANN. 19 
Indians, part of the Mandan, and a few of the Dakota, the entire 
western Siouan stock seems to have clung to the hunter life of the 
plains. 
A straight line drawn from the foot of Lake Michigan to the foot of 
Lake Superior (Fond du Lac) marks the early eastern boundary of the 
bison country in the wild-rice district. Near Madison, Wisconsin, this 
boundary line bends slightly west of a straight line, while farther 
north it bends to the east so as_ virtually to cover the headwaters 
of Chippewa and St Croix rivers. It is thus seen that the Dakota 
were on the border line. They were acquiring a taste for wild rice, 
though they had not cultivated the soil in any way, and they still kept 
up their fondness for the bison with which they were surrounded 
when the Ojibwa began to force them westward south of La Pointe 
island. Though the Dakota fought doggedly, the Ojibwa obtained 
firearms at an earlier period and in greater numbers than they, and in 
the end were successful. Previous to the year 1776 Perrot built a fort 
at Lake Pepin, and Neill' said of the French at this fort: ** Through 
their influence the Dakota began to be led away from the rice grounds 
of the Mille Lacs region.” 
Another cause aided the Ojibwa toward the latter end of this struggle. 
As soon as the Dakota acquired horses they turned more readily to 
their employment of hunting the bison. They came in possession 
of horses near the opening of the nineteenth century. About the year 
1766 Carver said that the Dakota method of hunting the bison was to 
form a circle around a herd and then set the grass on fire. Few of the 
animals escaped.” Evidently the Dakota were then horseless. Again 
he said of the Indians still farther south and west: ‘‘ Having great 
plenty of horfes, they always attack their enemy on horfeback.”* And 
later, ** The Naudoweffies [Dakota], who had been at war with this peo- 
ple, informed me, that unlefs they found moratfes or thickets to which 
to retire, they were fure of being cut off: to prevent this they always took 
‘are wherever they made an onfet, to do it near fuch [places] as were 
impatfable for cavalry.” Lewis and Clarke wrote in 1804-1806 that 
dogs were still the beasts of burden used by the Dakota. Their ** lodges 
may be taken to pieces, packed up, and carried with the nation wherever 
they go, by dogs which bear great burdens.”! Later they wrote that 
the Dakota frequently made incursions among the Mandan Indians to 
steal horses,° and that ** the horses of the Mandans are so often stolen by 
the Sioux, Ricaras, and Assiniboins, that the invariable rule now is to 
put the horses every night into the same lodge with the family.”® 
According to Mallery the Dakota winter counts show that the Dakota 
first saw and stole horses wearing shoes in the winter of 1802-1803. 
‘Neill, Indian Trade, in Annals of the Minn, Hist. Soe., 1852, p. 32. 
*Carver, Travels in 1766, 1777, 1778, p. 287. 
Tbid., p. 294 STbid., p. 176. 
' Coues, Lewis and Clarke, p. 140. SThid., p. 238. 
