1046 WILD RICE GATHERERS OF UPPER LAKES [ETH. ANN. 19 
trés peu, parceque tous les yoysins se trouvent assemblez tout d’un coup, et don- 
nent un prompt secours of il est besoin. La méthode qu’ils ont pour nayiguer dans 
ces sortes de lacs est de couper devant leurs semences, avec leurs cannots, et, les 
portant de lac en lac, ils obligent ’ennemy qui veut fitir a tourner autour; qui vont 
tousjours @’un lac A un autre, jusqu’a ce qu’ils les ayent tous passez, et qu’ils soient 
arrivez i la grande terre. 
In 1659 Radisson wrote of the Dakota: 
Some 2 moons after there came 8 ambaffadors from the nation of Nadoneferonons 
[Dakota] that we will call now the Nation of the beefe. Thofe men each had 2 
wives, loaded of Oats [wild rice], corne that growes in that countrey, of a {mall quan- 
tity of Indian Corne, w" other grains, & it was to prefent to us, w"" we received as a 
great favour & token of friendfhippe.* 
In 1671 we read that *‘ they content themselves with a kind of marsh 
rye, that we call folle avoine, which the prairies supply spontaneously.””* 
In the latter part of the seventeenth century Le Sueur wrote much 
regarding the use of wild rice by the Dakota. Several references to 
his remarks will be made later; one, however, is now given. Le Sueur 
had built a fort on the Upper Mississippi in order to effect a treaty 
between the Ojibwa and Dakota, and on December 12, which would 
be after the harvest season for wild rice, three Mendeouacanton 
(Mdewaka"to"wa") chiefs came to tell him that the next summer, 
after having built canoes and gathered their wild rice, they would 
move near the French. La Harpe wrote, ‘‘et promirent que l’été 
suivant, aprés avoir construit des canots et fait leur récolte de folle 
ayoine, ils viendraient s’établir aupres des Francais.” * 
Early in the nineteenth century Pike recorded that— 
The Minowa Kantongs are the only band of Sioux who use canoes, and by far the 
most civilized, being the only ones who ever built log huts, or cultivated any species 
of yegetables, and among those only a very small quantity of corn and beans; for, 
although I was with them in September and October, I neyer saw one kettle of 
either, they always using wild oats [wild rice] for bread. This production nature 
has furnished to all the most uncultivated nations of the N. W. continent, who may 
gather in autumn a sufficiency which, when added to the productions of the chase 
and the net, insures them a subsistence through all the seasons of the year.® 
This band are reported the bravest of all the Sioux, and have for years been 
opposed to the Fols Avoin Sauteurs, who are reported the bravest of all the numer- 
ous bands of Chippeways.°® 
They resided from Prairie du Chien for 35 miles up Minnesota 
river. The Kahra, a Dakota band, are called by Coues the ** Wild 
Rice Sissetons.”’ They extended from White Rock to Big Stone, or 
Inyantonka lake, on Minnesota river. 
A little later Schooleraft presented the following facts: 
Eyen during the first part of the nineteenth century the Dakota, who constituted 
the tribe of lake people, the Mendewakantons, were united in three villages. The 
1 Mémoire sur les Mceurs, Coustumes et Relligion des Saavages de aenecigue Septentrionale, par 
Nicolas Perrot, Leipzig and Paris, 1864, pp. 88-89. 
2 Radisson, Voyages, p. 207. 6 Coues, Pike, vol. 1, p. 344. 
® Relations des Jésuites, 1671, Quebec, 1858, p. 39 ®Ibid., pp. 242-248. 
4La Harpe, Journal Historique, p. 68. 7 Ibid., p. 349, note. 
