denio] THE ASSINIBOIN 397 



de Prairie, or Divide, as far as the Cyprus Mountains on the North 

 Fork of the Milk River, thence down Milk River to its junction with 

 the Missouri River, thence down the Missouri River to the mouth 

 of White Earth River, or the starting point. Formerly they in- 

 habited a portion of country on the south side of the Missouri River 

 along the Yellowstone River, but of late years, having met with 

 great losses by Blackfeet, Sioux, and Crow war parties, they have 

 been obliged to abandon this region and now they never go there. 

 As before remarked, the Assiniboin still numbered 1,000 to 1,200 

 lodges, trading on the Missouri until the year 1838, when the small- 

 pox reduced their numbers to less than 400 lodges. Also, being 

 surrounded by large and hostile tribes, war has had its share in 

 their destruction, though now they are increasing slowly. 



Ancient and Modern Habitat. — Before proceeding further it 

 would be well to state and bear in mind that of all the Indians now 

 residing on the Missouri River the Assiniboin appear to have made 

 the least progress toward acquiring civilized ideas or knowledge of 

 any kind. Superstitious, lazy, and indisposed to thought, they make 

 no attempt to improve themselves in any way. Neither are they 

 anxious that others should teach them; consequently they are far 

 behind the other tribes even as regards their own savage manner of 

 life. This will receive further explanation. They do not think the 

 Great Spirit created them on or for a particular portion of country, 

 but that he made the whole prairie for the sole use of the Indian, 

 and the Indian to suit the prairie, giving among other reasons the 

 fact that the buffalo is so well adapted to their wants as to meat 

 and clothing, even for their lodges and bowstrings. To the Indian is 

 allotted legs to run, eyes to see far, bravery, instinct, watchfulness, 

 and other capacities not developed in the same degree in the whites. 

 The Indian, therefore, occupies any section of prairie where game is 

 plentiful and he can protect himself from enemies. With regard to 

 any other kind of right than that of possession and ability to de- 

 fend, besides the general right granted by the Great Spirit, they 

 have not the most distant idea. The Assiniboin conquered nothing 

 to come into possession of their habitat, they had their difficulties 

 with surrounding tribes and still have, as others have, and continue 

 as they commenced, fighting and hunting alternately. Their first 

 interview with Europeans (now spoken of) was when the traders 

 of the Mississippi pushed their traffic as far as their camps, and 

 from whom they obtained firearms, woolen clothing, utensils, etc. 

 Afterwards these supplies were had from the Hudson Bay Co. and, 

 latterly, from the Americans on the Missouri River. There is every 

 reason to believe that the introduction of ardent spirits among them 

 was coeval, if not antecedent, to that of any other article of trade. 



