THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 77 



DAKOTA— MISSOURIAS. 



The Missourias are a tribe of Dakota descent, living on the Missouri River, their 

 name being one given tliem by the Illinois, and means the people living by the muddy 

 water. They style themselves Nudarclia. Were first heard of in 1673, as the first 

 tribe up the river which bears their name. Became allies of the French at an early 

 day, and assisted them in some of their operations against other tribes. "Were hos- 

 tile to the Spanish and also opposed to the ascendency of English influence. In 1805, 

 when Lewis and Clarke passed through their country, they numbered only 300 in 

 all, living in villages south of the Platte, and at war with most of the neighboring 

 tribes. They were affiliated with the Otoes, having deserted their own villages near 

 the mouth of the Grand some time previously in consequence of their almost entire de- 

 struction by smali-pos. Mr. Catlin found them with the Otoes in the Pawnee coun- 

 try in 1833. The two have ever since been classed as one tribe. In 1862 the combined 

 tribes numbered 708, and in 1876 only 454. ' Since their consolidation with the Otoes 

 their history has been the same as of that tribe. — W. H. Jackson, 1877. 



PRESENT LOCATION AND CONDITION. 



Now with the Otoes, a confederated tribe, at Ponca, Pawnee, and Otoe 

 agency, Indian Territory. The consolidated Otoes and Missourias at 

 this agency numbered, in 1884, about 2,704; Otoes, 234; Missourias, 40, 

 Farmers and herders. Not increasing. 



Agent Scott reports of them August 20, 1885 : 



I have but little to say for this tribe. Indeed I feel compelled to modify somewhat 

 even the guardedly favorable opinion I expressed of them in my last report. They 

 promise everything and perform nothing ; they are easy and good natured, but intol- 

 erably lazy and shiftless. They are still possessed of the idea that they are rich and 

 do not need to work. They are sharp, too. They are willing to pay a blacksmith and 

 a carpenter for the mere nothings they want done, ani§ to do all the work in their 

 respective lines without asking the Indians to do any part of it. But they do not 

 want a farmer, and have made a formal demand on me to abolish the place, pretending 

 they know enough about farming. But the real reasons are they want his salary added 

 to their annuity, and they don't want anybody around whose business it is to try 

 to make them work. It seems exceedingly difficult for the Otoes and Missourias to 

 abandon their nomadic habits. They will leave their houses, and collecting around 

 the agency, or on some other part of the reservation, erect a village of tents, where 

 they will stay feasting and dancing until they are driven away, only to repeat the 

 operation again and again during the year. While the above presents, as I think, 

 fairly the prevailing temper of the tribe, I have, nevertheless, been able to force work 

 enough out of them to entitle them to their rations under the rule, and a few, notably 

 the half-breeds, have shown a commendable degree of enterprise iu cultivating their 

 crops and extending their farms. 



That portion of the tribe which seceded some years ago, have been living on Deep 

 Fork, in the neighborhood of the Sac and Fox Reservations, still obstinately refuse to 

 return to their own reservation, prefering to lead a precarious and poverty-stricken 

 existence, depending mainly upon the bounty of other Indians for subsistence, who 

 can ill-aiford the draft upon their resources. 



