extravagant demands. In nearly all the Treaties the Indian 

 Commissioners were greatly assisted by the active influence of 

 the Hudson's Bay Company's officers in the Territories, by the 

 clergy of the several Churches which had missions in the 

 country, and also on several occasions, but particularly at the 

 Blackfoot Treaty in 1877,- by the Mounted Police officers, who 

 had gone into these Indians' country with the force three years 

 previously. The Police had obtained a most beneficial influ- 

 ence among the Blackfeet by suppressing the American whiskey 

 trade and establishing law and order in the territory. This 

 influence was exerted to secure the negotiation of the Treaty, 

 which otherwise could scarcely have been successfully con- 

 cluded. 



I may give two brief specimens of Indian oratory at the 

 Blackfoot Treaty which will illustrate that there are reasonable 

 as well as unreasonable Indians. Indeed, in this respect, 

 according to their opportunities, they are scarcely a whit 

 behind their white brethren. 



On the third day of meeting the Indians at Blackfoot 

 Crossing, Button Chief said : — " The Great Spirit sent the 

 white man across the waters to carry out His (the Great 

 Spirit's) end. The Great Spirit, and not the Great Mother, 

 gave us the land. The Great Mother sent Stamixtokon (Col. 

 McLeod) and the police to put an end to the traffic in fire 

 water. I can sleep now safely. Before the arrival of the 

 police, when I laid my head down at night, every sound fright- 

 ened me ; my sleep was broken ; now I can sleep sound and am 

 not afraid. The Great Mother sent you to this country, and 

 we hope she will be good to us for many years. I hope and 

 expect to get plenty. We think we will not get so much as 

 the Indians receive from the Americans on the other side; 

 they get large presents of flour, sugar, tea and blankets. The 

 Americans gave at first large bags of flour, sugar and many 

 blankets ; the next year it was only half the quantity, and the 

 following years it grew less and less, and now they give only 

 a handful of flour. We want to get fifty dollars for the Chiefs 

 and thirty dollars each for all the others, men, women and 

 children, and we want the same every year for the future. 

 We want to be paid for all the timber that the police and whites 

 have used since they first came to our country. If it continues 

 to be used as it is, there will soon be no firewood left for the 

 Indians. I hope, Great Father, that you will give us all this 

 that we ask." 



