THE WILD PIGEON OF NORTH AMERICA. 
BY CHIEF POKAGON.* 
T HE migratory or wild pigeon of North white, intermixed with bluish black. The 
America was known by our race as female is one inch shorter than the male, 
o-me-me-wog. Why the European and her color less vivid, 
race did not accept that name was, no It was proverbial with our fathers that if 
doubt, because the bird so much resembled the Great Spirit in His wisdom could have 
the domesticated pigeon; they naturally created a more elegant bird in plumage, 
called it a wild pigeon, as they called us form, and movement, He never did. 
wild men. When a young man I have stood for 
This remarkable bird differs from 'the hours admiring the movements of these 
dove or domesticated pigeon, which was im- birds. I have seen them fly in unbroken 
ported into this country, in the grace of its lines from the horizon, one line succeeding 
long neck, its slender bill and legs, and its another from morning until night, moving 
narrow wings. Its length is 
i6}4 inches. Its tail is eight 
inches long, having twelve 
feathers, white on the un¬ 
der side. The two center 
feathers are longest, while 
five arranged on either side 
diminish gradually each 
one half inch in length, giv¬ 
ing to the tail when spread 
an almost conical appear¬ 
ance. Its back and upper 
part of the wings and head 
are a darkish blue, with a 
silken velvety appearance. 
Its neck is resplendent in 
their unbroken columns like 
an army of trained soldiers 
pushing to the front, while 
detached bodies of these 
birds appeared in different 
parts of the heavens, press¬ 
ing forward in haste like 
raw recruits preparing for 
battle. At other times I have 
seen them move in one un¬ 
broken column for hours 
across the sky, like some 
great river, ever varying in 
hue; and as the mighty 
stream, sweeping on at 
sixty miles an hour, 
gold and green with royal purple intermixed. 
Its breast is reddish brown, fading toward 
the belly into white. Its tail is tipped with 
*Simon Pokagon, of Michigan, is a full-blooded Indian, the 
last Pottawattamie chief of the Pokagon band. He is author of 
the “ Red Man’s Greeting,” and has been called by the press 
the “ Redskin poet, bard, and Longfellow of his race.” His 
father, chief before him, sold the site of Chicago and the sur¬ 
rounding country to the United States in 1833 for three cents an 
acre. He was the first red man to visit President Lincoln after 
his inauguration. In a letter written home at the time he said : 
“ I have met Lincoln, the great chief; he is very tall, has a sad 
face, but he is a good man, I saw it in his eyes and felt it in his 
hand-shaking. He will help us get payment for Chicago land.” 
Soon after #39,000 was paid. In 1874 he visited President 
Grant. He said of him: “ I expected he would put on military 
importance, but he treated me kindly, gave me a cigar, and we 
smoked the pipe of peace together.” In 1893 he procured judg¬ 
ment against the United States for over #100,000 still due on the 
sale of Chicago land by his father. He was honored on Chicago 
Day at the World’s Fair by first ringing the new Bell of Liberty 
and speaking in behalf of his race to the greatest crowd ever 
assembled on earth. After his speech “ Glory Hallelujah ” was 
sung before the bell for the first time on the Fair grounds. 
reached some deep valley, it would pour its 
living mass headlong down hundreds of 
feet, sounding as though a whirlwind was 
abroad in the land. I have stood by the 
grandest waterfall of America and regarded 
the descending torrents in wonder and as¬ 
tonishment, yet never have my astonish¬ 
ment, wonder, and admiration been so stirred 
as when I have witnessed these birds drop 
from their course like meteors from heaven. 
While feeding, they always have guards 
on duty, to give alarm of danger. It is 
made by the watch bird as it takes its flight, 
beating its wings together in quick succes¬ 
sion, sounding like the rolling beat of a 
snare drum. Quick as thought each bird 
repeats the alarm with a thundering sound, 
