Histories: Trempealeau Co. Historical Accounts:
"History of Trempealeau County Wisconsin,
1917":
Chapter 10:
Antoine Grignon and the Indians
-As
transcribed from pages 212 - 218
Antoine Grignon has made history his debtor for much of its knowledge
concerning the Indians of this vicinity. Of the Dakota and
Winnebago Indians Mr. Grignon has said:
"Beginning with the soil, the first work was agriculture. The
women were very industrious and would begin int he spring to spade up
their ground for corn planting. They raised what was known as
squaw corn, which is a flint corn, and also raised pumpkins, and any
other vegetables, seed of which had found its way into their camp from
the fur traders. But pumpkins and corn were the principal crops
raised. The corn was cultivated with hoes - big clumsy implements
that weighed as much as three or four of our common garden hoes.
It was principally eaten hulled, also in meal after being ground up in
a wooden bowl with a large wooden pounder. This was their crude
mill. This meal they baked into corn bread, or made it into
porridge. They also used green corn as roasting ears, and dried
it in the following fashion: They dug a hole in the ground and
heated large stones; on these heated stones they threw husks, and on
the husks laid the green corn on cobs; over this corn they threw more
husks, and then covered it up and let it cook. When it was
thoroughly cooked the corn was cut from the cob and put out on mats in
the sun to dry. This dried corn was used to make soup, and could
be kept for years.
"Wigwams, before canvas was introduced, were made of woven grass; long
grass called foxtail was utilized for this purpose. Mats made
from grasses were about four to six feet in width and twelve or sixteen
feet in length. A wooden rod was put at the end of the wigwam
mat, and twine made of basswood bark was used to tie the mat to the
rod. Several of these mats were used to construct a wigwam, and
they would shed rain as readily as canvas does. Both twine and
mats were made by hand; it was a long piece of work for the squaw to
make matting for a wigwam, but once completed it lasted for years and
was always kept in repair. The matting was light and very easily
carried either on ponies or in canoes. In making this wigwam
matting the Indians worked together, several squaws congregating and
working until the wigwam was completed, just as pioneer women gathered
at quilting bees. Mats were also used as carpets in the wigwam,
and were made for trading purposes as well, for the whites often bought
them for use in their houses. The women in the Indian camp also
prepared the meat, made the pemmican and jerked the fresh
venison. This kept well though no salt whatever was used.
The women also made moccasins and tanned skins of animals for use as
clothing. Bags were made out of tanned skins of animals for use
as clothing. Bags were made out of tanned skin and woven out of
wild grasses. These bags were used to carry cooking utensils,
clothing and implements used about the wigwam.
"The Winnebago were noted for mat weaving, basket making, ornamenting
skins and making wooden brooms. They dug out canoes, bowls and
other dishes from wood. These wooden vessels were made by the men
and were ornamented with the heads of deer and bears, or of some other
animal. They also made wooden ladles with handles ornamented with
the head of a fish or a bird. The men also made the reed, a
musical instrument like a flute. This reed was used in wooing; a
brave would play on his reed in front of the wigwam where resided his
lady love. He would play his love tune, and if he was a welcome
caller he would be invited in to see the maid for whom he was
playing. If he was not welcome, no notice was taken of him, and
he would take his departure. Sometimes he would return and play
night after night until the reluctant father of the Indian maid would
invite him in, but sometimes the father would drive the young wooer
away.
"Another instrument of a musical character was the drum, made of a
hollow chunk of wood with a piece of rawhide stretched over it.
This was called the "tum-tum" and was used at all their dancing.
"Another article of manufacture was the bucket. This was made of
birch bark and sewed together with twine from basswood bark, while to
keep the bucket from leaking a glue, made from cherry sap or gum and
from the backbone of a sturgeon, was used. These birch bark pails
were used to catch sap. This was collected in a storage trough
made of a log dug out and burned so it would hold several
barrels. In former years the women did their sewing with sinew
from the deer and elk and used bone needles.
"The Dakotas were noted for their leather articles. First was the
wigwam made of tanned buffalo hides, sewed together in the shape of a
tepee, which made a very warm dwelling. The hair was removed from
the buffalo skin in making these wigwams, but for blankets and carpets
the hides were tanned with the hair left on. These wigwams were
decorated with bright paint. As a rule buffalo, deer, elk, horses
and birds were painted on the buffalo hide, but now and then you would
see the human figure on a tent, and I have seen a few where a scene
with hills, river and woods ornamented the wigwam.
"The Dakotas were the most ingenious of the western Indians in making
ornaments. They decorated their clothing with beads and
shells. Porcupine quills stained with different colors were used
to adorn their arrow quivers, while the arrows were colored, that is,
the feather was stained some gaudy color. The bow was made of
buffalo sinew and the arrows of wood. The Dakotas were likewise
expert pipe makers. They used pipestone, with a reed that grows
in marshy places, for a stem. the pipe was decorated with bird
claws, and tufts of fur from the weasel or mink. I have seen some
of the most beautiful pipes among the Dakotas that could be imagined.
"The Chippewas were noted for their birch bark canoes. These were
made of sheets of birch bark sewed together with sinew and watap root,
and sealed with tamarack and pine pitch to keep them from
leaking. These canoes would carry more weight than one would
suppose.
"Indian children usually have a happy time. The child is put into
a straight-back little cradle with sides and a bow handle. It is
flat and has no rocker, for none is needed. The young Indian babe
seldom cries, because it is seldom sick. It is a breast-fed baby,
and gets along a great deal better than the average white child.
Two saplings are used to make a swing for the baby. They are
sharpened on one end and stuck in the ground about seven feet
apart. A cord made of basswood bark is tied to the cradle and the
babe is given a swing by tying the cord to the saplings. There
the little one is swung back and forth or jounced up and down.
Little trinkets are placed on the bow of the cradle for the baby's
amusement, and it will lie by the hour and play with these trinkets.
"The principal game of the Indian in this part of the country was
lacrosse. This game was often played as a sacred game, to redeem
the bereaved from their long mourning period. They were obliged
by custom to mourn a stated length of time, but could make a sacrifice
instead, that is, give away a certain amount of furs, blankets, or
ponies; and these were played for int he lacrosse game. Two
parties were formed, from a dozen to fifteen on a side, and these
parties played the game for the goods as a stake, the winners taking
the mourners' sacrifice. After the game the mourning was at an
end. The game was played with a ball and lacrosse sticks.
The ball must not be touched except with the lacrosse stick.
"Among the Indian children games are indulged in; one something like
shinny is played on the ice, and in another players throw a twisted
hickory stick on the ice; this is driven towards a goal, the one coming
nearest the goal winning. Among the children sliding down hill is
enjoyed. They use basswood and elm bark in making sleds for
coasting. They always ride standing, and hold on to a string
fastened to the front of their toboggan. They also play on the
glaring ice. One game or sport was to take a small round
niggerhead stone and spin it on the ice, then take a willow whip and
whip it over the ice as fast as they could go. They had tops to
spin also, made of wood and set in motion with a string.
"The marriage ceremony among the Indians was very simple. The
young buck would call at the wigwam where resided the Indian maid he
wished for a wife. If the mother of the girl was pleased with the
young brave she would not stir the fire in the least, but would sit
quietly before the glimmering light of the ground hearth. If,
however, she was not pleased with the young suitor, she would stir the
fire again and again until the wooer took his departure and would
emphasize her disgust by spitting into the fire at times. Another
custom was for the young buck to bring presents to the parents of the
girl he desired, and if these presents, such as ponies, furs and silver
trinkets, were accepted, he would take the girl for his wife.
"The Indians believed in 'maunhoonah,' meaning the Great Spirit or
Creator of Earth. They believed in the hereafter, and that in
order to get to the happy hunting ground they had to be good
Indians. They had a Grand Medicine Society, in its form allied to
the Free Mason orders. Not all could join this society, but a
certain number were taken in each year. Application was made for
membership, and the names taken up in council, and if elected to become
a member the candidate was initiated into the order, providing, of
course, he could furnish the necessary fee of furs, blankets, ponies,
or goods of any kind. After being initiated the new member was
given a medicine bag made of the skin of some animal, such as the coon,
squirrel, otter or beaver.
"The medicine man who looks after the bodily ailments of the tribe is
not to be confounded with the medicine man of the Great Medicine
Lodge. The former is usually above the average intelligence, and
gifted with the power of impressing his superiority upon the Indians,
that is, in dealing with disease. This power of dispelling
disease is supposed to be given him by the Great Spirit. In
treating a patient, the medicine man goes through certain incantations
and rattles a gourd, which has seed or shot in it. He also uses
roots and herbs for the treatment of the sick. A great deal of
ginseng is used, and the bark of poplar trees, mandrake or May apple
root and sweet flag. The list of herbs would be a long one, and
some of the medicine men obtained very good results from these herbs,
which they used as a tea, after steeping them over a fire in a kettle
containing a sufficient amount of water. Some of these Indian
doctors became noted even among the whites, and were able in a limited
number of diseases to give relief and obtain cures. They also
practiced surgery, setting bones, opening abscesses and treating wounds
of various kinds. Their instruments were crude and were made
mostly of bone and iron.
"At the burial or funeral ceremony, some member of the tribe was
appointed to speak at the grave of the departed Indian. The
mourners passed around the head of the grave in single file and
scattered tobacco over the open grave. The funeral orator gave an
oration on the life of the departed and pictured his journey into the
land of the hereafter. Food was left on the grave sufficient to
carry him on his journey, and a supply of tobacco, so that he could
take comfort on the way to the happy hunting ground. On the death
of a member of the tribe, the survivors had a wake; friends and
mourners met at the home where a death occurred, a speech was made,
after which all except the mourners joined in a feast. This wake
was the beginning of mourning, and the mourners observed the custom of
fasting for at least three days. If a woman lost her husband, she
remained with her husband's relatives for a number of months and was
compelled to do their work without a murmur. She was not allowed
to comb her hair for a number of months, or to ornament herself in any
way, but went ragged and dirty with her hair unkempt and was forced to
do the bidding of her husband's relatives. At the end of the
mourning period she was liberated to go where she pleased and do as she
pleased; she frequently remarried.
"When I was at Long Prairie, I was much interested in a custom among
the Winnebago of making morning speeches. Early each morning when
the weather would permit, one of the orators would appear in front of
his wigwam and give an address of a religious nature to the Indians,
who would assemble to hear the exhorter. He usually spoke in a
kindly way, offering advice and telling the tribesmen to carry
themselves in a manner befitting good, true men and women. I
suppose such a person among the whites would be called an evangelist.
"Among the noted orators and chiefs that I have known were Winnoshiek,
Black Hawk, Decorah, Wah-pa-sha, Little Creek, Little Priest, Snake
Hide, Little Hill, Short Wing, and many others whose names I cannot
recall. Big Fire was a noted astronomer. He studied the
heavens and was familiar with the principal groups of stars.
"The Indians had the heavens mapped out into constellations and were
familiar with all the changes of the moon. They often studied the
stars on cold nights when the light from the constellations was most
brilliant. A month was called a moon and a year of time
designated a winter.
"Legends and traditions of the tribes were passed down from one
generation to another by means of 'word passers.' A number of
young Indians, say eight or ten, were chosen on account of their good
memories to study, and learn lessons from the older 'word
passers.' These young Indians were drilled int he legends,
history, and traditions of the tribe. They were required to
repeat them over and over again, omitting no detail, until they knew
them by heart; and when the old 'word passers' died, another generation
of young men was selected and instructed by their predecessors.
Thus dates and incidents were passed on from generation to generation,
and a living history was kept. An old Winnebago chief, Decorah,
had a very interesting cane that he showed me one day, when I visited
him in his wigwam. On this cane were carved many figures, a sort
of hieroglyphics. It had been handed down from father to son and
was in reality a record which old Decorah could read. It was a
crude history of the tribe covering a good many years, and if I could
remember some of the accounts Decorah gave me as recorded on the cane,
they would be worth hearing.
"The Dakotas were fond of decorating themselves with quills, furs, and
feathers; but I think they had one custom which is worth noting.
A brave, or more particularly a warrior, used a war-eagle feather to
adorn his hair. This long feather in the hair of a warrior was a
mark of distinction, and it was acquired on merit, for no brave could
wear one who did not merit it. On the feather notches were cut if
the warrior had been successful in war. Each notch on one side of
the feather represented a scalp taken from an enemy. The notches
on the other side signified the number of times the brave had been on
the war-path. this made it easy for one to tell what kind of a
war record a brave had. If a warrior had a well-notched feather
he was looked up to and envied and praised by his tribesmen; he felt
his superiority, too, and carried himself with a distinguished
air. War-eagles were scarce and it was sometimes hard to get
feathers. I remember one time seeing an Indian trade a pony for a
war-eagle feather. Hunting parties from Wabashaw's village used
to go out to search for the war-eagle, and a favorite resting-place for
these eagles was among the hills of Waumandee. Waumandee means in
the Dakota tongue 'the land of the war-eagle.'
"Another peculiar custom which I recollect is the method of inviting a
party of Indians to attend a dance, feast, or other gathering.
One day while I was camped with a band of Sioux near the site of what
is now Marshland, an Indian came into camp who was from another camp
near Homer (Minnesota). He had crossed the Mississippi in a
canoe, and came to invite several of the Indians over to his camp to
attend a medicine dance. He would enter a tent and pass around
some small sticks, and explain his object and depart. He must
have had at least fifty sticks answering the purpose of invitation
cards, which he distributed.
"One August day in the '50s we went up the tamarack pluming, for the
place was noted for its wild plums. We had started to gather
plums, and were intent on our work, when all of a sudden the stillness
of the summer solitude was broken by a yell, a war-cry uttered in its
wild, blood-curdling manner. On looking up I saw our party
completely surrounded by a band of Sioux warriors. It was a war
party out after Chippewa; they mistook us for their enemies, but soon
saw their mistake and went peaceably away. We gathered our plums
in safety and returned home, but we never forgot the surprise we
received by the Sioux warriors.
"In cases of murder in the tribe the guilty party was given a
trial. Witnesses were called to testify and speakers were chosen
for and against the defendant. If the accused person was found
guilty, a council was held to determine the punishment. They
usually ordered the murderer killed in the same manner he used in
slaying his victim - death by shooting, stabbing, or tomahawking as the
case might be. In some cases the accused would redeem himself by
furnishing enough goods such as ponies, furs, or weapons, to secure his
liberty; these goods which were distributed among the dead person's
immediate relatives, prevented retaliation on their part.
"The Indians as I knew them were as a general thing peaceable.
They loved their native haunts and their families and may be called a
happy people. They had plenty. Game abounded; there was an
abundance of fur-bearing animals; and the streams were full of
fish. There was no need of poverty, for with plenty of corn and
wild meat and with fur enough to buy ammunition, traps, and knives,
there was little else needed to make their lot an easy and comfortable
one. They were not a stolid people, but were fond of fun.
There was a humorous side to the Indian and a genial friendship when
once you came to know him, and I have no respect for that unnatural
picture so often made of him - the word picture of the novelist that
shows him devoid of sentiment and emotion, a cold, cruel, unfeeling
stoic, whose face is never rippled with a smile or stained with a
tear. I think there is a truer picture of the Indian, as a
natural human being with a heart that feels pain and pleasure, with a
mind that appreciates the good and bad, the true and false, with a
spirit that enjoys home and companions and friendship, with a life that
throbs with love and sentiment. The Indian I know loved and
laughed with his children, visited his neighbor, had warm personal
friendships, and loved the life of peaceful contentment he was living,
a life near to nature.
"I have often visited the Dakota and Winnebago and passed long,
pleasant hours in their wigwams, talking with them on various subjects
as we sat circled about the glowing fire. I have heard the laugh
of their children and seen them frolic about as happy as any young ones
I ever saw. I have seen them play games and join in sports, and
they were as interesting to watch as other children. Of course,
there were some whose barbarous nature was revealed. There are
some white people also whose barbarous nature gets the upper hand of
them. But take the Indian, all in all, he was a happy creature
during the fur-trading days."
(See Eben D. Pierce, Recollections of Antoine Grignon, Wis. Hist. Soc. Proceedings, 1913, pp. 110-136.)