Beginning in August 1833, a reported five thousand Indians gathered in the vicinity of Chicago in preparation for a treaty council with appointed commissioners of the federal government. The treaty commissioners had orders to try and obtain all of the lands claimed by what the federal government designated as the United Band of Potawatomis, Chippewas, and Ottawas, a territory that encompassed nearly five million acres along the southern shores of Lake Michigan and northern Illinois. Outside of the obvious desire to open up lands for American citizens, the fears of further violence growing out of the Black Hawk War the previous year also sparked government interest in a treaty.
As this excerpted speech illustrates, however, the negotiation was not as straightforward as the federal government may have hoped it would be. The treaty council did not simply include leaders of one United Band and thus the title of the treaty is misleading. Among the five thousand Indians gathered were different bands of Potawatomis, Chippewas, and Ottawas, and these bands did not all have the same interests, motivations, or headmen. The speech by Aptekezhick, also known as Half Day, then, did not necessarily express the voices of all. It does, however, provide insight into the attitudes of Indians in the southern Lake Michigan region toward the government proposals for land cessions and removal.
When our Great father heard that his red children wanted to sell their Lands he thought that they [were] poor and unhappy. That his red children wanted to sell their lands and go to another country. And he said “I will send my commissioners to know — to hear their wants and afford them relief, and to consult and advise with them.” You, the commissioners of our Great Father shall now hear what his red children have to say on this subject.
You my Fathers shall see with your own eyes what we will do, and … hear with your own ears what we say. Our ears have been open to your words — they have sunk deep into our hearts. Your red children are thankful for your good advice. We have never closed our ears to the council of our Great Father. We have never refused to do anything he has advised us. You tell us the country is good beyond the Mississippi, toward the setting sun, and that game is plenty. Your red children support themselves principally by the chase. We are glad to hear it. When our Great father however heard that we wanted to sell our lands and remove from our country, your red children are afraid that he opened his ears to a bad bird — All your red children were not together, and did not consent that such word should be sent to our Great Father.
Your red children after much councilling together as you advised us to do, two days ago, have made up their minds not to treat with the commissioners of our Great Father and not grant his request to sell our lands.
Our hearts were troubled and we looked to the Great Father who made the Earth for advice, and he has disposed us to make the answer to the proposition of our Great Father the President, that we cannot now sell our country. Your red children are unfortunate — they are poor, and if we have to sell all our lands and go where you advise us, some great evil might happen to us. Here the Great Spirit allows us to live in peace amongst ourselves, with the white man and all. We are happy here.
My Fathers — You have heard through me the words which your red children had to say on this subject. They will ever be the same. We have no more to say. We hope you will close the council and pay us our annuities. We wish to return to our wigwams.
The Potawattamies, Ottowas & Chippewas and the whitemen are like four brothers — all united. They love each other. When we were at Prairie du Chien you told your red children that what ever they said to you should be taken for truth. That the Great father would believe the words of his red children — We now request that you will fulfill your promise and believe the words of your red children.
The Ottowas & Potawattomies are our younger brothers and have chosen me to speak their words on this occasion that there may be no confusion & that a blessing from the great spirit may descend upon it.
You advised us my Father to council with one another about selling our Lands. We have done so. We may hold council from day to day, but your red children will always speak the same words — will come to no other conclusion than that which they have repeated to you.
I bid farewell to you my Fathers, and to our Great father the President of the United States. The white wampum which I hold in my hands is the emblem of the purity of our hearts & of the sincerity of our declarations of love, and intentions toward our white brethren and the blue ribbon is emblematic of the clear and unclouded sky of happiness and prosperity which is above us. May it ever continue.
My Fathers — when the words of my speech sink into your hearts, think of us and have compassion on your red children.
We have lost many horses — we have no provisions in our wigwams and have left our cornfields & should be glad that the council would close that we might return to them.
Source: Ratified Treaty No. 189, Documents Relating to the Negotiation of the Treaty of September 26, 1833, with the United Chippewa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi Indians, Documents Relating to the Negotiation of Ratified and Unratified Treaties with Various Indian Tribes, 1801–1869, Documents Relating to Indian Affairs, The History Collection, University of Wisconsin Digital Collections.
Evaluating the Evidence