Tecumseh
Red Jacket I was quite surpised when I read, The World Turned Upside Down, that there were two key speeches that were left out. Noted, that there is a lot of Indian writing left out of this novel and that in itself made me laugh at the thought of, "there's just not enough written by Indians to justify a course study in it," theorem. However, two powerful speeches were made around the same tribe. One is made by the chief, Red Jacket and is addressed to the U.S. Senate. It is peaceful if not firm call to the Senate to stop the advancement of whites into indian lands. The second speech is made to the Indian nations in an attempt to unite the tribes. Tecumseh, was unsuccesful in uniting all of the tribes against the whites, but his speech here is still effective in it's point.
I am particularly impressed at how these "savage uneducated" human beings, so eloquently express themselves. If these men were alive today, they would make millions on the speech circuits. The would probably have there own talk shows. Enjoy.
Red Jacket Speech to the U.S. Senate. Around 1808 or 1809
Friend and brother; it was the will of the Great Spirit that we should meet together this day. He orders all things, and he has given us a fine day for our council. He has taken his garment from before the sun, and caused it to shine with brightness upon us; our eyes are opened, that we see clearly; our ears are unstopped, that we have been able to hear distinctly the words that you have spoken; for all these favors we thank the Great Spirit, and him only.
Brother, this council fire was kindled by you; it was at your request that we came together at this time; we have listened with attention to what you have said. You requested us to speak our minds freely; this gives us great joy, for we now consider that we stand upright before you, and can speak what we think; all have heard your voice, and all speak to you as one man; our minds are agreed.
Brother, you say you want an answer to your talk before you leave this place. It is right you should have one, as you are a great distance from home, and we do not wish to detain you; but we will first look back a little, and tell you what our fathers have told us, and what we have heard from the white people.
Brother, listen to what we say. There was a time when our forefathers owned this great island. Their seats extended from the rising to the setting sun. The Great Spirit had made it for the use of Indians. He had created the buffalo, the deer, and other animals for food. He made the bear and the beaver, and their skins served us for clothing. He had scattered them over the country, and taught us how to take them. He had caused the earth to produce corn for bread. All this he had done for his red children because he loved them. If we had any disputes about hunting grounds, they were generally settled without the shedding of much blood. But an evil day came upon us; your forefathers crossed the great waters, and landed on this island. Their numbers were small; they found friends, and not enemies; they told us they had fled from their own country for fear of wicked men, and come here to enjoy their religion. They asked for a small seat; we took pity on them, granted their request, and they sat down amongst us; we gave them corn and meat; they gave us poison in return. The white people had now found our country; tidings were carried back, and more came amongst us; yet we did not fear them, we took them to be friends; they called us brothers; we believed them, and gave them a larger seat. At length, their numbers had greatly increased; they wanted more land; they wanted our country. Our eyes were opened, and our minds became uneasy. Wars took place; Indians were hired to fight against Indians, and many of our people were destroyed. They also brought strong liquor among us; it was strong and powerful, and has slain thousands.
Brother, our seats were once large, and yours were very small; you have now become a great people, and we have scarcely a place left to spread our blankets; you have got our country, but are not satisfied; you want to force your religion upon us.
Brother, continue to listen. You say you are sent to instruct us how to worship the Great Spirit agreeably to his mind, and if we do not take hold of the religion which you white people teach, we shall be unhappy hereafter. You say that you are right, and we are lost; how do we know this to be true? We understand that your religion is written in a book; if it was intended for us as well as you, why has not the Great Spirit given it to us, and not only to us, but why did he not give to our forefathers the knowledge of that book, with the means of understanding it rightly? We only know what you tell us about it. How shall we know when to believe, being so often deceived by the white people?
Brother, you say there is but one way to worship and serve the Great Spirit; if there is but one religion, why do you white people differ so much about it? Why not all agree, as you can all read the book?
Brother, we do not understand these things. We are told that your religion was given to your forefathers, and has been handed down from father to son. We also have a religion which was given to our forefathers, and has been handed down to us their children. We worship that way. It teacheth us to be thankful for all the favors we receive; to love each other, and to be united. We never quarrel about religion.
Brother, the Great Spirit has made us all; but he has made a great difference between his white and red children; he has given us a different complexion, and different customs; to you he has given the arts; to these he has not opened our eyes; we know these things to be true. Since he has made so great a difference between us in other things, why may we not conclude that he has given us a different religion according to our understanding. The Great Spirit does right; he knows what is best for his children; we are satisfied.
Brother, we do not wish to destroy your religion, or take it from you; we only want to enjoy our own.
Brother, you say you have not come to get our land or our money, but to enlighten our minds. I will now tell you that I have been at your meetings, and saw you collecting money from the meeting. I cannot tell what this money was intended for, but suppose it was for your minister; and if we should conform to your way of thinking, perhaps you may want some from us.
Brother, we are told that you have been preaching to the white people in this place. These people are our neighbors; we are acquainted with them; we will wait, a little while and see what effect your preaching has upon them. If we find it does them good, makes them honest and less disposed to cheat Indians, we will then consider again what you have said.
Brother, you have now heard our answer to your talk, and this is all we have to say at present. As we are going to part, we will come and take you by the hand, and hope the Great Spirit will protect you on your journey, and return you safe to your friends.
Source: Daniel Drake, Lives of Celebrated American Indians, Boston, Bradbury, Soden & Co. 1843), 283–87.
Now compare that peaceful one to the one presented here by Tecumseh. Although this speech comes to us through a second hand source. It is considered a very reliable one. This one too is written in the early 1800's.
Tecumseh's Speech to the Osages.
[1] Brothers, we all belong to one family; we are all children of the Great Spirit; we walk in the
same path; slake our thirst at the same spring; and now affairs of the greatest concern lead us to
smoke the pipe around the same council fire!
[2] Brothers, we are friends; we must assist each other to bear our burdens. The blood of many of
our fathers and brothers has run like water on the ground, to satisfy the avarice of the white men.
We, ourselves, are threatened with a great evil; nothing will pacify them but the destruction of all
the red men.
[3] Brothers, when the white men first set foot on our grounds, they were hungry; they had no
place on which to spread their blankets, or to kindle their fires. They were feeble; they could do
nothing for themselves. Our fathers commiserated their distress, and shared freely with them
whatever the Great Spirit had given his red children. They gave them food when hungry,
medicine when sick, spread skins for them to sleep on, and gave them grounds, that they might
hunt and raise corn. Brothers, the white people are like poisonous serpents: when chilled, they
are feeble and harmless; but invigorate them with warmth, and they sting their benefactors to
death.
[4] The white people came among us feeble; and now that we have made them strong, they wish
to kill us, or drive us back, as they would wolves and panthers. Brothers, the white men are not
friends to the Indians: at first, they only asked for land sufficient for a wigwam; now, nothing will
satisfy them but the whole of our hunting grounds, from the rising to the setting sun.
2
[5] Brothers, the white men want more than our hunting grounds; they wish to kill our old men,
women, and little ones.
[6] Brothers, many winters ago there was no land; the sun did not rise and set; all was darkness.
The Great Spirit made all things. He gave the white people a home beyond the great waters. He
supplied these grounds with game, and gave them to his red children; and he gave them strength
and courage to defend them.
[7] Brothers, my people wish for peace; the red men all wish for peace; but where the white
people are, there is no peace for them, except it be on the bosom of our mother.
[8] Brothers, the white men despise and cheat the Indians; they abuse and insult them; they do
not think the red men sufficiently good to live. The red men have borne many and great injuries;
they ought to suffer them no longer. My people will not; they are determined on vengeance; they
have taken up the tomahawk; they will make it fat with blood; they will drink the blood of the
white people.
[9] Brothers, my people are brave and numerous; but the white people are too strong for them
alone. I wish you to take up the tomahawk with them. If we all unite, we will cause the rivers to
stain the great waters with their blood.
[10] Brothers, if you do not unite with us, they will first destroy us, and then you will fall an easy
prey to them. They have destroyed many nations of red men, because they were not united,
because they were not friends to each other.
[11] Brothers, The white people send runners amongst us; they wish to make us enemies, that
they may sweep over and desolate our hunting grounds, like devastating winds, or rushing
waters.
[12] Brothers, our Great Father [the King of England] over the great waters is angry with the
white people, our enemies. He will send his brave warriors against them; he will send us rifles,
and whatever else we want—he is our friend, and we are his children.
[13] Brothers, who are the white people that we should fear them? They cannot run fast, and are
good marks to shoot at: they are only men; our fathers have killed many of them: we are not
squaws, and we will stain the earth red with their blood.
[14] Brothers, the Great Spirit is angry with our enemies; he speaks in thunder, and the earth
swallows up villages, and drinks up the Mississippi. The great waters will cover their lowlands;
their corn cannot grow; and the Great Spirit will sweep those who escape to the hills from the
earth with his terrible breath.
[15] Brothers, we must be united; we must smoke the same pipe; we must fight each other’s
battles; and, more than all, we must love the Great Spirit: he is for us; he will destroy our
enemies, and make all his red children happy.
No comments:
Post a Comment