American Indian Council's Response to Little Turtle's War, 1794
Soon after the American Revolution, the new national government chalked up a great victory for the forces of expansionism in the Treaty of Fort McIntosh (1785). The Ojibwes (Chippewas), Delawares, Ottawas, and Wyandots signed away most of the territory of the future state of Ohio. For the next three decades, the Ohio country would be the focal point of settler expansion. Yet much of the land never belonged to the nations named in the treaty. Tribes who had historically occupied the lands immediately protested. (Even the Native signatory rejected the document, claiming that he had been deceived.) Led by the Miami chief Little Turtle, the Shawnee, Miami, and Potawatomi formed a new alliance known as the Northwest Indian Confederation; the war they launched against the United States was Little Turtle’s War (1790–94). A rare Native victory obliged the United States to enter peace talks. Among other proposals for resolving the land crisis, in July 1793 a US commission offered to pay for some of the lands under dispute. The American Indian council responded in August:
Brothers: You tell us that, after you had made peace with the King, our father [i.e., George III],10 about ten years ago, “it remained to make peace between the United States and the Indian Nations who had taken part with the King. For this purpose, commissioners were appointed, who sent messages to all those Indian nations, inviting them to come and make peace.” … Treaties were held at Fort Stanwix, Fort McIntosh, and Miami, all which treaties, according to your own acknowledgment, were for the sole purpose of making peace[. And] you then say: “Brothers, the commissioners who conducted these treaties … sent the papers containing them to the general council of the States, who, supposing them satisfactory to the nations treated with, proceeded to dispose of the lands thereby ceded.”
Brothers: This is telling us plainly what we always understood to be the case, and it agrees with the declaration of those few who attended those treaties, viz: That they went to meet your commissioners to make peace; but, through fear, were obliged to sign any paper that was laid before them; and it has since appeared that deeds of cession were signed by them, instead of treaties of peace.
Brothers: Money, to us, is of no value; and to most of us unknown: and as no consideration whatever can induce us to sell the lands on which we get sustenance for our women and children, we hope we may be allowed to point out a mode by which your settlers may be easily removed, and peace thereby obtained
Brothers: We know that these settlers are poor, or they would never have ventured to live in a country which has been in continual trouble ever since they crossed the Ohio. Divide, therefore, this large sum of money, which you have offered to us, among these people. Give to each, also, a proportion of what you say you would give to us, annually, over and above this very large sum of money; and we are persuaded they would most readily accept of it, in lieu of the lands you sold them. If you add also the great sums you must expend in raising and paying Armies, with a view to force us to yield you our country, you will certainly have more than sufficient for the purposes of repaying these settlers for all their labour and their improvements.
Brothers: You have talked to us about concessions. It appears strange that you should expect any from us, who have only been defending our just rights against your invasions. We want peace. Restore to us our country, and we shall be Enemies no longer. …
Look back, and review the lands from whence we have been driven to this spot. We can retreat no farther, because the country behind hardly affords food for its present inhabitants; and we have, therefore, resolved to leave our bones in this small space to which we are now confined.
Brothers: This is telling us plainly what we always understood to be the case, and it agrees with the declaration of those few who attended those treaties, viz: That they went to meet your commissioners to make peace; but, through fear, were obliged to sign any paper that was laid before them; and it has since appeared that deeds of cession were signed by them, instead of treaties of peace.
Brothers: Money, to us, is of no value; and to most of us unknown: and as no consideration whatever can induce us to sell the lands on which we get sustenance for our women and children, we hope we may be allowed to point out a mode by which your settlers may be easily removed, and peace thereby obtained
Brothers: We know that these settlers are poor, or they would never have ventured to live in a country which has been in continual trouble ever since they crossed the Ohio. Divide, therefore, this large sum of money, which you have offered to us, among these people. Give to each, also, a proportion of what you say you would give to us, annually, over and above this very large sum of money; and we are persuaded they would most readily accept of it, in lieu of the lands you sold them. If you add also the great sums you must expend in raising and paying Armies, with a view to force us to yield you our country, you will certainly have more than sufficient for the purposes of repaying these settlers for all their labour and their improvements.
Brothers: You have talked to us about concessions. It appears strange that you should expect any from us, who have only been defending our just rights against your invasions. We want peace. Restore to us our country, and we shall be Enemies no longer. …
Look back, and review the lands from whence we have been driven to this spot. We can retreat no farther, because the country behind hardly affords food for its present inhabitants; and we have, therefore, resolved to leave our bones in this small space to which we are now confined.
Background Text courtesy of Teaching American History with Primary Sources [NPS, Public Domain]
Primary Source Text in the Public Domain
Primary Source Text in the Public Domain