Some powder and ball to hunt with, and leave old Mr. Durion with us to
get us a trader
My Father.--The Spaniards did not keep the Medal of the Token of our
Great Chief when they gave him one You have Dressed him and I like it I
am pore & take pitey on me
My fathers--I am glad you have put heart in our great Chief he can now
speak with confidence, I will support him in all your Councilsafter all
the chief presented the pipe to us
The Half man rose & spoke as follows viz.
My father--What you have Said is well, but you have not given any thing
to the attendants of the Great Chiefs after which
In the evening late we gave Mr. Dorion a bottle of whiskey and himself
with the Chiefs Crossed the river and Camped on the opposit bank Soon
after a violent Wind from the N W. accompanied with rain
[Clark, August 31, 1804]
31st of August
We gave a Certificate to two Men of War, attendants on the Chief gave
to all the Chiefs a Carrot of Tobacco--had a talk with Mr. Dorion, who
agreed to Stay and Collect the Chiefs from as many Bands of Soux as he
coud this fall & bring about a peace between the Sciuex & their
neighbours &. &c. &c.
after Dinner we gave Mr. Peter Darion, a Comission to act with a flag &
some Cloathes & Provisions & instructions to bring about a peace with
the Scioux Mahars, Panies, Ponceries, Ottoes & Missouries--and to
employ any trader to take Some of the Cheifs of each or as many of
those nations as he Could Perticularly the Sceiouex--I took a
Vocabulary of the Scioux Language--and the Answer to a fiew quaries
Such as refured to ther Situation, Trade, number War, &c. &c.--This
Nation is Divided into 20 Tribes, possessing Seperate interests-
Collectively they are noumerous Say from 2 to 3000 men, their interests
are so unconnected that Some bands are at war with Nations which other
bands are on the most friendly terms. This Great Nation who the French
has given the nickname of Sciouex, Call them selves Dar co tar their
language is not peculiarly their own, they Speak a great number of
words, which is the Same in every respect with the Maha, Poncaser,
Osarge & Kanzies. which Clearly proves that those nation at Some Period
not more that a century or two past the Same nation--Those Dar ca ter's
or Scioux inhabit or rove over the Countrey on the Red river of Lake
Winipeck, St. Peter's & the West of the Missippie above Prarie De chain
heads of River Demoin, and the Missouri and its waters on the N. Side
for a great extent. They are only at peace with 8 Nations, & agreeable
to their Calculation at war with twenty odd.--Their trade Corns from
the British, except this Band and one on Demoin who trade with the
Traders of St Louis--The furnish Beaver Martain, Loues Pikon, Bear and
Deer Skins-and have about 40 Traders among them. The Dar co tar or
Sceouex rove & follow the Buffalow raise no corn or any thing else the
woods & praries affording a Suffcency, the eat Meat, and Substitute the
Ground potato which grow in the Plains for bread The names of the
Different Tribes or Canoes of the Sceoux or Dar co tar Nation
1st Che cher ree Yank ton (or bois rulay) now present inhabit the
Sciouex & Demoin rivers and the Jacques.
2nd Hoin de borto (Poles) they rove on the heads of Souix & Jacqus
Rivers-
3rd Me ma car jo (make fence of the river) rove on the Countrey near
the big bend of the Missouries
4th Sou on, Teton (People of the Prarie) the rove in the Plains N. of
the Riv Missouries above this
5th Wau pa coo tar (Leaf beds) the live near the Prare de Chain near
the Missippi
6th Te tar ton (or village of Prarie) rove on the waters of the
Mississippi above Prarie de Chain
7th Ne was tar ton (big water Town) rove on the Missippi above the St.
Peters River