Post by gregor on Sept 6, 2015 12:33:50 GMT -5
The Yankton and the Yanktonai are somehow neglected entities among the Sioux. Lately i occupied myself with the Yanktons and some of their more or less known leaders.
I compiled some information on some leaders. Here comes the first.
Smutty Bear Yankton
Mato Sabiceya
(1790? - 1865)
Smutty Bear or Mato Sabiceya, a Yankton chief, was a strong defender and believer in tribal sovereignty. He was the leader of the so-called Igmu or Cat People band. Mato Sabiceya which has been said to mean He Paints Himself Dark Like A Bear, an Ihanktonwan or Yankton chief, was the signer of four treaties. He signed the Treaty of 1825, the Fourth Treaty of Prairie Du Chien of 1830, the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 and the Treaty of 1858. The different spellings of Smutty Bear's name, following the chronological order of the treaties, are as follows: Maw-too-an-be-kin, Matto-sa-becha, Mak-toe-sah-bi-chis and Ma-to-sa-be-che-a.
After his Sioux campaign in September 1855 General William S. Harney went to Fort Pierre, where he invited Sioux leaders to negotiations. In 1856 head chief Struck-By-the-Ree and Smutty Bear negotiated with Harney at Fort Pierre, when the Yankton leaders drafted a petition to President Franklin Pierce asking for funds that were due from previous treaties. After the so called (and never ratificated) “Harney Treaty” Smutty Bear was member of a Yankton delegation under Struck-By-the-Ree to Washington in 1857. Another member was Charles F. Picotte (1830 – 1896), son of trader Honoré Picotte and Eagle Woman (Mrs. Mathilda Picotte-Galpin, a sister or niece of Struck-By-the-Ree), who was the key interpreter and negotiator on the Yankton side. The negotiator on the government side was commissioner Charles E. Mix.
In April 1858, Struck-By-the-Ree, Smutty Bear and fourteen other head men of the Yankton tribe visited Washington again to negotiate a treaty. Smutty Bear and others argued against the treaty. But after some extensive pressure – and the assurance to give the Pipestone Quarry to the Yankton people - Smutty Bear signed too. Under this treaty we find sixteen names of Yankton chiefs. Twelve – representing the four lower Yankton bands and main supporters - signed themselves. Three names (Medicine Cow, White Swan and Pretty Boy) represented the upper Yanktons, but these men did not sign. Their mark was made by “their duly authorized delegate and representative Charles F. Picotte”! And the last signatory was Picotte himself, who received some land (640 acres at the future at the future Yankton townside!) for his service. In this treaty the Yankton relinquished to the United States Government the lands between the Big Sioux and the Missouri Rivers except 400,000 acres lying in today’s Charles Mix County, which was reserved as a home for the Yankton Sioux. This treaty was ratified by the US Congress on February 26, 1859.
Not all Sioux, especially Yanktons, were satisfied with the treaty as signed in Washington and the discontented ones objected to leave the valleys of the Sioux, Brule and James Rivers where there was plenty of timber and where the hunting, trapping and fishing were good. Smutty Bear supported these malcontents, but his influence was waning. In July 1859 Alexander H. Redfield, the Indian agent, arrived at Smutty Bear’s camp – today’s Yankton city - on board the “Wayfarer”. A little feast was served and Redfield explained that the “big distribution of supplies” would take place at the reservation in Charles Mix County. Smutty Bear's arguments and influence were forgotten and the tribe moved quickly to their new home. Interestingly Redfield noted in his diary that Smutty Bear's band were living in earth lodges or log cabins and that they were raising corn.
Already in 1848 Smutty Bear complained about the disintegrating influence of American merchant mentality to an Indian agent (and asked to remove the traders from their country):
“We are called chiefs but we are only chiefs in name. Our power has departed we no longer have influence with our tribe. The young men are fools have no ears for they no longer listen to us. … Our Grand Father gave us medals. We were proud of them. They commanded respect and gave us influence with our people but the traders soon flooded the country with medals giving and selling them to the young men until they have quite all become chiefs and great men. They have refused to listen to our advice but do as they please. We have laid aside our medals as they are no longer of any use to us.”
Smutty Bear, a Yankton Sioux chief, 1848
There is little to almost nothing known about Smutty Bear’s family. One daughter was called Red Blanket and some descendants live under the name Stricker. It is said that Elisha Dillon (b. 1838, Nebraska) aka Hotaninna (Voice That Can Be Heard), Red Horse or Little Horse was his grandson.
He died about 1865 and Jumping Thunder (1830? - 1901) succeeded Smutty Bear as leader of the Igmu band of Yanktons.
What else do we know on Smutty Bear?
to be continued. Toksha, Gregor
I compiled some information on some leaders. Here comes the first.
Smutty Bear Yankton
Mato Sabiceya
(1790? - 1865)
Smutty Bear or Mato Sabiceya, a Yankton chief, was a strong defender and believer in tribal sovereignty. He was the leader of the so-called Igmu or Cat People band. Mato Sabiceya which has been said to mean He Paints Himself Dark Like A Bear, an Ihanktonwan or Yankton chief, was the signer of four treaties. He signed the Treaty of 1825, the Fourth Treaty of Prairie Du Chien of 1830, the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 and the Treaty of 1858. The different spellings of Smutty Bear's name, following the chronological order of the treaties, are as follows: Maw-too-an-be-kin, Matto-sa-becha, Mak-toe-sah-bi-chis and Ma-to-sa-be-che-a.
After his Sioux campaign in September 1855 General William S. Harney went to Fort Pierre, where he invited Sioux leaders to negotiations. In 1856 head chief Struck-By-the-Ree and Smutty Bear negotiated with Harney at Fort Pierre, when the Yankton leaders drafted a petition to President Franklin Pierce asking for funds that were due from previous treaties. After the so called (and never ratificated) “Harney Treaty” Smutty Bear was member of a Yankton delegation under Struck-By-the-Ree to Washington in 1857. Another member was Charles F. Picotte (1830 – 1896), son of trader Honoré Picotte and Eagle Woman (Mrs. Mathilda Picotte-Galpin, a sister or niece of Struck-By-the-Ree), who was the key interpreter and negotiator on the Yankton side. The negotiator on the government side was commissioner Charles E. Mix.
In April 1858, Struck-By-the-Ree, Smutty Bear and fourteen other head men of the Yankton tribe visited Washington again to negotiate a treaty. Smutty Bear and others argued against the treaty. But after some extensive pressure – and the assurance to give the Pipestone Quarry to the Yankton people - Smutty Bear signed too. Under this treaty we find sixteen names of Yankton chiefs. Twelve – representing the four lower Yankton bands and main supporters - signed themselves. Three names (Medicine Cow, White Swan and Pretty Boy) represented the upper Yanktons, but these men did not sign. Their mark was made by “their duly authorized delegate and representative Charles F. Picotte”! And the last signatory was Picotte himself, who received some land (640 acres at the future at the future Yankton townside!) for his service. In this treaty the Yankton relinquished to the United States Government the lands between the Big Sioux and the Missouri Rivers except 400,000 acres lying in today’s Charles Mix County, which was reserved as a home for the Yankton Sioux. This treaty was ratified by the US Congress on February 26, 1859.
Not all Sioux, especially Yanktons, were satisfied with the treaty as signed in Washington and the discontented ones objected to leave the valleys of the Sioux, Brule and James Rivers where there was plenty of timber and where the hunting, trapping and fishing were good. Smutty Bear supported these malcontents, but his influence was waning. In July 1859 Alexander H. Redfield, the Indian agent, arrived at Smutty Bear’s camp – today’s Yankton city - on board the “Wayfarer”. A little feast was served and Redfield explained that the “big distribution of supplies” would take place at the reservation in Charles Mix County. Smutty Bear's arguments and influence were forgotten and the tribe moved quickly to their new home. Interestingly Redfield noted in his diary that Smutty Bear's band were living in earth lodges or log cabins and that they were raising corn.
Already in 1848 Smutty Bear complained about the disintegrating influence of American merchant mentality to an Indian agent (and asked to remove the traders from their country):
“We are called chiefs but we are only chiefs in name. Our power has departed we no longer have influence with our tribe. The young men are fools have no ears for they no longer listen to us. … Our Grand Father gave us medals. We were proud of them. They commanded respect and gave us influence with our people but the traders soon flooded the country with medals giving and selling them to the young men until they have quite all become chiefs and great men. They have refused to listen to our advice but do as they please. We have laid aside our medals as they are no longer of any use to us.”
Smutty Bear, a Yankton Sioux chief, 1848
There is little to almost nothing known about Smutty Bear’s family. One daughter was called Red Blanket and some descendants live under the name Stricker. It is said that Elisha Dillon (b. 1838, Nebraska) aka Hotaninna (Voice That Can Be Heard), Red Horse or Little Horse was his grandson.
He died about 1865 and Jumping Thunder (1830? - 1901) succeeded Smutty Bear as leader of the Igmu band of Yanktons.
What else do we know on Smutty Bear?
to be continued. Toksha, Gregor
