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The Blackhawk War BY HENRY LITTLE, 1875
According to the estimation of our Indians, the Pottawattomies, Ottawas, Winnebagoes, and Chippewa Indians, were me-jash-me-sha-shin (very good, or "much good"). While adjudged. by the same standard, the Saukies, Fox, and the Sioux Indians were mee-ali-nett Nish-a-nob-bies (bad Indians). They said that if they came here they would kin-na-poo (kill) them. They also said that if we were going to make war upon the Saukies, they would mar-chee kin-chi-mo-ka-man niu pop-se-si-gon, kin-a-poo mee-ah-nett
Saukies (to march with the whites and carry their rifles with which to kill the bad Saukies).
Those Indians were a protecting wall of defense on all sides of us, to sound the note of alarm upon the first indications of danger. A mutual dependence upon each other existed between the whites and the Indians. We wanted their venison, buckskins, fish, berries, honey, beeswax, deer's tallow, etc., and they wanted our corn, potatoes, pumpkins, melons, flour, meal, bread, and many other things. If the missionaries to the Indians who were stationed at Grand River and at Niles, were capable of exerting any influence over the Indians, that influence would certainly be in our favor.
If the Saukies attempted to visit us, that must have been effected by passing a distance of more than two hundred miles, which was then thickly inhabited all the way by their old bitter enemies.
Michigan
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