The International Council of 1843

          The International Council of 1843, John Mix Stanley

          In 1826 federal commissioners made the following promise to the Chickasaws:

          Your Father the President proposes to give his Chickasaw children a fine tract of country on the other side of the Mississippi River... By removing to that country, you will be freed from the intrusions and interruptions of your white brethren. You will then be enabled to live in peace and quietness...The Government will guarantee to you and your children forever the possession of your country, and will protect and defend you against all your enemies.

          When the Chickasaws and other "civilized" tribes arrived in Indian Territory, the situation in the Territory was chaotic. The U. S. Army's heroic expedition of 1834, described in Gunpandama, Part 2, posted Jan. 30, 2011, had little effect on the turmoil. On the return of the 1834 expedition, the Osage Chief, Black Dog, demanded additional payment for their hostage Gunpandama, saying that if they weren't paid they would send a war party to recapture her. Col. Dodge paid them out of his own money. When the representatives of the western tribes came to Fort Gibson later in 1834, they were not impressed by the power of the United States military. A Kiowa chief was surprised that the U. S. soldiers did not have more horses. Some of the delegates from the western tribes died on the way home and later claimed that they had been poisoned by lightning shooting from the eyes of one of the US commissioners - he wore glasses.

          The Osage continued to raid the farms of the Creek and Cherokee, and the Comanche and Kickapoo raided the Chickasaw and Choctaw. The western tribes complained because the Creeks were hunting buffalo on the prairie. It was the opinion of the Pani-maha that the stench of the Creeks was driving the buffalo away. The Pawnee and Caddo attacked the Wichita. The Delaware stole horses from the Comanche. The Comanche were at war with Osage.  The Kansan were at war with the Pawnee. The Kickapoo and Osage were at war with the Pani-maha.

          In addition to these conflicts, Black Hawk was trying to recruit the western tribes to join his war against the white settlers in Illinois. In 1837 the U. S. government promised the Choctaws $272 to go to Florida and fight the Seminoles, and then they reneged, leaving a large number of Choctaw warriors ready to fight. These warriors started negotiating with the Mexican government to fight against the rebellious white settlers in Texas in exchange for land. The Comanches and other tribes were raiding white settlements in Texas, and also trying to form an alliance of tribes to wage a general war on the United States. The Texans, convinced that no Indians were to be trusted, raided Chickasaw and Choctaw farms in Indian Territory, and in 1839 the Texas Rangers attacked a settlement of peaceful Cherokee farmers at Natchitoches, killing 100 and sending the remaining 1500 fleeing for their lives. The Chickasaws did what they could to help these miserable refugees as they crossed their domain on the way to join their kinsmen in Indian Territory.

          The Five Civilized Tribes had taken advantage of some of the benefits of civilization, but they hadn't forgotten their roots. At the time of the Removal they were already familiar with some of the tribes in the west. Their hunting parties had been making trips west for many years because of the lack of game in their eastern domains, and large groups of Cherokees and also Creeks had settled there before the rest of their people were forced to follow them.

          While the U. S. Government was saber rattling and making fools of themselves, the immigrant tribes were approaching their western brothers with respect and diplomacy. They hosted many conferences and made many agreements independent of the government's bungling efforts. One of these conferences was the International Council of 1843, or the Council of 18 Tribes.

          The Council was held on the Cherokee Council Grounds, built in 1839 on the site of the present town of Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The Council Grounds were used for meetings of the Cherokee legislature and for general meetings of Cherokee citizens. In preparation for the Council of 18 Tribes, the Cherokees had built 30 cabins to accommodate the visitors in addition to two larger buildings which were used by the Cherokee legislature. They also constructed a large shed roofed with three foot boards split by hand for the Council sessions. Messengers had been sent out with wampum to 36 tribes, from the far north to the Rocky Mountains. 18 tribes attended: The Chickasaw, Choctaw, Cherokee, Creek and Seminole, Osage, Delaware, Shawnee, Kickapoo, Iowa, Potawatomi, Chippewa, Stockbridge, Wichita, Piankashaw, Miami, Seneca, Peoria, and Ottawa. In accordance with tradition, the tribes didn=t just send representatives, they came in large groups. 3000 - 4000 gathered each day to attend the sessions.

          Representatives of the U. S. Government were invited, among them General Zachary Taylor, commander of Fort Washita, and Pierce Butler, the Cherokee agent. Some of the white people seemed puzzled by the Indians' initiative. The Agent Butler wrote in a letter to the commissioner of Indian Affairs:

          As far as I can learn their object, it is to renew old customs and friendships and to enact some international laws for the government of each and all.  

                               Black Dog, Osage Chief

          Prominent leaders from each tribe attended. Some notables included ninety year old Chief Wau-bon-sa, of the Potawatomi, who came all the way from Iowa. Pah-que-sah-ah, son of Tecumseh, represented the Shawnee. Big Soldier, an Osage who had spent 3 yrs in Europe, was there. He had medal that had been given to him by Lafayette. Another Osage attending the council, Black Dog, was almost 7 ft tall. The painter John Mix Stanley painted portraits of the leaders, and a large painting of the gathering which is now displayed at the Smithsonian Institute. 

          The Cherokees, hosts of the conference, provided food for all. A Methodist missionary gave sermons on Saturdays and Sundays. Also on Saturdays there were stick ball games. There was trading and bartering between the tribes. The Cherokees destroyed 1700 gallons of whiskey in order to prevent drunkenness.  One evening the Iowas began a procession that was soon joined by many. The Iowas led the procession around the entire gathering, singing and dancing and playing on flutes at each campsite, giving a loud whoop at the end of each performance before moving on to the next camp.    

          The thousands of Indians were dressed in their best finery. The men=s faces were painted, and the men and women=s hair was adorned by feathers. Some wore hats or turbans on their heads. Ornaments were worn in the nose and ears. The clothing was varied and colorful, from calico hunting shirts and pantaloons, to beaded buckskin leggings or dresses, to simple breechclouts. Colorful sashes, shawls, and blankets were in abundance. The Iowas wore little bells that jingled when they walked.

          The conference lasted four weeks. Meetings started about 3 o=clock in the afternoon, and were held with great dignity. The Chiefs sat in a great circle with the Delaware, acknowledged to be the most ancient tribe, occupying a favored place. A table was placed in the center for wampum and peace pipes. There were interpreters for each tribe, and each speech was translated, sentence by sentence, the speaker waiting until each tribe signaled understanding before he continued. John Ross, chief of the Cherokee, was the first to speak:

          Brothers, when we look back to the history of our race we see some green spots that are pleasing to us. We also see many things to make our hearts sad. When we look back on the days when the first council fires were kindled, around which the pipe of peace was smoked, we are grateful to our Creator for having united the hearts of the red men in peace; for it is in peace only that our women and children can enjoy happiness and increase in numbers. By peace our condition has been improved in the pursuits of civilized life. We should, therefore, extend the hand of peace from tribe to tribe, till peace is established between every nation of red men within the reach of our voice.  

          Brothers, when we call to mind the early associations which endeared us to the land that gave birth to our forefathers, where we were brought up in peace to taste the blessings of civilized life; when we see that our fires have there been extinguished, and our families been removed to a new and distant home, we can not but feel sorry. But the designs of Providence are mysterious: and we should not, therefore, despair of once more enjoying the blessings of peace in our new home.

          Brothers, by this removal tribes hitherto distant from each other have become

neighbors, and those hitherto unacquainted have become known to each other. There are, however, numerous other tribes with whom we are still strangers.

          Brothers, it is for renewing in the West the ancient talk of our forefathers, and of perpetuating forever the old pipe of peace, and of extending them from nation to nation, and of adopting such international laws as may redress the wrongs done by the people of our respective tribes to each other, that you have been invited to attend the present Council. Let us, therefore, so act that the peace which existed between our forefathers may be pursued, and that we may always live as members of the same family.

          Many others followed in addressing the group. One of the most notable being George Lowery, second chief of the Cherokee, who related a legend about how peace between the tribes had first been devised. He told of how a Shawnee messenger had come to the Cherokee, in a place also known as Tah-le-quah. According to the legend, the Shawnee messenger had started a fire which was to burn for eternity, and was to symbolize an agreement between the tribes to live together in peace. The messenger had left the fire with the Cherokee, who were then responsible for sharing this Atalk@ among all tribes.

          The delegates signed a treaty, pledging friendship, abjuring revenge and retaliation, and agreeing on the need to establish separate territories for each tribe in order that their people might improve in agriculture, manufacture and domestic arts. They also pledged not to cede any lands to the United States without the consent of the other tribes. There were clauses providing for punishment of offenders between tribes, and for extradition of offenders and restoration of stolen goods. They also agreed to repress the use of spirits, and not to introduce them into each other=s nations.

                       Osage Scalp Dance, John Mix Stanley

          The patience and bravery of the leaders of the Five Civilized Tribes is illustrated by an event which took place just two months following the end of the Council of 18

Tribes. Again it was the Osage who caused the trouble. The Osage had long been engaged in a war with the Pani-maha tribe, who incidentally had not attended the peace conference. When the Osage chief, Black Dog, found out that a group of Pani-maha had traded most of their guns to the Comanches and were unarmed, he sent out a war party against them. The party brought back 9 scalps and a woman captive. Black Dog then invited the Kickapoos to join him in continuing the war. Chief Roley McIntosh, of the Creeks, went personally to the Kickapoo camp, and bravely interrupted their war dance to remind them of their obligations under the treaty. He managed to convince them to agree to attend another conference at the Creek Council grounds in September to settle their differences with the Pani-maha, and he immediately sent out runners to invite the other tribes. 

          The immigrant tribes understood their western brothers. They knew what formalities needed to be followed in Councils to insure that every participant was shown the respect due to the leader of a nation. They understood that the relationships between Native American nations required more than just treaties. Each tribe needed guarantees that they would be secure from attack, and that they would have access to the game, corn and other supplies they needed to survive. They knew that required regular meetings and changes in agreements to fit the constantly changing situation.

          The efforts of the immigrant tribes to promote peace certainly prevented many deaths, not only among their own people but also among the white settlers.