Speech of Captain Meriwether Lewis to the Otto Indians
8/4/1804
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Transcript
To the petit voleur, or wear-ruge-not, the great Chief of the Ottoe to the Chiefs and warriors of the Ottoes, and the chiefs and warriors of the Missouri nation residing with the Ottoes-Children.- Convene from among you the old men of experience; the men on the wisdom of whose judgement you are willing to risk the future happenings of your nations; and the warriors, to the strength of those arms you have been taught to look for protection in the day of danger.-when in Council tranquilly assembled, reflect on the times past, and that to come’ do not deceive yourselves, nor suffer others to deceive you; but like men and warriors devoted to the real interest of their nations, seek those truth, which can alone perpetuate its happenings.
Children.- Commissioned and sent by the great chief of the Seventeen great nations of America, we have come to inform you, as we go also to inform all that nations of red men who inhabit the borders of the Missouri, that a great council was lately held between this great chief of the Seventeen great nations of America, and your old father the French and Spanish, and that in this great council it was agreed that all the white men of Louisiana, inhabiting the waters of the Missouri and Mississippi should obey the commands of this great chief; he has accordingly adopted them and his children and they
are to live in peace with all the white man, for they are his children, neither wage war against the red men your neighbors, for they are equally his children and he is bound to protect them. Injure not the persons of any traders who may come among you, neither destroy nor take their property from them by force; more particularly those traders who visit you under the protection of your great father’s flag. Do not obstruct the passage of any boat, pirogue, or other vessel, which may be ascending or descending the Missouri River, more especially such as may be under cover of your great fathers flag neither injure any red or white man on board such vessels as may possess the flag, for by thou signed your may know them to be good men, and that they do not intend to injure you, they are therefore to be treated as friends, and as the common children of one great father, (the great chief of the Seventeen great nations of America.-
Children.- Do these things which your great father advises and be happy. Avoid the councils of bad birds turn on your heel from them as your could from the precipice of an high rock, whose summit reached the clouds, and whose base was weathered by the gulph of human woes; lest by one false step you should bring upon your nation the displeasure of your great father, the great chief of the Seventeen great nations of America, who could consume you as the fire consumes the grass of the plains. The mouths of all the rivers through which the traders bring goods to you are in his possession, and
and if you displease him he could at pleasure shut them up and prevent his traders from coming among you; and this would of course bring all the Calamities of want upon you, but it is not the wish of your great father to injure you, on the contrary he is now pursuing the measures best calculated to induce your happiness.
Children.- If you open your ears to the councils of your great father, the great chief of the seventeen great nations of America, & strictly pursue the advice which he has now given you through us, he will as soon as possible after our return, send a store of goods to te mouth of the river Platte to trade with you for your peltries and furs; these goods will be furnished you annually in a regular manner, and in such quantities as will be equal to your necessities. You will then obtain goods on much better terms than you have ever received them heretofore.
Children. - As it will necessarily take some time before we can return, and your great father send and establish his store of goods; he will permit your old traders who reside among you, or who annually visit you, to continue to trade with you, provided they give you good Council.
Children.- We are now on a long journey to the head of the Missouri; the length of this journey compelled us to load our boat and progress with provision, we have therefore brought but very few goods as presents for yourselves or any other nations which
which we may meet on our way. We are no traders, but have come to consult you on the subject of your trade; to open the road and prepare the way, in order that our nation may here after receive a regular and plentiful supply of goods.
Children.- We are sorry that your absence from your town prevented our seeing your great chief and yourselves; it would have given us much pleasure to have spoken to you personally’ but as the cold season is fast advancing, and we have a long distance to travel, we could not wait your return,.
Children.-If you r great chief wishes to see your great father and speak with him, he can readily do so. Let your chief engage some trader who may reside with you the ensuing winter, to take him and four of his principal chiefs or warriors with him to St. Louis when he returns thither on the ensuing spring; your great chief may take with him also an interpreter of his own choice, who shall be well paid for his services by your great father’s Chiefs; the trader will also be well paid for his services by the Commandant at St. Louis. The commandant at St. Louis will furnish you with the necessary number of horses, and all other means to make your journey from thence to your great father’s town comfortable and safe.
Children.- In order that the Commandant at St. Louis, as well as your great father, and all his chiefs may know you, you must take with you the flag, the medal, and this parcel which we now send you. When your great father and his chiefs see those things they will know
know that you have opened your ears to your great father’s voice, and have come to hear this good Councils.
Our oldest son the wear-ruge-nor. If the situation of your nation is such that you cannot with propriety leave them, you may send some of your principal men not exceeding five to see your great father and hear his words. You must give them authority to act for you and your nation. Your great father will receive them and his children, give them good councils, and send them back loaded with presents for their nation; your nation would then see that we have now told you is true, and that the great chief of the Seventeen great nations of America never sends his red children from him to return with empty hands to their village.
Our oldest son the wear-ruge-nor. Whomsoever you send to your great father must carry the flag and the parole, in order that your great father and his chief may know that they have come to see them by our invitation. Send them also all the flags and medals which you may have received from your old fathers the French and the Spanish, or from any other nation whatever, your father will give you new flags and new medals of his own in exchange for those that you send him. It is not proper since you have become the children of the great chief of the Seventeen great nations of America that you should wear or keep.
Talk of Capt. Lewis to the Oto Nation
accompanying Gen Wilkinson's letter of August 25th 1805
This primary source comes from the Records of the Office of the Secretary of War.
National Archives Identifier: 4662548
Full Citation: Speech of Captain Meriwether Lewis to the Otto Indians; 8/4/1804; W-841; Letters Received, 1801 - 1889; Records of the Office of the Secretary of War, Record Group 107; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/lewis-speech-otto, April 17, 2025]Activities that use this document
- Lewis & Clark's Expedition to the Complex West
Created by the National Archives Education Team
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