TEXAS INDIAN PAPERS, 1844-1845
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while here you talk of peace. I hope you all will stick to the wr.ite words and the white path long as the streams will run or sun will shine. it will be better for our women, children and chiefs. The Great Spirit looks down on us all as one race of children. he has given a big white feather to his chiefs to sweep up the white path, so that our children when they are born and open first their eyes, may see the white path plain before them, as our great chiefs did of old. They made, like us, a white path, that their children might not be lost. The Great Spirit did not place us here for war but peace. Waco and Tawakoni chiefs, I have heard your talks of peace, and I hope you will stick to them. my words will last as long as the streams will run or the sun will shine. I have long been telling our great men and chiefs stick to peace. by here talking of lasting peace when we die it will be better for our women and children. My grand children, the Waco, I am sorry to see the difficulty you have got in s"ince the treaty. I am sorry you did not stick to it. had you done right from the first you would not now feel sorry. look to my other grand children, the Caddo, Anadarko, Ioni, Shaw- nee, etc. they were the first to make a Treaty: they will be the last to break it. I hope you will now do better, other tribes will turn against you if you dont do right. We will try you one year more. if you do well we will all feel different towards you, and if you stick to peace our people and all the other Tribes will then feel glad. you are the cause of this Treaty moving on so slow. to you, my other brothers I feel as towards my own peo- p1e. I hope this Treaty may prove lasting. Talk oj Bedi the Joni Chief. "Hear all : an Ioni now speaks; red brothers listen. I am an Ioni, and we are now but few. our old chiefs have all gone. I have no chief. I am about to speak to you as my brothers have. I have seen Houston and talked with him. I remained near him a day and a night. he gave me a paper, but that I left at home. My body, only, I brought here. I don't talk much, the old people of my race are all dead and I stand here the oldest. I have heard my white and red brothers all speak and I feel like them. Houston has said we must all both red and white be brothers. we can hunt and find plenty of game. by so doing we shall have plenty to eat, and be glad."
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