and the Missouri River. The land owned here by the Indians was a long, narrow belt of country, separated from the rest of the Indian country by the Missouri River. The importance of it to the State of Missouri was evident—an “obvious convenience and necessity.” The citizens of Missouri made representations to this effect; and though the President is said to have been “unwilling to assent, as it would be in disregard of the guarantee given to the Indians in the Treaty of Prairie du Chien, and might be considered by them as the first step in a series of efforts to obtain possession of their new country,” he nevertheless consented that the question of such a cession should be submitted to them. Accordingly, negotiations were opened, and nearly all the Indians who had rights in these lands, “seeing that from their local position they could never be made available for Indian purposes,” relinquished them.[1]
In 1837 the Government invited deputations of chiefs from many of the principal tribes to come to Washington. It was “believed to be important to exhibit” to them “the strength of the nation they would have to contend with” if they ventured to attack our borders, “and at the same time to impress upon them the advantages which flow from civilization.” Among these chiefs came thirty chiefs and headmen of the Sioux; and, being duly “impressed,” as was most natural, concluded treaties by which they ceded to the United States “all their land east of the Mississippi River, and all their islands in the same.” These chiefs all belonged to the Medawakanton band, “community of the Mysterious Lakes.”
The price of this cession was $300,000, to be invested for them, and the interest upon this sum, at five per cent., to be paid to them “annually forever;” $110,000 to be distributed among the persons of mixed blood in the tribe; $90,000 to be
- ↑ For this relinquishment the Government gave to the Lower Sioux presents to the amount of $400, and to the upper bands $530 in goods.
