Post by Rivergal on Jun 18, 2012 10:32:19 GMT -6
James Lockwood, fur trader based at Prairie du Chien, weighs in on the native chiefs of the Midwest and the locations of the tribes in his time:
"Of the different Indian tribes that visited and traded more or less at Prairie du Chien, there were the Menomonees from Green Bay, who frequently wintered on the Mississippi; the Chippewas, who resided on the headwaters of the Chippewa & Black rivers; the Foxes, who had a large village where Cassville now stands, called Penah-i.e.Turkey; the Sauks, who resided about Galena & Dubuque; the Winnebagoes, who resided on the Wisconsin River; the Iowas, who then had a village on the Upper Iowa River; Wabashaw's band of Sioux, who resided on a beautiful prairie on the Iowa side of the Mississippi, about 120 miles above Prairie du Chien, with occasionally a Kickapoo & Pottawattamie...There was, when I first visited the country, a band of Indians who had their village on a prairie on the west bank of the Mississippi, where the village of Winona, which means the eldest daughter, now stands, about 120 miles above Prairie du Chien. The chief was called Wa-ba-shaw; he was a very sensible Indian and was truly one of nature's noblemen. Although only chief of his band, he had great influence with the other chiefs. Above Winona was another large band of Indians, who had their village on the west bank of the Mississippi, where the Presbyterian mission now is, a few miles below St.Paul, whose chief was called Little Crow; a man of good sense and generally considered a good Indian. There was another small band who had their village at Mendota which signifies the meeting of the waters, whose chief was called Black Dog. He was not a man of much consequence. There was also another small band who had their village a short distance above, whose chief was Pone-chon [Penechon], a man of little note. Where the village of Shakoppe now is, was an Indian village, whose chief bore that name, which simply means six; he possessed a good intellect, but was not popular among the traders, as he was considered very dishonest. At the Little Rapids was another village, called by the French Gens de Feuille or Leaf People. The name of their chief I do not recollect. There was a village of the Sissitons at the Rocher Blanc; above which, I remember no others. The Sissiton & Yankton bands seldom made any regular villages, as they roved from place to place, encamping temporarily for the purpose of hunting and that mostly among the buffaloes..."