WE-AH-TE-NA-TEE-MA-NY: YOUNG CHIEF
Head Chief of the Cuyuses
About midnight the governor and his little son were awakened by Lawyer, who shook the tent and said, in a low, soft voice, without a trace of hurry or excitement, “Water come now.” On springing out of bed, they splashed knee-deep in water flooding the tent, and were forced to make a hasty flight to higher ground. The creek had risen suddenly without warning, probably from a waterspout or heavy rains in the mountains. The following day it subsided again as rapidly as it rose.
When the council met the next day, Lawyer spoke first, and expressed the assent of himself and his people to the treaty. A great part of his speech was addressed to the Indians. He traced the increase of the whites from the discovery of the New World by Columbus; alluded in a touching manner to the way in which the Indians had passed and were passing away; and urged his auditors, as their only refuge, to place themselves under the protection of the Great Father in Washington.
When Lawyer concluded, the Young Chief, the haughty Cuyuse, was the first to break the silence:—
“He would not sell his country. He heard what the earth said. The earth said, ‘God has placed me here to take care of the Indian, to produce roots for him, and grass for his horses and cattle.’ The water spoke the same way. God has forbidden the Indian to sell his country except for a fair price, and he did not understand the treaty.”
Five Crows, the Yellow Serpent, Ow-hi, and several other chiefs followed in similar strain. The Yellow Serpent proposed that another council should be held at some future time. He insisted that the whites should not be allowed to come into his country to settle. He complained that the Indians were treated like children, were not consulted in drawing up the terms of the treaties, etc.
Kam-i-ah-kan refused to speak, although several times urged to do so. His invariable reply was, “I have nothing to say.”
The commissioners replied, explaining those parts of the treaties which the Indians did not understand, and answering their objections. The discussion on the part of the Indians was captious, stormy, and unsatisfactory. Governor Stevens in pointed words, well calculated to touch their pride, urged the recusant and evasive chiefs to speak plainly:—