After spending four days in conferences with the chiefs, explaining the reasons for changing the council ground, etc., the governor broke camp on the 10th, and on the next day, Thursday, reached the point where the boats were unloading, a mile below the mouth of the Judith, selected and prepared the council ground, and received and assigned to their camps the Indians as they arrived. His colleague descended the river in a skiff, and did not arrive until the following Saturday. By Monday all the Indians had assembled, and numbered thirty-five hundred.
On Tuesday Governor Stevens formally opened the council. The Indians, as usual on such occasions, “reposed on the bosom of their mother,” that is, sat on the ground in semicircular rows, twenty-six principal chiefs in the first row, lesser chiefs in succeeding rows, and the rank and file in the rear. The governor administered the oath to the interpreters to translate truly, having first inquired of the Indians if they were satisfied with them and received an affirmative reply.
THE BLACKFOOT COUNCIL
Governor Stevens said:—
“My children, my heart is glad to-day. I see Indians east of the mountains and Indians west of the mountains sitting here as friends, Bloods, Blackfeet, Piegans, Gros Ventres, and Nez Perces, Koo-te-nays, Pend Oreilles, Flatheads; and we have the Cree chief sitting down here from the north and east, and Snakes farther from the west. There is peace now between you all here present. We want peace also with absent tribes, with the Crees and Assiniboines, with the Snakes, and, yes, even with the Crows. You have all sent your message to the Crows, telling them you would meet them in friendship here. The Crows were far, and could not be present, but we expect you to promise to be friends with the Crows.
“It was Low Horn who, two years since, said to me, ‘Peace with the Flatheads and Nez Perces.’ The Little Dog, Little Gray Head, and all the Blackfoot chiefs said, ‘Peace with them; come and meet us in council,’ and here they are. Here you see them face to face. I met them the same year. I told them your words. They said, ‘Peace also with the Blackfeet.’ And the Great Father has said, ‘Peace with the Crees and Assiniboines, the Crows, and all neighboring tribes.’
“I shall say nothing about peace with the white man. No white man enters a Blackfoot or a western Indian’s lodge without being treated to the very best. Peace already prevails. We trust such will continue to be the case forever. We have been traveling over your whole country, both to the east and west of the mountains, in small parties, ranging away north to Bow River, and south to the Yellowstone. We have kept no guard. We have not tied up our horses. All has been safe. Therefore I say peace has been, is now, and will continue, between these Indians and the white man.”
The treaty was then read to them, after which the governor went over its provisions, explaining them, etc.