>> Your money is not as good as our land. The wind will blow it away, the fire
will burn it, the water will rot it. Though nothing can destroy our land. <<
These were Crowfoot's words spoken to a white negotiator, making it clear,
that the concept of selling land was completely unknown to him as it was to
any Indian, oozing pride from every pore of his body.
Once in a while i study Native Americans, as there were many fascinating per -
sonalities among them with Crowfoot a leading figure. He earned his merits
at an very early age in warfare against other tribes, while in later years he quit
fighting, acknowledging the superiority of the colonists. Something other chiefs
like Tecumseh, Metacom or Osceola never did and never gave in an inch.
Instead he used his negotiating and rhetoric skills to gain the most for his people
and thus secured their survival. It was his humanity, that he didn't pull his toma-
hawk to cleave the Whites skulls, after they killed nearly all buffalos and took
away the Native's livelihood, not to mention the blankets infested with smallpox
they have send to them among other dirty deeds.
The Blackfoot were freedom loving and lived in unison with nature. So understand-
ibly especially young warriors would rather die in combat than living in a reservation
depending on supply deliveries. Again it was Crowfoot's commanding respect, also
reputed by Whites, who prevented further bloodshed. Crowfoot reached an relative
high age and passed peacefully after having smoked a pipe.
Canadian singer-/songwriter Willie Dunn wrote a marvellous ballad about him
accompanied by haunting pictures in this video.
https://youtu.be/l-32jc58bgI
No comments:
Post a Comment