On Monday, Apr. 24, 19l6, I arrived at Topeka, Kansas, at 12.50 P.M. and by 1.25 P.M. had had my dinner and was in an auto starting for Mayetta, 21 miles north, where the Potawatomie Indian reservation is and where I wanted to visit Jesse Ka-ka-que, Great-grand- son of Chief Black Hawk. A banker at Mayetta directed me to the indian agency at the west of town a half mile or so, and here I found Mr. A.R. Snyder, xx the Agent, at his office. His interpreter, Mrs. Mary Rice, was speaking for a squaw who had some business, who was dressed in a blue-print calico dress and red plaid shawl, and with a rich bronzed, wrinkled face.
A man clerk in another office room and a lady stenographer seem to make up the rest of the office force. Outside four indian men were lying on the grass when we came, and there were a few teams and buggies tied up at the line of hitching chains-and-posts.
I made known my mission to the Agent: That I wanted to invite the Ka-ka-que's to come to our Fort Armstrong Centennial Celebration, and I wanted to get stories from the aged indians regarding their life at the Watch Tower village, and wanted relics. He said: ["]This is not a Sac reservation.It is Potawatomie, and therefore you would not find here the indians you are interested in. The Sac reservation is at Stroud, Oklahoma, which is between Sapalpa and Oklahoma City, on the Frisco Ry. there you will find Logan Ka-ka-que et al. Horace J. Johnson is Agt. th[ere]
"Jesse Ka-ka-que lives at this reservation because he married one of the Potawatomie girls, and they are living on her allotment of lan[d,] his own allotment being in Okla. I told him that Logan Ka-ka-que and his son Jesse had visited at our home in Rock Island, in company with O-schkin-o-wah, and Thomas Topash, to which he replied that Topash was a bad indian--a bad man. That he belonged at Dwagiac, Mich. but he had embezzled the estate of his niece whose guardian he was; had for two years kept away from his family there; had during that time been imposing on these indians, getting free board from them, and that he collected money from these indians on the pretense that he would do valuable legal services for them with the U.S. Government, when infact he only squandered the money, getting nothing for those who misplaced their confidence in him."
Mr. Snyder said he would let his interpreter, Mrs. Rice go with us to see the Ka-ka- qua's to show us around, so we were soon off. They live about four or five miles from the agency, on a good-looking farm of 160 acres, all of which they are using. A relative will help do the farming this year. The pictures will show the buildings on the place.
Unlike the Tama indians, these folks were willing to be photographed, as as soon as we mentioned it at in the house they asked: "Shall we put on our indian costumes?" Mrs. Rice had gone right on in to the house when we arrived, while I went out by some pens where Jesse was at work with some boards. I asked: Do you know me? He looked and said "No". I asked: Do you remember Rock Island? and he at onec remembered me and extended his hand and we started for the house and he invited me in. I was introduced to all the others there in the same way as is customary among cultured whites. There was his wife, who is a cousin to Mrs Rice, the interpreter; His wife's mother; and her sister and her eight-months-old baby boy, two girls. We had as cheerful a visit with conversation and laughter as one would have anywhere. I presented them with a pack of 8 x 10 enlargements of Jesse; his father Logan; grandfather Se-os-kuk, and six pictures of his grea[t] grandfather Black Hawk, with all of which they were quite please[d]. In turn they presented me with a photograph of Jesse's daughter Mary Ka-ka-que. She is a daughter of his first wife who died when Mary was but a year old, and is now eighteen years of age.
When speaking among themselves the women seemed to use the indian language most, but all used the english in as good form as americans generally do, except that I did not hear the mother in-law speak, but she was always an interested listener.
The sitting-room in the house has its walls stained tan color; had a heating stove, a dresser, rockers, chairs, etc., and a wide opening connected this room with the bedroom which had its walls stained blue; had two beds, a piano which they said belonge[d] to the daughter; a phonograph, a dresser and chairs. The sitting room had also a sewing machine, and both rooms had pictures on the wall, some being enlarged, framed pictures of Jesse's brother and his daughter in colors. The house was neatly kept. I did not enter their kitchen.
I asked to have the names of all, and they laughed as they gave also their indian names. Somehow there is something of the air about them that there is among, for instance, german-american who look back with amusement at their queer, long, or otherwise non- english names. This was the result:
Jesse Ka-ka-que's indian name is Sa-ke-to, meaning Thunder clan.
His wife Minnie, is "Ke-waht-no-quah" meaning Blizzard. I remarked they ought not suffer from the heat with such name and they enjoyed the remark.
Mrs. Ka-ka-qua's sister, Mabel Negonsett, is "Pe-yaht-wat-moquah". They couldn't decide at first just what the english equivalent was but decided that Coming thunder was about it.
Mrs. K's mother is Mrs. Mary Wishkeno xx, in indian "Mnis-no- quah", meaning war.
Mrs.K's step-daughter Mary, is "Mes-ic-o-nah-ha", and means Hail.
Mrs. Mary Rice's indian name is "Cot-ca-to-wah", meaning fluttering wings. This too had first to be agreed upon as to the english equivalent and Mrs. K. went through the motions of flapping wings, or fluttering before it was decided it meant "fluttering wings".
Of the children, the elder was Clara Tapece; the younger Thelma Curley and the baby was Leslie Milton Negonsott, and none of these seemed to have indian names. The elder girl is an orphan and lives with the Ka-ka-que's (not adopted). The two girls are nieces. The surname Wishkeno xx means a bird(?). The women call each other familiarly "Minnie" etc.
Mrs. Rice and Mrs. Ka-ka-que are cousins and were attending the Haskell school at Lawrence, Kas. at the same time, and talk like well educated whites would--so far as our conversation extended, which was limited. Mrs. K. said it was she who wrote me the letter two years ago about the pictures we took when her husband visited us at Rock Island. Dr. Mikelson had said to me that the daughter had written it.
The K's said they would come to our celebration. I told them we would pay their railroad fare and expenses here, and wanted them and their daughter; the father Logan K. and Mrs. Rice too to come. The latter says she will most likely have a vacation granted her by Mr. Snyder for the occasion, and that she will come. I asked Mr. Snyder about permission for these indians to leave the reservation and he said that in the first place he had no jurisdiction over Jess. K. because he was a Sauk, over whom he had nothing to say, and that besides he did not exercis the old restrictions in keeping them on the reservation. He gave them liberties to come and go, without asking premission, thinking this the best policy.
After taking a couple dozen pictures, 4 x 5's and 2 1/4 x 3 1/2 we started homewards, digging up wild-flower plants on the way. Mrs. Rice helped get them. We got woods violets; may apple, strawberry, dog-tooth violet, "yellow flower"; something which resmmbles the foliage of columbine; sweet william, and, out on some raw prairie we got Bird-foot violets and Ground cherry(?), which has light purple flowers resembling sweet pea.
Mrs. Rice seemed to be well informed on indian matters. It is likely that her position as official interpreter for the Agency there enables her to be well posted. I asked her in the course of conversation regarding the Ka-ka-que's and indians genarally, whether among the indians Black Hawk was regarded as having been a Chief of his people. Unhesitatingly she answered that he is regarded by everybody as having been Chief. From the way she answered, there was no question in any one's mind on that point. This was as we were motoring to the Ka-ka-que's. She mentioned the fact that the Ka-ka-qua's had some thought of their having some claim to some land in the'vicinity of Rock Island.
On our return we met a wagon or buggy and in the front sea[t] was an aged squaw, with a bright, smiling face; gold earrings and gold rimmed spectacles, who Mrs. Rice said was a Sac woman, visiting here, and that she might have some stories regarding the Old days at the Watch Tower. Mrs. Rice said she would try to locate some of the older folks who might have some stories of the old days.
Regarding Black Hawkls chieftaincy, I had spoken to Jesse K. when he was at Rock Island, but though he answered that his grea[t]grandfather was a chief, I felt he hadn't a fair chance to say anything else. Now that he was at hxome, and thoroughly at ease and talked freely and confidently, I asked him again regarding the subject: "Was there any thought among Black Hawk's folks as they lived on Rock River, that he was not a chief?", and he answered promptly and positively that his great-grandfather Black Hawk was a Chief. So I take it, I have the final word on the subject from these people. (All this controversy is because of a writer or two who say "Black Hawk was not a chief." see Stevens' "Black Hawk War", p.21) (I have looked up all of Stevens' references which he makes in the foot-note p.21, and not one of them upholds his statement,--everyone referring th Black Hawk as a chieft except Thwaites who says: "B.H. was by common consent the leader of his community"--but not a chief.).
On our way to the K.s, I asked Mrs. Rice if she thought Jess was home? She said: "Yes I know he's home because his wife's mother is sick, and that keeps Jess's wife at home to look after her and Jess never goes away without taking his wife with him". I spoke of the deeply religious nature of Black Hawk as appears from his autobiography, and also of his perceiving the damaging effect of whiskey on his people, telling her of B.H.s knocking in the heads of Joshua Vandruff's whiskey barrels on Vandruff's Island. She said "That is just like Jesse, He is a temperate man, is religious, and in every way is xthe nicest kind of a man".
Mrs. Rice said: "Last Thursday and Friday we had our Dances. I wish you could have seen them. The men only dance. We have no dances for pleasure; all being religlous; ceremonial dances, and x taken seriously. Every Spring before they plant a seed they have what they call their 'religion dance'; it is a prayer to the Great Spirit for success, and they're very strict. The next regular dance is in July. At this time the beans and roasting ears of the 'squaw corn' are ready to use, and 'we never cook a kittle of this, nor a string bean till they've had their dance' of thanksgiving. The next regular dance is in September. This is the time to put up grass for their horses, and is not long till they gather their crops and they give thanks over it before they begin their work.
For each of these dances they take four days. They have a drum which is used on these occasions. You know the old wooden wash-tubs? Well, they take the body of a tub and stretch a fresh cow-hide over it, and they trim it with the finest kind of beadwork, and decorate it with money, such as silver quarters, etc, and german-silver ornaments, and they paint it blue and red and yellow.
"The squaws take the roasting ears and boil them, and then either shell it off the cob or cut it off, and they dry bushels and bushels of this to be used in winter. They also make hominy. In the winter time they merely soak up this dried corn and boil it.".
"My sister lives near here and I think we will go there, fo I believe she has some of the ancient kind of squaw corn like our people (Potawatomies) used to grow when they lived in Wisconsin and northern Illinois, and she has some of the old kind of beans too," So we turned down the road leading to her sister's----Mrs. Rebeeca Wap-kon-ia. Her husband is Jesse Wap-kon-ia, a cousin of Jesse Ka-ka-que, and is a Sac indian, who having married a potawatomie has moved to her home and the home of her people as was the ancient custom. Mrs. Wap-kon-ia is a portly squaw, and a very pleasant appearing woman. She at once, after the introductio invited us to come into the house and pointed to the rocker for me to be seated. This room had a fresh, clean rag-carpet; the room was neat except back of the stove some of the plaster was off; a neat iron bedstead of bronze finish, and a white counterpane of good quality covering the bed; a framed motto on the wall "Honor Father and Mother", a "holy picture" of angels at the bier of Christ. Through the door the kitchen floor showed evidence of much scrubbing and was clean. A 12 to 14 years old daughter come into the room and goes around shaking hands with each of us, a small boy who is friendly and a larger boy of 14 or so, who does not look up but is busy looking over a magazine or something.
Mrs. Wap-kon-ia gave me two kinds of corn, and two kinds of beans. The two ears which have a bit of cloth tied around them is of the ancient variety of "Squaw corn". The other ears I take it are more modern but look much the same to me. It is a kind of corn we used to have on the farm which we called "yankee corn" except this isn't so hard, brittle and shiny as our old "yankee corn". She says that of the last mentioned kind they have blue or "calico" corn; red, and white ears. The old squaw corn is called in indian "shau-shau-qua" meaning bull-snake.
The large brown beans are vining or rather climbing or pole beans. The small ones are vining, but do not climb,but sprea over the ground like sweet-potato vines and is our very old-fashioned bean. The large bean is called in indian "Co-chess'", meaning bean.
I took a snap-shot of the house; of the women, and also of their pile of fire-wood, and we started back, to stop at the Agency to say goodbye to Mr. Snyder, for I had had a most pleasant afternoon. Mrs. Rice says Mr. Snyder is always good, and a fine man and they like him. Next we went to Mayetta, to leave Mrs. Rice for she lives there, and she called her husband over and introduced him. He wore no coat but his vest of gray or olive-drab, had bronze buttons with "U.S." on them. So perhaps he is an officer.
It took us 1 1/4 hours to make the trip from Topeka to Mayetta and it took us a trifle longer to get back, and arrived at Topek[a] about 7.30 P.M. I had expected I would barely get started in th first visit, and would necessarily have to come back tomorrow, but I believe I have everything nearly as well now as if I woul stay longer. Having visited the Mesquaki indians at Tama, Iowa I considered these indians would be much like the Mesquakis and had visions of picking up some curios, including possibly a loom for weaving the indian matting, dug-out canoes, etc., but all we saw today, excepting the costumes, was exactly like any white man's farm with no old junk in evidence. In place of these were farm wagons, disc harrow, cattle, horses, etc, and Mrs. Ka-ka-que had two hundred little chicks she was looking after. I took a picture of some in a wagon-bed alongside of the house.
At 8.50 P.M. of the same day I was aboard the Rock Island train at Topeka, bound for home. It is about a twelve hour's trip Rock Island to Topeka, on their fast trains, and the fare is just under $10.00. We covered over sixty miles by auto, and I paid the fellow $12.00.