Native American: Account of Native American Visit
Tuesday, Sept. 22, 1914. Mr.Meese calls up and says some indians are at his office, so we go
for them, and he and they go over the Island and to our house, where I take pictures of them.
Old Logan Ka-Ka-Que admires our "papoose" Catherine, and I introduce Sue as my "Squaw"
which also pleases them very much, for they have a good big sense of humor. In Moline we
passed a greek priest with his stove-pipe hat and long black whiskers, which amused the
indians, and on the Island a couple of small children were riding ponies which also called
forth a "Ho-ho" from Logan Ka-ka-que. The party were:-
1.Logan Ka-ka-que, grandson of Black Hawk, of Mayetta, Kansas.
2.Jess Ka-ka-que, son of Logan K. also of Mayetta.
3.O-schkin-a-wah, Mayetta, Kansas, a Potawatomie of the Prairie Band.
4.Thomas Topash, a Potawatomie of Chief Pokagon's Band, Dowagiac, Michigan. Mr.To-pash
is the spokesman of the crowd. Says his band of indians are recognized as "civilized" and do
not get annuities as do the others. They were never required to move to the West, but were
permitted to stay in Michigan. To-pash is as interesting and as intelligent a man as one would
care to meet. He says: "I am very sorry our young folks are taken off to school far from
home, for years. They do not get the traditions, nor do they get the skilled needlework etc. of
the indians".
"I attended the Kickapoo ? Dance in Kansas. The indians wore the finest things you
can see. They have all these things the same as they had in the older days. Our people near
Dowagiac do not have those things now like they used to, and as the old traditions and arts
are not passed down as they used to be, our children of the next generation or so, will not
know anything of these things except by reading it from books like the white people do".
I discussed Black Hawk's chieftaincy with Jess Ka-ka-que and To-pash, and both
declared Black Hawk was a xxxxx war-chief.
They were much interested in the oil painting of the indian council on the 2d floor of
Watch Tower Inn; enjoyed the view from the hill, viewed in silence the site of Black Hawk's
lodge on the hill-top, and the site of the grave of B.H.'s father, and the Council Lodge
mound.
To-pash said they were consulting the attorney in regard to alleged misuse, by the U.S.
Government, of their Tribal Trust Funds. Topash acting in the office of interpreterūSac,
Potawatomie and English.