Turning Points
in Wisconsin History
Menominee chiefs refuse to give up more land in 1832.
Speeches of Menominee chiefs at a council in Green Bay, Oct. 22, 1832.
In 1821 a delegation of New York Indians, forced to leave their lands in the East, had met with the Menominee and Ho-Chunk to negotiate for lands in Wisconsin. After a decade of conflict and misunderstanding, the U.S. government attempted to arbitrate between the New York Indians and the Menominee. Joshua Boyer took these minutes at a council held in the autumn of 1832 to persuade the Menominee and Stockbridge Indians to come to terms. In the speeches recorded here, Menominee chief Grizzly Bear and five other leaders explain why the Menominee would not give away any more land to the New York Indians. The speeches of both the white officials and the Menominee leaders reveal much about their motives, priorities, and styles of argument. In the end, the Menominee and the New York tribes agreed to exchange lands on opposite sides of the Fox River. For more background, consult the Dictionary of Wisconsin History at left and the tribal home pages linked elsewhere at Turning Points.
| Related Topics: |
Territory to Statehood Treaty Councils, from Prairie du Chien to Madeline Island |
| Creator: | Boyer, Joshua |
| Pub Data: | Senate Document 512, 23rd Congress, 1st Session, Serial Set 247: "Correspondence on the Subject of Emigration of Indians (excerpt)" (Washington, 1835): 29-39. |
| Citation: | Boyer, Joshua. "Speeches of Menominee chiefs at a council in Green Bay, Oct. 22, 1832." Senate Document 512, 23rd Congress, 1st Session, Serial Set 247, "Correspondence on the Subject of Emigration of Indians." (Washington, 1835): 29-39. Online facsimile at http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/search.asp?id=115 Online facsimile at: http://wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/search.asp?id=115; Visited on: 4/26/2024 |
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