Commission met at the hour of two oclock p.m. on board steamer Ben Johnson. All members of the Board present.

The chiefs and headmen of the Arickaree tribe of Indians were again assembled in council.

Governor Edmunds said -- Just as the council adjourned this forenoon we told you that we would make a treaty with the Arickaree tribe alone, if you desire to treat with us. We made this offer to the “Rees” because you acted like men and did not leave the council like the Gros Ventres and Mandans. We have such a treaty here now as we propose to offer to you and I will explain it. In this treaty we do not ask you for any lands except the right of way through the country, the same as was granted by the Laramie treaty. We do not ask you to cede any lands because they belong to you and the Gros Ventres and Mandans in common, and it might cause trouble between these hitherto friendly tribes. Do you want to make such a treaty as this?

Iron Nation -- This is all agreed upon by us.

White Shield -- In olden times there was but one head chief of our tribe, “Black Bear,” Since his time I have been the head chief. I want to know now whether our tribe is to be divided into two bands with two chiefs. As regards the treaty it is all right; we are all agreed.

Governor Edmunds -- You are the head chief of the whole tribe. Iron Bear is the head soldier but you are the head chief. The Great Father wants you to remain as one people, under one head chief. (Governor Edmunds here read and explained the treaty, and then continued) We will have a copy of this treaty ready for you to sign early in the morning. We will then have all your presents ready for distribution as soon as the treaty is signed.

White Shield -- All your words are now understood and are heard by the God in heaven. We promise to fulfill all that is said and we now consider ourselves under the laws of the Great Chief of the United States. I am the head chief of this tribe with ten other chiefs under me; I would like it if they had clothing like the whites, and I want our goods all sent according to the provisions of the treaty. We regard you as more sensible men than we are and we hope that all will go well in the future. We would like some marks of being good and sensible men. We have the words of our Great Father and have always kept them, but we are going to obey his words much more implicitly in the future. All our talk is now settled but I have some twenty soldiers, and I would like it if they could have some marks of dress to show that they are good Indians and soldiers.

Governor Edmunds -- We will have your request written down so that the Great Father will know your wants when he sends the goods.

White Shield -- As we are to belong to the Government I would like to speak of our traders. They have measures and they fill in the bottoms so that they will not hold a fair amount.

Governor Edmunds -- When they do so you must tell the agent and commanding officer and they will send them out of the country. The Great Father wants honest traders here and he will send the dishonest ones away if he is informed of the matter.

White Shield -- We have had traders here and been friends to them but they have mocked at our kindness. We have never got one half value for our robes and furs, but we have borne it until now, but I want to let you know how it has been. Are blankets so valuable that we should give three robes for one of them?-- We have to expend our lives to get these robes. These traders come up here with a little pile of goods and soon get rich out of our furs, while we remain poor and they treat us like dogs. Our present trader Mr. Gireau, is the only one who ever asks us to come into his house and smoke with him, or says a friendly word to us. The half-breeds on the Red River come over this way and kill our buffalo and drive them out of our country. I wish they could be made to stay on their own lands with the Indians on the other side of the river. We have been both friends and enemies; but now we will shake hands with them and be their friends.

General Curtis -- It is the agents' place to regulate the traders, but we think that you ought to get a good blanket for a robe. The agent will remain here, and if the traders defraud you, he will see that they are sent out of the country. The half-breeds live, many of them, on this side of the British line and are citizens of the United States, and we want you to be friends with them; we cannot drive them out of the country. The treaty which we now make is with this tribe alone, and if you keep your word the Great Father will his. This is the first treaty ever made with your tribe alone. We understand that there are about fifteen hundred of you; the Great Father will send you goods for that number so long as you remain friendly. What he sends to you is to be carefully divided among your people and must not be given away to others. But those who joined your nation, whether they be white or red men must share with the others in the annuities. This treaty, after it is signed, will be printed by the Great Father and a copy will be sent back to you, so you can have it read to you by your agent and always understand it.

General Curtis -- The chief said that he did not get any goods last year. Did we understand him right?

White Shield -- We did not get anything but ten boxes of bread and ten sacks of flour.

General Curtis -- What did you get the year before?

White Shield -- Last fall, late, we got this bread and flour, and the year before we got nothing at all.

Governor Edmunds -- Do you speak for your own tribe only, or for the Gros Ventres, Mandans and all?

White Shield -- I speak for all three tribes.

Governor Edmunds -- How was it before the two last years?

White Shield -- Three years I recollect we did get our annuities; a good assortment of everything.

General Curtis -- Who gave you the bread and flour last year?

White Shield -- We were suffering for something to eat and went to see the commanding officer and he said that the agent would be here in a few days and said he did not wish anything to do with it, but as we insisted on it, he issued the flour and bread.

Major Wilkinson, U.S. Indian Agent said -- This chief says that he did not get any goods two years ago. Does he not remember getting goods from me?

White Shield -- Last year we got the flour, the year before we got nothing.

General Curtis -- Did you get any goods of Maj. Wilkinson, this agent?

(Were divided among themselves)

General Curtis -- Prior to that did Maj-Wilkinson give you some goods?

Answer -- Yes, he did; three years ago this summer. (This answer evidently refers to a delivery of goods made by Agent Lotta.)

(Major Wilkinson here explained the fact of their not getting anything but flour and bread last year, for the reason that the other goods were all shipped to Ft Union as “Assiniboin” annuities and so marked; and also showing by the interpreter and others that he had two years since delivered the goods. Last year the goods were marked and sent to the Assiniboines at Ft Union and the bread and flour sent back to Berthold, and taken charge of by the military officer in command, and they had only received the bread and flour as above stated-- This note is inserted by order of the Commission.)

Governor Edmunds -- We will meet you again in council tomorrow morning for the purpose of signing the treaty.

Commission adjourned to meet at the call of the President.

C.A. Reed, Secretary of Commission
Newton Edmunds, President of Commission

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