Council held at School house Dec 27th 1880 On the part of Piutes Leggins Said I feel I am hardly dealt with. I am Chased from Mountain to Mountain. I have no home, no property. I have Not two hearts nor three hearts; I have only one. Mind, and that mind I speak. I have been Chief for a number of years, and am trying to do the best I Can. I am only a Sub Chief however, and liable to make Mistakes. I have before now done So. You want my idea my heart. I have now met and talked with 3 Inspectors I dont fear being punished or put into prison for Speaking. I am accustomed to Speaking to Inspectors, and am not afraid. I have now been here two years. I Came here in Mid winter. On the way I was well Cared for, but was troubled in my Mmind as to what disposition was going to be Made of Me by the Washington Father. I do not understand why I was driven to this Yakama Agency. Have I been on the War path? I Suppose the Washington Father Sent you here to ascertain if I was among the hostiles I dont want to go where there is no Church When you get back Show my words to the President and See what he says. I am always hungry I want the President to give me land So that I Can plow and my Children raise wheat. Father Wilbur isnt here I Can tell you all I want to Say. When I got here I Saw these people all had good houses and plenty to eat. When I visit them I expect them to give me Something to eat. These Piute people dont want Me to Speak but I am going to Say a few words. I want to ask for nothing but Something to wear. Any old pants or Shirts I would accept. the main want with me has been Clothing. I dont feel like asking much of the Government, but I keep nothing Secret. Leggins Says dont Speak much another man Says the Same thing. They Said we dont want Oits to Speak for us as to where we are to go. He Can Stay where he pleases. Natchese Sent word for me to keep Still and Say nothing. My people want to keep me back. We have No Chief. I Spoke Strong at Camp Harney, and dont know why I am punished. This is why I dont Speak more fully. If he does not understand I will give you the whole Story. What is the intention in regard to My people. My Mind is troubled in regard to them. Take My words to Washington. Let the Matter be Settled Soon, and not wait two years longer. I dont want to Come here among these people and Say this is my Country. My Mind is Mixed a good deal. Sarah Winnemuca Said She was going to Washington with Winnemuca I dont know how things are. Sarahs talk has Conf- used me. A letter Came to Me from Winnemuca Saying our people are again to Return to the Malheur Agency. I was Much rejoiced to hear it. I then heard that Sarah herself was Coming out here. She finally Came. When she Came She brought a letter from Washington Saying we were to Return to Malheur Agency. That our people would have to furnish their own Means of returning and get back themselves without help from the government. Then I gathered up my people and talked to them: Asked their Mind. Do you want to go or Stay? We were not Mixed up in the War, and I thought the Washington Chief had forgiven us. I was glad. We all Said we would never Stand again against the white man, but would die of Sickness (natural death, not die in war) When I learned the will of my people, I Said I will take my people back to Malheur. I will be your leader, and no man Shall force me against the white people. Winnemuca Said to me at Camp McDermot You go with your people to Yakama. Winnemuca s Son Came along with me. What will happen if Winnemuca s Son Should die in my Care. I am afraid of Winnemuca. I am a Small Man by the Side of him. I was willing to go with my people according to the Washington Chiefs direction. I have lost 60 horses and 40 of My people in a Strange Country. I have Kept a Comet account. I know all my horses. I am telling you the truth. I Shall not write back to Winnemuca that out here at Yakama, I have got Wagons, horses, houses amp; Every thing I want and dont want to Come back. I got you into trouble. No I will Never Say that I dont know who to believe. I dont know whether to talk to Agent, President or who I shave lost every thing My people and Country. I made peace with the Bannocks. I told them to be quiet. I kept them back. I thought for this I Should become a big Chief. I was mistaken. I believe what you tell me. I believe your words: at our Council down at the Church There is always grumbling, either at Agent or by Agent at Indians. This is the way. They run their fences through (or upon) the Reservation they run their Rail Rods over the Indians lands. The Indians kick against this. They know no better and then throw blame on the whites. And the whites Complain of the Indians. I have Nothing. I did not tell My Mind to Mr Wilbur before he went to Washington. He Never asked Me to. My Mind is to go back to Malheur, to My own Country. I received a letter lately from the Washington father Saying Stay on the Yakama Reservation. First he Said I Might return, then he Says different. Why did he not Say you have been driven there by the Soldiers and you must Stay It appears to me he is as weak as I am. I have talked Now to three Inspectors I never Said I would go on the war path. I have Never painted for war. My intention was to Carry with Me the Washington Chiefs letter and travel in my way back to Malheur without fear. My heart was Strong. I now want an answer as Soon as possible when I am to go. I want to understand. I have not asked the United States for Clothes. I have two hands and two feet as you See. When our things Come in here we have to pay for them that is what the agent Says. The President dont know I have to buy my Clothing. I have to pay down first. Hereafter when you want to know the truth ask Me, and I will tell you. This is the Sensce of our trouble: this is all I have to Say Expect to ask two questions. I know to much talk Mixes up things and I am a Small man and dont want to hurt My throat by Much talking. I hear from you the Same things I hear from other Inspectors. I find among these Yakama Indians. There are wild ones who have not Settled down. They have Nothing to Settle (beginning farming) with and Cant Settle. They have no money. Must I Come here to Claim houses and lands? They belong to the Government. I am a Speaker the Same as yourself. There is no difference. I hope you will take my words to Washington and Send us a good agent; a good Man to watch over us all the time in our own Country: A good man who will not hide or Cover up any things. We have no Chief with the white man s heart. We want a good Man, not half good to watch us. Question. You mean you want to go to Malheur and have an agent there. Answer: Yes that is it. Question by Inspector. Would there be any objection to Rhinehart if the Washington Father were at any time to Conclude to Send your people back? Answer: Rhineheart did Not ask Me to pay for things I got there. When I Came for things I got them He always trusted us well. I dont find fault with him. Question: Is Rhineheart the Same Religion as the agent here? Answer: I Cant tell you. I never saw any Church there. Nothing but a good School house. Question: Would your people be willing to take 160 Acres of land Each and remain here. Land to be theirs, bought by the Washington Father and given to them? would they be Satisfied to Stay? Answer I would prefer to go to my own land. You Said General Howard did wrong in bringing us here. Then why Keep us here? I understood Mr Fairchild to Say I am Speaking the hearts of my people. Ask my people, Inspector. I understand that Leggins with 20 lodges did not want to fight, but went up to McDermot to Stay to Show the whites their peaceable intentions and that when the war was over General Howard brought all both peaceable and hostile Indians which was wrong. Only those taken prisoners in war Should have been brought. I think if the great Father at Washington had understood this he would have not allowed General Howard to bring these 20 lodges for he only wanted to punnish the guilty. If I had been there insted of General Howard I Should have Said to the peaceable ones, you Stay and to the prisoners of war, you go to Yakama. The great Father does not want to punish the innocent ones. When the young men go to war the great Father Cant always tell who are the peaceable ones So Some of the peaceable ones are punished. I will explain all that to the great Father when I go back Oits Talk I tell you first what I did when before I Came here the facts. I was just above Rhinehearts agency. The Indians (other) were down on Malheur river at the fishing the fight began there, not at my place. Paddy was when depredations were Committed Leggins was there the young men there Stole a white man s horse. I had nothing to do with these Men at the fishing. Paddy amp; Leggins were all peaceable. The Indians from up above Fort Hall Came down amp; Committed depredations. The Indians at Malheur did not aid in the depredations. I knew well. You all have heard of the origin of the trouble Men were playing Cards. One of them lost his blankets amp; Shirts amp; every thing. I heard the thing stated over and over again. The father of one of the Young Men was angry because his Son had lost all his things and Said I will kill a white Man amp; you will have to Suffer for it. Two white Men were killed: that was why I was prisoner at Vancouver. I am new a Church Member. I keep nothing Secret but tell you all. I want to know from you as you are a Washington man how it is at Malheur Agency Inspector: I have not been to Malheur Agency and Cannot answer: Oits: General Howard gave me good advice. He Said do not disturb any body hereafter. Be a good Man. You are a Small Man and have not a good heart. The President wants to Send you to Warm Springs Reservation Quepamah wants you to go to warm Springs. I Said all right. I Said I will go and fence in land and want my family to Come to and I will raise my family who will in time grow to be Men to do Something to help Me What advice you give Me it is My intention to keep in My heart. I am going to Church while I live. Father Wilber Says to me, dont talk loud and bad. Keep quiet. I will See the President and See what he Says: What land he will give you. I will learn where you will be located whether at Malheur Yakama or Warm Spring. I heard it with My Ear. I am an old Man I have forgotten the past, whatever the President Says that I will do. When I locate with my people I want the Church to be there