The Poweshiek Skipper Project | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The History of the Butterfly Poweshiek 4: Poweshiek has a Little Fun |
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Armstrong has 15 pages of stories about Poweshiek in his book The Sauks and the Black Hawk War. Most of the stories are about Poweshiek when he was still quite young. Poweshiek was a fun-loving guy. From Armstrong's account:
“Powesheik and Keokuk accompanied Black Hawk,
Neopope, Winnesheik, Pashepaho and the other Sauk captives to Washington
City in 1833. Whenever and
wherever these Indians traveled by foot they went in pairs.
Black Hawk with the Interperter Antoine Le Clair always in the
lead, followed by the tall Neapope and Winnesheik, Powesheik and Keokuk
bringing up the rear. The
contrast between the tall straight form of Black Hawk with his long easy
steps, and the short but powerful body of Le Clair, whose father was
French and mother a squaw, and whose statue was but five feet and five
inches, while his weight was then fully two hundred pounds and
afterwards exceeded three hundred pounds, with his short bow-legs
waddling along like a duck and making two steps to Black Hawk; one, was
ludicrous in the extreme.
Everybody of course wanted to see the renowned Black Hawk, and made
anxious inquiries as they were passing on the streets and sidewalks
“which is Black Hawk?”
Powesheik, although he did not speak English, soon caught the meaning of
this inquiry, and as promptly pointed the inquirer to the squat form and
bushy head of Le Clair, as the veritable and redoubtable Old Black Hawk,
much to the annoyance of Le Clair, but greatly to the mirth and
amusement of the Indians."
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