The Life of Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak Or Black Hawk

Black Hawk is the author of “Life of Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak Or Black Hawk” (Patterson). He narrated his story to the government about his life as a native Indian in the Sauk village located on an Island in Mississippi valley before and after the intervention of American federal troops. In 1834, J.B Patterson wrote the book that described this story.

            Black Hawk among other chiefs were invited to make a peace agreement by the white commissioners sent by President Andrew Jackson. Despite hesitation, “The council proceeded, and the pipe of peace was smoked” (Patterson , p.69). They innocently betrayed their people by touching the goose quill as it was the key for the federal troops to camp on their land (Patterson , 69). They built a fort on their sacred garden next to the river shore which was the source of numerous fruits and plenty of fish from Rock River. (Patterson ,p.70). In front of their village which they had possessed for a century, there was a prairie and a two miles bluff cultivated with corns. The total land cultivated was eight hundred acres containing all manner of foods, “our children never cried with hunger, nor our people were never in want.” (Patterson ,p.71). With such a fertile land they could not have believed that an outsider would take over. They became poor after displacement by the white who denied them even the most crucial custom to visit and take care of the graves or their relatives. (Patterson , p.72)

            The source provides a clear picture of the history with events that occurred across the world. The Mississippi Valley was made up of several village territories headed by chiefs. They occupied the naturally fertile land, where they practiced their traditional customs. In 1812, Hawk led other chiefs to join British in a war in order to protect their land against white settlers.  The whites, Americans, invaded the peaceful island of Mississippi like other colonialists who colonized different parts of the world. One of the chiefs collaborated with the Americans to mobilize others to sign the treaty. They touched the goose quill without the knowledge that it was a raw deal to take away land from their people (Patterson ,p.69). Despite the displacement, the Sauks led by Black Hawk went back to fight against American for their native land presenting the history of different part of the world in the fight for freedom against colonialist.

Work Cited

Patterson, John Barton. Life of Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak Or Black Hawk. Boston: Russell, Odiorne & Metcalf, 1834.