The historic speech of Indian chief Tecumseh in defense of Indian lands

Speech of Tecumseh to Governor Harrison Tecumseh ” Brother: I wish you to listen to me well As I think you do not clearly understand what I before said to you, I will explain it again. . . . ” Brother, since the peace was made, you have killed some of the Shawnees, Winnebagoes, Delawares, and Miamis, and yott have taken our land from us, and I do not see how we can remain at peace if you continue to do so. You try to force the red people to do some injury. It is you that are pushing them on to do mischief. You endeavor to make distinctions. You wish to prevent the Indians doing as we wish them — to unite, and let them consider their lands as the common property of the whole ; you take tribes aside and advise them not to come into this measure ; and until our design is accomplished we do not wish to accept of your invitation to go and see the President The reason I tell you this, you want, by your distinctions of Indian tribes in allotting to each a particular tract of land, to make them to war with each other. You never see an Indian come and endeavor to make the white people do so. You are continually driving the red people; when, at last, you will drive them into the Great Lake, where they can’t either stand or walk. ” Brother, you ought to know what you are doing with the Indians. Perhaps it is by direction of the President to make those distinctions. It is a very bad thing, and we do not like it Since my residence at Tippecanoe we have endeavored to level all distinctions — to destroy village chiefs, by whom all mischief is done. It is they who sell our lands to the Americans. Our object is to let our affairs b».