Four Tribes Letter to Madison, 1811

The Indian tribes to the President of the United States

To the President of the United States of America

We the undersigned Chiefs and warriors of the Utawa Chipowa Pota=wawtomie and Wyandots nations, living within the United States of America upon the waters of the Lakes and vicinity,

on behalf of ourselves and nations, request our Father the President of the United States to listen to Our desires

It is well Known to our Father the President that we your red Brethren cannot make known our mind and com=plaint by writing, not having acquired that art nor have we the Information necessary to understand what white people put upon paper, we are therefore easily duped and imposed upon by the white people

We are confident that our Fa

the President is desirous that we should be fairly and Honestly dealt with, in whatever we have to do with Government and that our annuities due us from the United States by Treaties should be paid us punctually, and that no part either of the goods and merchandize or money should be detained or kept back from us, but that the whole to the last farthing should be paid and delivered us for the benefit of our=selves and Wives and Children

In order that your good Intentions may be carried into effect you have appointed Agents to reside at Detroit. If they act Correctly they will do no more then there duty and what you expect from them, But

But Father we have had much inter=course with white men and now and then find an Honest man, but generally speaking

white people appear fond of feathering their own nest, and after plucking the red birds for the purpose of accomplishing their pur=poses

Father what security have we for your Agents whom you permit to handle our annuities and monies, they require us to sign papers what they call vouchers and receipts without showing us the Invoice of our goods, and declare that they Honest=ly deliver us our goods and monies we of course are obliged to make our marks upon the papers they present us. Otherwise we are told told that we may march about our business without our payments

Father we have been told last Summer and again now this fall, that our monies have not been sent on, and that we must take goods in lieu for the monies offered

to us at an exorbitant price or wait until our monies are Sent on by you, your Chil=dren have been under the necessity to comply with your Agents measures to the Injury and damage of your Children their wives and offspring our Wyandot Brethren excep=ted they have been fairly dealth with this Season and last season

But Father we are not sensible or sure what we sign or weither we are fairly dealth with — — we We do not feel allways satisfied with the correctness of your Agents

Father it may be asked how this may be removed and we your red children people made satisfied that they are not wronged and cheated, We will tell you father how this object which we have much at Hearth can be brought about. 

Father permit us your children

to name a friend of Ours a white man who can read and write who shall be pre=sent as our special agent to act for us who shall be entitled to Inspect the Original Invoices of Our goods compare sd goods with such Invoices, Count our money examin the vouchers and receipts before they are offered us to sign

Father then and not till then shall we be satisfied that we are taxed fairly by — — We wish not to say more of the agents of the United States then that they are not elected by us we have not any confidence in them    They may nevertheless be Honest, yet we are not nor can we be confident that they are so If they act fairly Our agent will not Inj–uire them by attending to our Interest

If they are dishonest he will be a check against them on practicing it upon us in future — — We shall be satisfied and all uneasiness between us and the whites will evaporate

Father it is sincerely our wish to live in peace and harmony with our white brethren, This agent will cost us money as we are desirous of recompensing him for his troble, but we are confident that our father will compensate him taking in consideration your red Brethrens piti–full situation

Father after much Consideration on this subject, We have finally agreed and do agree to nominate Jacob Visger of [De]troit our agent under full conviction [t]hat our father the President will approve

of Our nomination and give him autho=rity to act for us as above requested that no receipt or vouchers purporting to be signed by us for annuities or monies Unless our Agent do sign it as a witness be allowed Detroit 13th November 1811 Mawies

Potawatomies      Sag ge maw   As so guaw                     Tis squw wan

    Nawash

Na haw me

As, shaw wat

Oh Skis

Chipoway

Pay she han want