Sac and Fox Treaty, 1842

    Courtesy of State Historical Society of Iowa, 1842

    Description 

    The introduction reads, "articles of a treaty made and concluded at the agency of the Sac and Fox Indians in the Territory of Iowa, between the United States of America, by John Chambers their commissioner thereto specially authorized by the President, and the confederated tribe of Sac and Fox Indians represented by their chiefs, headmen and braves." In this treaty, Chief Poweshiek signed over rights to Sac and Fox land in Iowa, and nearly all American Indians relocated to Kansas. A small remnant remained in Tama County, Iowa. The move to Kansas proved to be painful and violent for the Meskwaki people. Old tribal rivalries arose and poverty set in. Some risked arrest to return to their relatives still living in Iowa. That remnant group has now become the Meskwaki Tribe that we know today.

    Full Transcript of 1842 Sac and Fox Treaty

    Transcribed Excerpts from 1842 Sac and Fox Treaty

    Source-Dependent Questions

    • How many years after the signing of this treaty are the Sac and Fox tribes required to relocate?
    • At the end of the treaty, it is signed by 44 members of the Sac and Fox tribes. All of them signed with "a mark" ("To the Indian names are subjoined marks"). What does it mean that the tribal members signed with a mark instead of signing their name? What does it mean that the tribal members names were spelled phonetically?
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