Speech of Chief Big Bear (mistahi-maskwa)

I think I should have something to say about the occurrences which brought me here in chains! I knew little of the killing at Frog Lake beyond hearing shots fired. When any wrong was brewing, I did my best to stop it in the beginning. The turbulent ones of the band got beyond my control and shed the blood of those I would have protected. I was away from Frog Lake a part of the winter, hunting and fishing, and the rebellion had commenced before I got back. When white men were few in the country, I gave them the hand of brotherhood. I am sorry so few are here who can witness for my friendly acts.

Can anyone stand out and say that I ordered the death of a priest or an agent? You think I encouraged my people to take part in the trouble. I did not. I advised them against it. I felt sorry when they killed those men at Frog Lake, but the truth is when news of the fight at Duck Lake reached us, my band ignored my authority and despised me because I did not side with the half-breeds. I did not so much as take a white man’s horse. I always believed that by being a friend of the white man, I and my people would be helped those of them who had wealth. I always thought it paid to do all the good I could. Now my heart is on the ground.

I look around me in this room and see it crowded with handsome faces—faces far handsomer than my own. I have ruled my country for a long time. Now I am in chains and will be sent to prison, but I have no doubt the handsome faces I admire about me will be competent to govern the land. At present, I am as dead to my people. Many of my band are hiding in the woods, paralyzed with terror. Cannot this court send them a pardon? My own children—perhaps they are starting and outcast, too, afraid to appear in the big light of the day. If the government does not come to them with help before the winter sets in, my band will surely perish.

But I have too much confidence in the Great Grandmother to fear that starvation will be allowed to overtake my people. The time will come when the Indians of the North-West will be of much service to the Great Grandmother. I plead again to you, the chiefs of the white man’s laws, for pity and help to the outcasts of my band!

I have only a few words more to say. Sometimes in the past, I have spoken stiffly to the Indian agents, but when I did so, it was only in order to obtain my rights. The North-West belonged to me, but I perhaps will not live to see it again. I ask the court to publish my speech and to scatter it among the white people. It is my defence.

I am old and ugly, but I have tried to do good. Pity the children of my tribe! Pity the old and the helpless of my people! I speak with a single tongue, and because Big Bear has always been the friend of the white man, send out and pardon and give them help! How! Aquisanee—I have spoken!

–Speech of Chief Big Bear (mistahi-maskwa) at his sentencing, 25 September 1885. Translated on that date from Cree to English.

nitiyēhtēn kīkway takīhitwēyān ohci tanēhki ōma kā-sakahpitikawiyān ōta anohc. namōya mistahi nikiskiyēhtēn ispīhk kā-misiwānācihihcik ayiki-sākahikanihk tipiyāhk poko nipihtēn ē-tahtasinamihk. mayaw ē-ati-māyahkamikahk, ē-isi-kaskihtāyān ni-kakwē-nakinīn. atiht ōki nitayisiyinīmak namōya nikī-wā-wiyōtamawāwak kīkway ēkwa misi-wanācihēwak anihi kakī-osāpamimak. ohpimiy nikī-ayān ohci ayiki-sākahikanihk ē-pāpani-māciyān ēkwa ē-nōci-kinosēwiyān ēkwa āsay kī-mātahkamikan pwāmayēs ē-pī-wāyinwēyān. ispīhk moniyāsak namōya ē-ohci-mihcēticik ōta askīhk, nikī-kakwē-miyowīcēwāwak tāpiskōc nicawāmak. wawiyakāc ēkāya ōta ē-hayācik takī-wihtahkik ni-miyo-waskawēwin.

awiyak cī kākī-itwēw ē-kī-itasiwēyān ta-misi-wanācihihcik ōki ayimihāwiyinaw ahpō cī sōniyāwikimāw? ē-itēyihtamēk cī ē-sihkimakik nitayisiyinīmak ka-wīcihiwēcik ita ē-itasi-māyahkamikaniyēk? namōya wiya niya. nikitahamawāwak ēkāya ēkosi ka-tōtahkik. nimihtātāwak aniki kākī-misiwānācihihcik ayiki-sākahikanihk. mayaw ē-pihtamāhk sīsīp sākahikanihk ē-kī-nōtinitohk, nikī-pakwātikawin ēkwa namōya niwī-nitohtākawin osām ohci ēkāya ē-ohci-sītoskawakik āpihtaw-kosisānak. nāmoya ahpō wihkāc nikimotastimiwātāw mōniyās. nikī-itiyēhtēn ta-miyo-wīcēwak moniyās, nika-wīcihikonānik niya ēkwa nitayisiyinīmak aniki kā-wiyotisicik. nikī-itiyēhtēn ka-kitāpahcikātēw kwayask ē-itōtamān māka anohc nitēh anohc pahkihtin.

ē-hayitāpiyān ēkwa mistahi niwāpamāwak ē-tahtakahkāpēwicik, ayiwāk ēwakohk niya. kayās ohci ē-kī-okimāwiyān. māka anohc nisakahpison ēkwa niwī-nitawi-kipahikāson, māka nitiyēhtēn ōki kā-takahkāpēwicik kā-takahkinawakik kwayask ta-pimipayihtāwak ōma askiy. mēkwāc wiya, namōya nipapiskiyēmikok nitayisiyinīmak tāpiskōc ē-misiwanātisiyān. mihcēt nitāyisiyinīmak sakāhk ē-kāsōcik, ē-nicim-sīkisicik. nāmōya cī kākī-pōniyihtamawāwako ōta ohci? ahpō nitawāsimisak, māskōc nohtēhkatēwak ēkwa namōya nākatēyimāwak osām ē-kostahkik ka-wāpamikawisicik kā-mēkwā-kīsikāyik. kīspin ēkāya nitawi-wīcihāwak pwāmayisk ē-pipohk kihcināhiwin ka-misiwānātisiwak.

māka mistahi nisohkēyimaw awa nohkominān ēkāya ka-pakitinahk ka-nohtēhkatiyēt nitayisiyinīma. kētahtawē mistahi ka-wīcihēwak iyiniwak nohkomināna. mīna kihtwām ki-mamisītotātināwāw, kiyawāw mōniyāwiwiyasiwēwak kitimākinawihkok ēkwa wīcihihkok nitayisiyinēmak.

apisis poko ēkwa ē-wī-hayitwēyān. kayās māna, nikī-sohki-pīkiskwātāwak sōniyāyokimāwak māka ēkospīhk ē-kī-nātamāsoyān. ōma askiy niya ē-kī-osāpahtamōhikawiyān māka ētikwē namōya kihtwām nika-wāpahtēn kā-mēkwā-pimātisiyān. nimamisīn ōma nipīpiskwēwin ka-masinahikātēk ēkwa ka-siwēhtēmakahk mōniyānāhk. ēkosi ōma ē-isi-nātamāsoyān.

nikihtēyayiwin ēkwa nimāyātisin māka kwayask nikī-kakwē-itōtēn. kitimākinawihkok nitawāsisiminānak ēkwa kā-kitimākisicik. pēyak poko mitōn nitō-pīkiskwān ēkwa mistahi-maskwa misakamiy kī-pī-miyowīcēwēw mōniyāsa, ponīhtamawihkok ēkwa wīcihihkok. hāw, ēkosāni.

mistahi-maskwa ispīhk kākī-wiyasiwātiht September 25, 1885.