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"His presence here is an insult and a threat. It is an insult to the spirits of our ancestors."
Hear ye, Dakotas! When the Great Father at Washington sent us his chief soldier to ask for a path through our hunting grounds, a way for his iron road to the mountains and the western sea, we were told that they wished merely to pass through our country, not to tarry among us, but to seek for gold in the far west. Our old chiefs thought to show their friendship and good will when they allowed this dangerous snake in our midst. They promised to protect wayfarers.
Yet before the ashes of the council are cold, the Great Father is building his forts among us. You have heard the sound of the white soldier's ax upon the Little Piney. His presence here is an insult and a threat. It is an insult to the spirits of our ancestors. Are we then to give up their sacred graves to be plowed for corn? Dakotas, I am for war!
- Emotional effect
-personal
“Are we then to give up their sacred graves to be plowed for corn?”
- The answer is obvious, NO!
- Preceded by usage of imagery and emotional appeal
Imagery mixes with emotional appeal leading to the rhetorical question
- Resentment
to be plowed for corn?
Tarry
Friendship and good will
Dangerous snake
Promised to protect
Ashes & Spirits
Insult and threat
Sacred Grounds
War
: A rhetorical device used to convey the author's message through reason/logic.
-White soldiers were granted permission to pass through indian hunting grounds
-Their ancestors were being friendly and promised to protect the travelers
-White soldiers, however, abused Indian generosity by creating forts along the route
-White soldiers lied to them about just passing by
: A rhetorical device used to convey the author's message through emotion/feeling.
-Refers often to Indian ancestors, who are held in high regard, so the people can relate emotionally
-The "white soldiers" present is an insult and threat to them. Compared to a dangerous snake
- Using emotion by saying the scared graves of ancestors will be used to plant corn.
- Wants war to address the white soldier's transgressions.
"When the Great Dakotas Father at Washington sent us his chief solider to ask for a path through our hunting grounds, a way for his iron road to the mountains and the western sea, we were told to pass our country, not to tarry among us, but to seek for gold in the far west."
- Briefly explains the issue at hand
- Informs the audience of what is really going on
- The big "but"
- The first paragraph is mainly used to describe the situation; it recounts the false promises and broken agreements that the Sioux had to deal with.
- He uses the words "his," "they," and "our" throughout the first paragraph which demonstrates that the Sioux have no interest in unity with the settlers.
- Do not refer to the mountains and sea as their own; demonstrates respect and reverence towards nature.
- Use of loaded words to provoke sympathy
Hear ye, Dakotas! When the Great Father at Washington sent us his chief soldier to ask for a path through our hunting grounds, a way for his iron road to the mountains and the western sea, we were told that they wished merely to pass through our country, not to tarry among us, but to seek for gold in the far west. Our old chiefs though to show their friendship and good will when they allowed this dangerous snake in our midst. They promised to protect the wayfarers.
- Transition words
- Imagery
- Emotional appeal
- Loaded words
- Rhetorical question
Yet before the ashes of the council fire are cold, the Great Father is building his forts among us. You have heard the sound of the white soldier’s ax upon the Little Piney. His presence here is an insult and a threat. It is an insult to the spirits of our ancestors. Are we then to give up their sacred graves to be plowed for corn? Dakotas, I am for war!
Speaker: Oglala Sioux Chief Red Cloud
Tone:
Resentful
Effect: delineate the natives as the victims.
Effect: Show that they’re innocent
Criticizing
Effect: criticizes the white people
Effect: why natives are mad at white people
Disappointing
Effect: similar effect as resentful; shows the loss of hope.
Sarcastic
Effect: Sense of criticism towards president
Subject: Trust of the Sioux betrayed, disastrous actions of the white soldiers.
Occasion: Speech done a week before a Sioux attack on Fort Phil Kearny
Audience and Purpose:
Oglala Sioux Chief Red Cloud’s speech had a purpose and it was to evoke anger and to encourage an act of either backlash or justice had to be done. The soldiers were sent from Washington and they came to take what was theirs and as a result he became enraged. This caused Red Cloud to advise his people (his audience) that they shouldn’t allow the American troops to just walk to their land and take their territory. His speech is addressed to the Dakota Council. Red Cloud mentions that they supposedly wanted to just walk through, but that they instead took their land.