Page 231 - La Société canadienne d'histoire de l'Église catholique - Rapport 1961

of the enemies of the Sioux, in their own territory, seems to
hare sroused them to a defence of this right; and in 1670 they
drove all these intruders, with the missionaries who had been
the means of gathering them at that place, as far as Sault St.
Mary. This proves that the Sioux claimed and exercised
jurisdiction over the country as far east as Lake Michigan and
St. Mary, as late as that period, ahich they did upon a more
ancient right and occupancy of the country.
In 1681, Hennepin was taken prisoner by the Sioux, on the
Mississippi, below the mouth of the Wisconsin river as an
intruder upon their country. This shows their claim to the
country in that direction.
In the 3d volume of the Wisconsin Historical Collections,
a paper from Mr. JORN G. SREA, of New York, purports to
give an account of "The Indian Tribes of Wisconsin, from the
visit of NICOLET to Green Bay, in 1639, to the conquest of
Canada by the British," which occurred in 1759. Though
this writer professes to have made an excursion through the
wilderness to the Mississippi, he seems to have written his
history of the Wisconsin Indians in New York, and took his
data from New York State Documents, and from the journals
of the early Jesuit missionaries, and the result is confusion and
uncertainty as to dates, names and locations.
For this he may not be to blame. He probably took names,
dates, &c., as he found them in the authors from which he
quoted; and probably was not aware of the fact, that the early
traders and voyagers contributed to this confusion: some for
their own convenience and accommodation; and some from
design to bewilder and perplex those who might follow them in
the fur trade, and if possible prevent their doing so, that they
might monopolize the trade to themselves.
CARVER, in his travels through this country, in speaking of
the nick-names given to different tribes, bands, villages, and
persons, says: "Green Bay, or Bay of Puants, is one of those
places to which the French gave nick-names. It is termed by
the inhabitants of the coast, Menomonee Bay; but by the Prench