Page 246 - La Société canadienne d'histoire de l'Église catholique - Rapport 1961

242 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS.
probable, that CARVER greatly exaggerated their numbers, and
supposing also that the Foxes came directly to Prairie du
Chien, when they came to the west, the other points, may be
passed as possible, though dificult to be understood.
The pretended Great Spirit, in this case, was probably a
trader, who considering Prairie du Chien a more favorable site
for a town and trading post than the place previously occupied
as "the large town," took that course to induce the Indians to
move to it. This Prairie, we shall see hereafter, had probably
been a post of trade for eighty-five years before CARVER'S
visit to it, and it seems very strange that an Indian village had
not grown up on its lovely plain, long before the time CARVER
speaks of, but we have no evidence that such was the fact.
CARVER does not say positively that the town on Prairie du
Chien, at that time, belonged to or was built by the Foxes,
but he gives the name of Dog to the plain, and the traditions
of the oldest inhabitants of the place, say that DOG, the Indian
chief from whom the Prairie received its name, was a Pox
chief. Prior to this, or the coming of the Foxes, from time
immemorial, the Sioux had claimed and occupied the country,
and it is probable that the first trader at the place, was among
and for the Sioux, and possibly the warned off inhabitants of
the large town of Wisconsin river were Sioux, or they might
have been one of the roaming tribes or adventurers of whom
we have already spoken.
After the Sauks and Foxeo left the region of the Wisconsin
river and emigrated to Rock River and Rock Island, as before
stated, the Winnebagoes took possession of the country, but
being friends and allies of the Sioux, no such difficulties oc-
curred, as did with the others.
The Menomonees were the next tribe, in point of import-
ance, though of prior date to some others, among the first Abo-
riginal occupants of what is now the State of Wisconsin.
They mere of the Algonquin race, but appear to have quar-
reled with, or rebelled a,gainst the national authorities of the